Puffer has strange belly bulge

[Merdfrog]

My parents puffer has had this extended belly for about a week according to them. They've had this for years and it's never looked like this before. Is it healthy and or is this a puffing

 

[littlefoxx]

My parents puffer has had this extended belly for about a week according to them. They've had this for years and it's never looked like this before. Is it healthy and or is this a puffing

what the heck… Ill tag the experts for you so they fan see it

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal @lion king @MnFish1 @fishguy242

 

[MnFish1]

Added anything new? Any new foods? Any other symptoms? Eating? Any parameters? Poop looking 'normal'. Any abnormal swimming?

 

[vetteguy53081]

what the heck… Ill tag the experts for you so they fan see it

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal @lion king @MnFish1 @fishguy242

May be constipation, even edema but will need pics under white light intensity for accurate assessment rather than random guessing

 

[MnFish1]

May be constipation, even edema but will need pics under white light intensity for accurate assessment rather than random guessing

Not sure which pictures you're seeing - the ones I see look like they are under white light?

 

[vetteguy53081]

After refreshing page, pics have shown up. Looks like either ascites in which fluid is present in the abdomen due to liver or kidney issue or my better suspect, edema - causing a fluid build up in the fish's tissue. If constipation, the poop may be abnormal. Often as long as fish is eating, you can feed it brine shrimp to enhance gut motility should there be an issue internally

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My parents puffer has had this extended belly for about a week according to them. They've had this for years and it's never looked like this before. Is it healthy and or is this a puffing

Do you know if this showed up suddenly, or grew in size over time?

Jay

 

[Merdfrog]

I did parameters on there tank a month ago and everything was fine except off the charts nitrates. It's a 30 year old tank and it's probably always had crap nitrates. It seems the recently changed dry pellet foods, though they also feed a variety of krill mysis and silversmiths as well. I don't know what you mean about the lights but it's metal halide white lights.