Goldie Posted January 25, 2002 Report Share Posted January 25, 2002 My angelfish is swimming upside down, it happened after great stress. She is swollen in abdomen. She was laying eggs regularly before being stressed out. No eggs since. I have only seem very very thin excreta. She does not always swim upside down however enough for me to be concerned. I suspect constipation. Can anyone offer advice. Books have availed zero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 28, 2002 Report Share Posted January 28, 2002 Supposedly live daphnia can have a laxative effect on fish, has the added advantage of being tempting for a fish that is off their food. Of course if there are tankmates they are likely to get the daphnia before the poorly angel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted January 28, 2002 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2002 I will get some today and put the angel into 'hospital' tank so she is sure to get them. Thanks Rob. I will let u know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted February 23, 2002 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2002 well Rob I put angel into hospital tank and fed her daphinia. She has good appetite however still in upside down postiion most of the time. Other than that she seems fine - a little bloated. This has gone on for so long - I cannot cull her - she was my first fish. Apart from the upside down she seems hearty. Ty for the suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted February 24, 2002 Report Share Posted February 24, 2002 The daphnia hopefully should have sorted any constipation problems and also any possible bloating from dry flake food. Perhaps it is some swim-bladder disorder that has developed from old age then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerhair Posted March 5, 2002 Report Share Posted March 5, 2002 If she's bloated, perhaps its internal parasites?? Just a guess though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted March 13, 2002 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2002 I sure appeciate the support She is now beginning to swim upright again. Still 80% of the time upside down. I wonder if she suffered nerve damage when a cichild attacked her (said cichild been given to friend soon after I realised the battle going on). However that means she is 'healing' m,mm ty will let you know progress if any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted March 31, 2002 Report Share Posted March 31, 2002 Hi GoldieNZ, Any news on that angel of yours ?? Sure hope she hasn't passed on. You said she was swollen. Could have been egg bound. They say that a drop of Empsom Salts cures this, but I haven't tried it. Keep us posted Regards Bill (Pegasus) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 9, 2002 Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 Got the Auckland Fishkeepers' newsletter today. It had the following from the Aquarium Soc of NSW... Epsom Salts as a cure for constipation - 1 tsp of Epsom Salts per gallon of water. It says to put the fish (and some tank water) in a 1 or 2 gallon bowl to dose it. I think a gallon is about 4.5 litres. Discus take about 15 minutes before they start dropping and emptying faeces. Angels can take up to 6 hours to empty so need an airstone in the bowl too. If fish shows signs of distress, return them to their tank. Signs of constipation are: excrement hanging from the fish in long attached strings, sudden loss of appetite, hiding in a tank corner and perhaps a bloated appearance. Flatter fish, such as angels and discus are particularly prone to constipation. They suggest putting Epsom Salts in your angel fry tank to avoid constipation, which they say is often the cause of unexplained deaths in a fry tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted April 9, 2002 Report Share Posted April 9, 2002 Don't buy Epsom Salts from the supermarket! They cost too much. Epsom Salts are Magnesium Sulphate. You can buy this in bulk from your local pool shop or industrial chemical suplier. The last time I got some it cost $15.00 for 2kg (Thats a lot of MgSO4). I use it for 2 things, 1 as a total harness salt (+ Calcium Hydroxide or Calcium Chloride) and 2 as a part of my fertiliser mix for the planted tank. This stuff along with a couple of other macro nutrients is the bulk of what most aquarium fertilisers are made from. You can pay $10 for a bottle of plant fertiliser that has about 1/2 teaspoon (2-3g) of Magnesium Sulphate in it. With 2kg's you have enough of the Magnesium Sulphate component to make 333-500 $10 bottles of plant fertiliser. However this thread is about constipation... If you want plant fertiliser info, I'll be happy to supply details of a DIY mix that actually works (unfortunately I can't take credit for developing it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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