PlanetCatfish.com

HELLO ALL. I JUST FOUND THIS WONDERFUL SITE. I HAVE 5 COLOMBIAN CATS(OR BLACK FINED SHARKS THE PET STORE CALLED THEM) 3 PICTUS, 1 PL*CO. ALSO I HAVE A GREEN SPOTTED PUFFER,4 GOURMIES(I CANT REMEMBER HOW TO SPELL IT),AND 2 KNIFE FISH AND 2 NEEDLE FISH IN MY 120 GALLON TANK. I ACUTALLY HAD A QUESTION. MY PICTUS ARE NOW ABOUT 6IN LONG AND I JUST NOTICED THAT THERE BELLIES BY THERE GILLS AND FINS ARE PINK. ALL THE REST OF THERE BELLIES ARE WHITE. THE USSALLY HIDE IN THE BIG STUMPS DURING THE DAY AND COME OUT FOR THE EVENING FEEDING. THEY SEEM FINE THEY EAT AND JUST SWIM WITH THRER BELLIES NEXT TO THE FRONT OF THE AQARIUM.I AM JUST WONDERING IF THAT IS CAUSE THE ARE GETTING BIGGER OR IS SOMETHING WRONG? I AM A VERY NERVOUS FISH MOM.

Hi Gina & welcome to the site.

Is it possible to post a picture of the fish which will allow us to better advise you? Swollen bellies (when obviously not caused by newly eaten food) often are a sign of something wrong particularly when coupled with the red patches. How do the other fish look? What is the pH? The more information you can supply the better we can assist.

(could you also update your location so we know where you are from please?)

Al the best

Richard B

Also, reading from your other post, it sounded like you have a brackish tank - P. pictus are definitely not suitable for brackish conditions.

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Mats

THANK YOU. SORRY I AM IN PROVO,UTAH. THE PET STORE TOLD ME THEY WOULD BE FINE IN BRACKISH. APPARENTLY I WAS ILL ADVISED. I WILL MOVE THEM TO MY OTHER TANK. THE OTHER FISH IN MY TANK ARE ALL FINE. PH IS NORMAL THE SAME IT HAS BEEN SCINCE I GOT THEM ALONG WITH TEMP. WHEN I GET MY NEW TANK I WILL KEEP THEM IN THIS ONE AND HAVE IT FRESH NOT BRACKISH AND MOVE MY BRACKISH TO THE NEW BIGGER TANK. THANK YOU

When moving to another tank, bear in mind that you should not just move them from a brackish to fresh-water tank - take water from the brackish tank to fill their new home, then gradually (over several days) replace a bit of water at a time (say 10% per day). After two or three weeks, the salinity will be down to fresh-water levels.

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Mats

Hi Gina,

Welcome along, I hope you find our site useful. Aside from extending a (hopefully) warm welcome, I just wanted to point out that WRITING IN CAPITALS is considered shouting.

I appreciate you maybe don't know that, so thought it worthwhile pointing it out before someone shouts back at you.

Jools

Thank you guys and yes I know about the caps mats told me. I am just use to using all caps in the pharmacy. Sorry. But I will slowly change them to the new tank water.