Sleeper Goby with dark patch and a distended stomach.

[Ziggy17]

@fishmedics

His stomach has progressively been getting more distended. I thought it was due to him eating like a pig, which he does. I generally thought it would d resolve itself if it was constipated. However I’ve now noticed a black blotch that looks as though it’s on the interior of its stomach wall, Unilateral. His behaviour is normal, still sand sifting and interacting normal with other fish. Breathing isn’t laboured, and no buoyancy issues. There is a YWG is the tank, and sometimes they share the same cave, but they typically don’t interact much at all, certainly no aggression. The sleepy is 4 times the size as the YWG

Parasites or bacterial or perhaps something else?

 

[vetteguy53081]

@fishmedics

His stomach has progressively been getting more distended. I thought it was due to him eating like a pig, which he does. I generally thought it would d resolve itself if it was constipated. However I’ve now noticed a black blotch that looks as though it’s on the interior of its stomach wall, Unilateral. His behaviour is normal, still sand sifting and interacting normal with other fish. Breathing isn’t laboured, and no buoyancy issues. There is a YWG is the tank, and sometimes they share the same cave, but they typically don’t interact much at all, certainly no aggression. The sleepy is 4 times the size as the YWG

Parasites or bacterial or perhaps something else?

I believe this may be from intestinal blockage but I have also seen this from fish holding unreleased eggs especially without a male present. How long has this swelling developed?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

@fishmedics

His stomach has progressively been getting more distended. I thought it was due to him eating like a pig, which he does. I generally thought it would d resolve itself if it was constipated. However I’ve now noticed a black blotch that looks as though it’s on the interior of its stomach wall, Unilateral. His behaviour is normal, still sand sifting and interacting normal with other fish. Breathing isn’t laboured, and no buoyancy issues. There is a YWG is the tank, and sometimes they share the same cave, but they typically don’t interact much at all, certainly no aggression. The sleepy is 4 times the size as the YWG

Parasites or bacterial or perhaps something else?

If you think it is over eating, you can withhold all food for 24 hours and see if it diminishes.

I did a review of various causes of abdominal swelling in fishes. However, refining that list is difficult to do:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/causes-of-abdominal-swelling-in-fishes.1098720/

 

[Ziggy17]

I believe this may be from intestinal blockage but I have also seen this from fish holding unreleased eggs especially without a male present. How long has this swelling developed?

2 weeks. It wasn’t a gradual onset, more like an all of a sudden. At first I thought maybe it ate my pistol shrimp, but I’ve definitely heard the shrimp snapping at night, and there is nothing small enough for it to eat. I didn’t consider eggs as an option.

 

[Ziggy17]

If you think it is over eating, you can withhold all food for 24 hours and see if it diminishes.

I did a review of various causes of abdominal swelling in fishes. However, refining that list is difficult to do:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/causes-of-abdominal-swelling-in-fishes.1098720/

Oh it definitely over eats, but because it wasn’t a gradual onset, I dismissed the over eating as an exclusive issue.

I could do a 24 hour fast, but I’d likely do it with lights out as some of the other fish get hangry.

 

[vetteguy53081]

2 weeks. It wasn’t a gradual onset, more like an all of a sudden. At first I thought maybe it ate my pistol shrimp, but I’ve definitely heard the shrimp snapping at night, and there is nothing small enough for it to eat. I didn’t consider eggs as an option.

Sounds like ingestion and blockage based on onset

 

[Ziggy17]

Sounds like ingestion and blockage based on onset

I’ll do a fast to see if it clears up then. I’ll also try some peas as well. Old school. He’s a pig, he may take them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ll do a fast to see if it clears up then. I’ll also try some peas as well. Old school. He’s a pig, he may take them.

Peas offer no benefit and can potentially foul tank water. Brine shrimp will act as a laxative be safer to use as other fish too will consume it

 

[Ziggy17]

Peas offer no benefit and can potentially foul tank water. Brine shrimp will act as a laxative be safer to use as other fish too will consume it

The tank gets brine shrimp 3x a day.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The tank gets brine shrimp 3x a day.

Feed that only for now

 

[Ziggy17]

Feed that only for now

Copy.

Cheers.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ll do a fast to see if it clears up then. I’ll also try some peas as well. Old school. He’s a pig, he may take them.

The “feed peas” won’t work. It was developed by an aquarist at the Shedd aquarium by one of their staff to solve a specific problem with fancy goldfish, I learned about it when I worked there - and it does work great at removing gas pockets from the coiled intestines of fancy goldfish. Somehow, this idea got misapplied to other gut issues. It only works on those issues that were going to resolve on their own (grin).

 

[Paul B]

I could do a 24 hour fast, but I’d likely do it with lights out as some of the other fish get hangry.

Fish are cold blooded creatures and are always hungry and will eat even when they are so full that they can't close their mouth. They are not like us who have to maintain an internal body temperature. Most fish can go without eating for a month, some fish can go 6 months without eating so don't worry about them being hungry.

(Don't let them go that long without eating, but a few days won't hurt them. Mine fast all the time while I am away and I don't feed them every day. Maybe 6 days a week)

 

[Ziggy17]

Fish are cold blooded creatures and are always hungry and will eat even when they are so full that they can't close their mouth. They are not like us who have to maintain an internal body temperature. Most fish can go without eating for a month, some fish can go 6 months without eating so don't worry about them being hungry.

(Don't let them go that long without eating, but a few days won't hurt them. Mine fast all the time while I am away and I don't feed them every day. Maybe 6 days a week)

Hi Paul,
It’s not them being hungry I would be concerned about, it’s being hangry. Which is why I would tend to keep the lights off if I was going to fast.

 

[Ziggy17]

I still don’t know what’s causing that unilateral black patch on the side. Is that a ruptured blood vessel that appears black?

 

[Paul B]

That black "blotch" is never a good sign. I know on thin fish like copperbands it indicates an internal injury with bleeding and it is always fatal. I have never seen it on a thicker fish so hopefully, it is just something in it's stomach.

If it gets darker, then it may be that and if it is, there is no cure.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I still don’t know what’s causing that unilateral black patch on the side. Is that a ruptured blood vessel that appears black?

It may not be black, just really dark green. That’s bile, a sign of live dysfunction.

 

[Paul B]

It may not be black, just really dark green. That’s bile, a sign of live dysfunction.

That is a possibility.

 

[Ziggy17]

Quick update.
So his stomach hasn’t gotten bigger, but it does t look smaller. The dark patch is still there but perhaps looks better than it did. His bowels are moving, it it’s not a total blockage. Poop looks normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Phos long would eggs stay in there if that was the case?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Quick update.
So his stomach hasn’t gotten bigger, but it does t look smaller. The dark patch is still there but perhaps looks better than it did. His bowels are moving, it it’s not a total blockage. Poop looks normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Phos long would eggs stay in there if that was the case?

Female fish sometimes fill with eggs when there is no male to spawn with, so it could be that.