Extremely bloated Mandarin

[ccurnick]

As the title states, my mandarin is extremely bloated looking. I have had it for almost 2 years now with no issues, and no recent fish additions/I run a thorough QT.

It has had buldges on its side for a few months now, but they have greatly expanded and now the lower part of its stomach is bloated as well.

Anyone have any ideas? The best I could find was distended eggs.

 

[Reef man 89]

That is one fat fish! Maybe some miralax will help. Looks like she is eating like a champ

 

[ccurnick]

That is one fat fish! Maybe some miralax will help. Looks like she is eating like a champ

haha I’m hoping that’s all it is. She does eat prepared foods without a problem.

 

[javisaman]

Eggs are stuck! You may need to intervene. Look at this thread:

Female Mandarin huge .

Hi all We have a pair of Mandarins for over a year but the female is recently getting bigger and bigger, I am concerned she is egg bound. How long should I leave her like this before I should intervene ? Not sure if I could manipulate her as she is so small , I wonder if a bath in Epsom salts...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That does look like dystocia. What happens is that the eggs don't get released due to the absence of a male, or at least some spawning failure. Then, for some reason, rather than being reabsorbed, the eggs decompose. There isn't anything to be done about it, sorry.

Jay

 

[Paul B]

Jay is correct and it is very common with captive mandarins. I don't know if it happens in the sea. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do at this stage for that fish short of a Cesarean.
It is probably to late for that now as I assume that fish died already. Those egg bound eggs are rotting inside the poor fish.




A normal pregnant mandarin looks like this.