Need advice on treating S. alberti with severe bloat

All posts regarding the care and breeding of catfishes from Africa.
Post Reply
User avatar
Dinyar
Posts: 1286
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 00:34
My articles: 3
My images: 226
My catfish: 10
My cats species list: 3 (i:10, k:0)
Spotted: 94
Location 1: New York, NY, USA
Interests: Mochokidae, Claroteidae, Bagridae, Malepteruridae, Chacidae, Heteropneustidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Loricariiadae

Need advice on treating S. alberti with severe bloat

Post by Dinyar »

We have had a Synodontis alberti for over five years. Today we discovered that it was suffering from a sudden and severe attack of "bloat". Here's a picture:

Image

I think it's air, as the fish is very buoyant and struggles to maintain its orientation. However, there's an outside chance that it could be an infection; several Steatocranus casuaris in this tank have died recently, and some have exhibited bloat and popeye-like symptoms.

Was considering trying to remove the excess gas or liquid with a hypodermic needle, but feared the cure may be more dangerous than the disease. The timely advice of the veterans on this forum would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dinyar
Top
User avatar
Barbie
Expert
Posts: 2964
Joined: 03 Jan 2003, 23:48
I've donated: $360.00!
My articles: 1
My images: 15
My catfish: 2
My cats species list: 58 (i:0, k:0)
Spotted: 8
Location 1: Spokane, WA
Location 2: USA

Post by Barbie »

I'm sorry to hear this Dinyar :( I had a S. multipunctatus that looked almost exactly like this a few months ago. She exhibited the beginning stages of popeye and was just enormous, but wasn't having trouble with her buoyancy yet. I moved her into a 10 gallon quarantine tank, and treated her with kanacyn, (dosed daily, not every other day) while feeding her metro soaked food. Her appetite stayed good, but she looked terrible. I did daily 50% water changes, and on the 4th day, she looked a little better to me, so I continued the treatment for an extra 4 days, along with the changes. She made a full recovery, and after 3 weeks of isolation, I reintroduced her to the main tank, and she's been fine. That is the one and only time I've ever saved a fish that looked bloated/dropsied to that extent, but I wasted no time from the point where I noticed it. I'm not sure it will help, but at this point, it can't hurt?

Barbie
Top
User avatar
Dinyar
Posts: 1286
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 00:34
My articles: 3
My images: 226
My catfish: 10
My cats species list: 3 (i:10, k:0)
Spotted: 94
Location 1: New York, NY, USA
Interests: Mochokidae, Claroteidae, Bagridae, Malepteruridae, Chacidae, Heteropneustidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Loricariiadae

Post by Dinyar »

Thanks, Barbie. That sounds like useful advice. We have metronidazole but not Kanacyn. We do have Maracyn 2 (minocycline), which claims to treat dropsy and popeye. Other antibiotics we have on hand include tetracycline, erythromycin and nitrofurazone. If we were to use what we have on hand, what drug or combination would you suggest?

Thanks,
Dinyar
Top
User avatar
Dinyar
Posts: 1286
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 00:34
My articles: 3
My images: 226
My catfish: 10
My cats species list: 3 (i:10, k:0)
Spotted: 94
Location 1: New York, NY, USA
Interests: Mochokidae, Claroteidae, Bagridae, Malepteruridae, Chacidae, Heteropneustidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Loricariiadae

Post by Dinyar »

Answering my own question... Maracyn 2 is functionally similar to Kanacyn and can be used in its place.

Dinyar
Top
User avatar
Barbie
Expert
Posts: 2964
Joined: 03 Jan 2003, 23:48
I've donated: $360.00!
My articles: 1
My images: 15
My catfish: 2
My cats species list: 58 (i:0, k:0)
Spotted: 8
Location 1: Spokane, WA
Location 2: USA

Post by Barbie »

Ages ago I was told that 90% of the problems that fish deal with are gram negative bacteria. Maracyn 2 is formulated for that, and says it treats dropsy, so I would tend to choose it. Kanacyn said something about being absorbed more readily, which is why I chose it, but your fish probably can't wait another day. I would just use the Maracyn 2 and then soak frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp in the metro. I assume your fish is still eating? I had the quarantine tank at 82 degrees, with a powerhead with the venturi running for maximum oxygenation, but you should probably keep flow to a minimum with a fish that's having trouble keeping itself well oriented. Maybe add additional aeration with airstones or the like. I wish I was more help. I was desperate to not lose this female without at least trying to save her, and she did live, but I'm not positive which part of the "cure" was effective.

