sick female red spotted leopard - bloated & lethagic

[waitaki]

Hi I have just come home from work to find my red spotted leopard female breeding discus in the corner with her head down and looking really sad. I think she looks a little bloated. Her eyes also look like they are bulging

History: She hasn't laid any eggs for a few weeks now. she has been eating a little, pooped yesterday. Feed on bh and occassionally bloodworms, a week ago feed live worms and also some bbs I had hatched.

4 days ago she haad a shock with water temp when I forgot to turn the heater back on after a w/c, the temp dropped to 23 - I brought it back up to 31 - slowly.

she shares her 90ltr tank with male.
water parametres:
ammonia = 0
nitrates = 0
nitrites = 0
ph = 6.4
regular water changes 25 / 50 % every 2 days.
here is pci. As soon as the water heats I'll do a big w/c
help please :(
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n141/tuataress/sickdisucs.jpg
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n141/tuataress/sickdiscus2.jpg

[ILLUSN]

try an epson salt bath 1st to aleviate the bloat, also id you can watch her poop and see if she passes any worms.

[waitaki]

thanks illusn How much epsom salt?

[Hollowman]

I would put it in a HT and use epsom salts at 3 heaped tea spoons per 10 gallons, see how it goes overnight, I would add an airstone too.

hth

Hollowman

[waitaki]

great thanks

[waitaki]

sadly she didn't make it :cry: :cry:
Now I'm wondering if I should have picked up on something early - why she stopped laying. she appeared a little stressed but I put that down to turning on the trickle filter, so I adjusted the water flow, the male had started cleaning the cone recently, I was hoping they were going to spawn again.
I don't know if the water temp shock from weekend triggered something??

It just seems really sudden. Poor Mr fish - he looks lost :cry: :cry:

Thanks for the help Illusn and Hollowman

[Hollowman]

I am sorry to hear it has died. :(
Just a thought, was this the female? if so, I wonder if it became egg bound. I have heard of females not being able to lay their eggs, for whatever reason, and the eggs not being re-absorbed and an infection starts inside and its all over.

Hollowman

[waitaki]

yes Hollowman she was female,
I was wondering whether she was egg bound as well.
she used to lay eggs twice a week (they would go mouldy- I just bought a RO unit to see if that would save them.) but then she stopped. But I really didn't notice her getting bloated until last night - when as you say; it was too late. I know I probably should have done a post mortem but I just couldn't cut her up.
thanks for the advice you gave anyway

[Hollowman]

No problem, just a shame when they go isn't it. :(

H

[waitaki]

yeah sure is; I bubble like a baby :cry: :cry:

[Hollowman]

I just lost the Penang Eruption in my avatar. Gutted :cry: He was a proven male, paired with an A grade LSS, who were in a breeding tank. He just died, no signs, no damage, no water or disease issues, it just died.
:cry:

[scott bowler]

oh steve sorry mate when did it happen , sorry to hear about that

[waitaki]

oh no hollowman - that sucks :(
really sorry to hear that
do you do post mortems?

[Hollowman]

Hey it happens guys, I was upset like you Waitaki.

I never had the opporunity to do a pm. :(

it's about time my current stock went through a bit of a revamp now. I want ot re-assess what I am doing with them and move them on accordingly. For me personally, life is changing so this equals an equal change in my fish keeping. As they say, a change is as good as a rest.

:|