Bloated mandarin

[Keesha]

Is there any thing I can do for my bloated mandarin? She's as wide as she is long! She is 4 yrs old, lives in 75 gal reef with my skunk clowns. She has always been healthy and well fed. The air in her belly makes her sides look transparent.
The only way she can stay on the bottom is to remain under the macroalgae.
She has been this way for a week.

The only info I have found on helping this condition would not pertain to a mandarin.

 

[MondoBongo]

you sure it's air and that she's not egg bound? i've heard of them becoming egg bound before.

 

[Keesha]

Would being egg bound cause her to float? There is no firmness to the expansion on each side

 

[MondoBongo]

I'm not sure. I'm not actually familiar with these symptoms. But figured it was worth mentioning.

 

[Keesha]

Here is picture of her

 

[Keesha]

I read about feeding peas for bloat but I'm sure she will not eat peas

 

[juniorrocketdad]

Wow that looks crazy, I hope it gets better

 

[krullshards]

Whoa.. I could not have pictured that. I thought you were just using hyperbole when you said she's as wide as she is long, but I now see you were quite literal.

I honestly don't see how she can survive like that.

 

[Keesha]

No, no exaggeration, I hate to lose her. She is very friendly and has been with me for several years. It appears to be just air in her abdomen

 

[krullshards]

I've heard of puffers swallowing air and not being able to release it. You are supposed to gently take a hold of them, point their heads up and gently massage their bellies to coax the air out.

I've never heard of that happening to a Mandarin though. I mean, you could try that route, I suppose.

 

[jbvdhp]

She looks edematous around the eyes too right? If it's air have you looked up trying to use a fine needle relieve the air, but I think that only pertains to swim bladder issues/decompression issues. That's nuts. If she is swollen all around then perhaps an osmolarity problem?


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[ThRoewer]

That fish is swollen all over, not likely from air.

Possible cause may be a bacterial infection with Pseudomonas or Corynebacterium sp.
The swelling is usually caused by infection of the kidneys. Likely the swim bladder is infected too which causes the updrift.
Treatment: antibiotics like erythromycin, nifurpirinol, tetracycline,...
The outlook is rather grim at this stage.

 

[krullshards]

That fish is swollen all over, not likely from air.

Possible cause may be a bacterial infection with Pseudomonas or Corynebacterium sp.
The swelling is usually caused by infection of the kidneys. Likely the swim bladder is infected too which causes the updrift.
Treatment: antibiotics like erythromycin, nifurpirinol, tetracycline,...
The outlook is rather grim at this stage.

I gotta agree, that doesn't seem like a simple case of ingested air.