Barbie
Top
corybreed
Expert
Posts: 919
Joined: 23 Mar 2004, 23:39
I've donated: $54.00!
My catfish: 8
My cats species list: 74 (i:8, k:0)
Spotted: 6
Location 1: Long Island, New York, USA
Location 2: Long Island

Post by corybreed »

Dinyar,
I have used Kanacyn with some success, however I do not think it is available any longer.
Mark
Top
User avatar
Dinyar
Posts: 1286
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 00:34
My articles: 3
My images: 226
My catfish: 10
My cats species list: 3 (i:10, k:0)
Spotted: 94
Location 1: New York, NY, USA
Interests: Mochokidae, Claroteidae, Bagridae, Malepteruridae, Chacidae, Heteropneustidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Loricariiadae

Post by Dinyar »

To my surprise, two hours after treatment with Maracyn 2 began (in a 10 g hospital tank), the bloat was almost gone and the fish was swimming normally! We will treat for the prescribed 5 day course, release the fish and hope for the best.

Dinyar
Top
Paladindjinn
Posts: 46
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:12
Location 1: Dedham massachusetts

Post by Paladindjinn »

Next time keep him away from the mexican food, never know what the stuff will do to ya.(Ment to be humerous, as in mexican food gives u bad gas, no offence to mexicans or anything, also good to hear that the fish seems like it is going to recover)
Top
User avatar
Barbie
Expert
Posts: 2964
Joined: 03 Jan 2003, 23:48
I've donated: $360.00!
My articles: 1
My images: 15
My catfish: 2
My cats species list: 58 (i:0, k:0)
Spotted: 8
Location 1: Spokane, WA
Location 2: USA

Post by Barbie »

Wow! I've never heard of anything helping that quickly, but congratulations!

Barbie
Top
User avatar
Chrysichthys
Posts: 1331
Joined: 09 Jan 2003, 17:22
My images: 1
My cats species list: 43 (i:0, k:0)
Spotted: 1
Location 1: Oxford U.K.
Interests: catfish!

Post by Chrysichthys »

I had a Synodontis alberti which suffered on and off from this problem. I wasn't sure whether it was swallowing air (which I never saw it do) or it had a digestive problem.
STOP AND SEARCH TO BE REPLACED WITH GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED VIOLENCE
(Daily Mash headline)
Top
User avatar
Dinyar
Posts: 1286
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 00:34
My articles: 3
My images: 226
My catfish: 10
My cats species list: 3 (i:10, k:0)
Spotted: 94
Location 1: New York, NY, USA
Interests: Mochokidae, Claroteidae, Bagridae, Malepteruridae, Chacidae, Heteropneustidae, Clariidae, Sisoridae, Loricariiadae

Post by Dinyar »

Chrysichthys wrote:I had a Synodontis alberti which suffered on and off from this problem. I wasn't sure whether it was swallowing air (which I never saw it do) or it had a digestive problem.

No more is the wind created by trees shaking their branches
Geez, that sounds like one highly flatulent syno!
Top
z rock
Posts: 4
Joined: 31 Jul 2004, 02:03
Location 1: TX
Interests: Malawi Haps,Tangayikan catfish & cichlids

Bloated catfish

Post by z rock »

I have 4 Synodontis multipunctatus.One day I noticed one of them swelled up like the alberti in that pic.I thought for a couple days that the fish was full of eggs.Then the fish got so swelled up I started checking things out.Come to find out my Mag 350 canister was completly clogged with MTS.SNAILS!
It had clogged so bad it had shut down the flow to my bio-wheel pro 60 unit.
I didn't even suspect I had snails in this tank.I guess the cats and the 2 clown loaches were keeping them cleaned up so well I never saw one.My nitrates were probably sky high!I cleaned the filter and did a water change and the fish cleared up in a couple days. :wink:
Top
Post Reply

Return to “African Catfishes”