BLOAT DESEASE

Subject: BLOAT DESEASE Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:34 am

it seems a few people are suffering from bloat of late so this may be of use

bristlenoses are generally algae "grazers". Their mouth have been adaptedthis way to rasp or scrape algae found on rocks in search of their primary food source. By doing this they pick up all sorts of micro organisms that live in the algae. They are 90% vegetarian. The fact that their digestive track can only digest mostly vegetable matter and dont do well when fed high protein i beleive this is why a lot of hobbyists could suffer with Bloat.

The first signs of “bloat” are usually white stringy faeces, followed by the withdrawal of the affected fish at feeding time. Heavy breathing, clamped fins (usually the pectoral fins being held tightly against the torso) and problems with balance and swaying, seem to preclude the final stage of bloat where the fish literally balloons up and expires. These symptoms usually persist for anywhere from 3 days to 10 days. The bloating is caused by either a protozoan parasite or bacteria which is already present in most digestive tracks. This is why i always worm all my fish and always new additions to my tanks. Once the fish’s immune system is lowered, the parasites bacteria takes hold and multiplys blocking the digestive track and ultimately consuming the internal organs.
Once your fish has bloated it is usually too late to save them. Worst of all Bloat seems to be contagious. Other fish in your tank can contract bloat though sifting and eating waste left to rot in the substrate. That is why it is so important to watch your fish eat at meal time. bristlenose are manic eaters and if for some reason one fish isn’t eating or is hanging near the bottom. Something is definitely wrong.
The dreaded Bloat can be induced by a number of factors including, stress, poor water conditions, OVERFEEDING and in most cases feeding the wrong type of food. ie high protein avoid foods that contain a high protein level, anything meat based or warm blooded animal by-products. A good quality spirulina flake diet alge waffers and fresh washed veg and weekly water changes of at least 30% can go a long way to prevent illness in your tank of bristlenose.
Many medications exist for bloat, some more harmful than others to your fish and your tank setup. For starters a large water change is recommended before treating the entire tank. It’s quite likely that poor water conditions are the cause once you’ve eliminated diet
ive gone through most meds trying to treat bloat keeping tropheus is part and parcel with this disease. the only med i found to do the trick if caught at an early stage is octazin. some people say epson salts work on this disease. but if find epson salts does nothing for this disease and does more harm than good imo.

The Top tips for keeping bristlenoses
good water is a must
Feed mostly a vegetive diet.
Remove all decaying waste when you do your weekly water changes using a water vacuum or python .25% to 30% per week minimum.
make sure youre bristlenoses have propper bog wood at all times this helps with the digestive system.

hope this helps