Egg-bound Cardinal??

[BeakerBob]

My female cardinal has been swelling up like a balloon with eggs. In the past, she has released them to the male, but this time she looks like she is going to explode. Is it possible that she may be egg-bound and can't release the eggs?

This is so sad. I can almost see her deteriorating each day and I don't know what to do.

Here she is today and you can see her extended belly. The outline of the eggs show through her belly.

I am afraid that this situation is causing other problems, there are now sores appearing on the belly and the base of her fin.

 

[aomont]

I think those are not eggs outlined but the scales cause she´s so enlarged !
How old is she ?
Anderson.

 

[BeakerBob]

She's only about 2 years old. The scales are poking outward because she is so swelled up so much. I was just reading a thread about dropsy in a freshwater guppy. Can marine cardinals get dropsy??

 

[Slakker]

Yes, but afaik Dropsy tends to be a full-body expansion and not so much just the gut...this could be some kind of internal parasite.

 

[FuEl]

Have not heard of fish becoming eggbound. If the eggs cannot be released they would simply become reabsorbed by the fish.

 

[FMarini]

i too am thinking illness, not egg binding. The rufffled scales suggest a pathogen

 

[BeakerBob]

I took her out last night and put her in a QT tank with fungicide and antibiotics. She is still alive and swimming this morning, but there are some ulcerations on her belly now. I'll keep her in there until she heals or passes away.

 

[aomont]

If she passes away try to find a vet to see what´s inside. Sorry to talk about that but it´s a way you should know what´s going on with your fishes.
Hope you don´t need to !
Anderson.

 

[Slakker]

I just checked one of my books, and it says this:

Symptoms:
Body swellings that may be either localized or spread over large areas. Secondary infections may occur if swellings burst.

Cause:
Bacterial infection - caused by various bacteria.

Treatment:
Use copper-based remedies and then medicated food.

(The Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium. Dakin, Nick. 2003.)

Dropsy is basically identically described in this book, although for dropsy it advises going straight to a vet for treatment. Antibiotics seem to be a good course of action, according to that particular book.