Obese Tetra - What Action?

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Offline fcmf

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Obese tetra - what action?
« on: July 15, 2016, 07:32:09 PM »
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Hi folks,

As mentioned in another thread earlier in the week:
One of the two female tetras, the one which eats a huge proportion of the food, has been getting increasingly large of late - so much so that she now resembles a fancy goldfish, rounded on both "flanks" when viewed from behind and with her face almost hidden in her body. I may have to consider isolating her - not something I'd wanted to do but I can't see an alternative. [http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forums/general-fishkeeping-chat/think-fish-keepers-daily-news/160/#sthash.fTfQ03TN.dpuf]

The fish are fed a mix of flakes and pellets twice daily, with chopped peas twice per week, but this particular female has amazing tank coverage and somehow manages to reach the majority of food for herself, with the two female tetras tending to be the only two which forage in the substrate for leftovers.

I'm attaching some photos of her here and would appreciate some advice on whether this is at the stage where some concerted action needs to be taken, such as isolating her and cutting back on food? I'm reluctant to do this as she's behaving completely normally and I'm concerned that isolation in a QT may have a negative impact on a happy, otherwise-well, shoaling fish. Thoughts welcome; thanks.

NB. Second pic is view from directly behind - she's in front of the base of the silk plant, so it shows how large/bulgy her flanks are on each side when viewed from behind, round like a ball and similar to a fancy goldfish. The other, normal-sized female is above her.



Offline Fiona

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2016, 07:38:40 PM »
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She just looks like a happy mature fish to me. I've got female silver tipped tetras the same shape, the females are generally more rounded naturally.

If it's bothering you cut back the food to once a day

Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2016, 07:41:12 PM »
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Really? Wow - I thought she was on the verge of exploding. That's helpful to know; thanks.




Offline Fiona

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2016, 07:48:24 PM »
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As long as she's healthy i.e. eating and behaving normally with normal looking poop and no signs of dropsy don't worry overly.

Offline Paddyc

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2016, 08:28:42 PM »
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...Kinda looks like a micro Great White Shark   ???

Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2016, 09:42:21 PM »
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Have just done a water change. While fiddling with putting everything back in its rightful position, I noticed that there's actually a line at the back, where the body joins the tail where the scales are almost 'displaced' due to how large/bloated she is - not in a dropsy-like way but enough that I'll have to keep a close eye on her and definitely cut back on the food.

Offline Matt

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2016, 10:10:25 PM »
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Isolation might not be a bad thing to my mind - my neon tetras are like Hoover's when there's food about and they often spit it back out again when they realise they can't "swallow" it all in one go.

Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2016, 10:31:08 PM »
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Did a headcount 40mins ago and realised that there was a missing male tetra. Ordinarily, I sit by the tank on a few occasions during the daytime, observing and interacting with each of the fish and simultaneously doing a head count. Work has been very busy today and, uncharacteristically, I didn't take a break to do so - or before this evening's water change. Husband and I spent 40mins checking the surrounding area of the tank including on the floor, moved items in the tank to check that the tetra isn't trapped anywhere, etc - to no avail. It's looking very much as though this may partly account for the large female tetra's size - and might actually account for why everyone was slow to eat breakfast this morning (but I put this down to the new decor being in the way and them not seeing the food / the tetras busy mating).

Everyone was very healthy and coloured yesterday - is it possible that the fish could have died overnight (or possibly during the daytime today) and been completely consumed, leaving no trace whatsoever by the time of this evening's water change?




Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2016, 09:09:41 AM »
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No!!!!! The missing male tetra has been found, inside the back of the filter bracket. :'( :'( :'(   This must have happened during yesterday evening's water change.  Furious with myself that I've inadvertently killed a perfectly healthy fish, judging by how colourful, happy and active everyone has been.

I should have dismantled the filter bracketing last night to check, but everyone had settled down for the night at that stage and I thought best not to disturb them. :vcross: :vcross: :vcross:  Perhaps I could have saved him, had I made this discovery last night. 

Argh - I'm distraught :'( and angry with myself :vcross: in equal measure.




Offline Sue

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2016, 09:19:25 AM »
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Accidents do happen, fcmf. They are upsetting, but you didn't do it deliberately.
You know now to check so it won't happen again.

Offline Littlefish

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2016, 11:34:21 AM »
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@fcmf  unfortunately these things happen. I'm so sorry to hear about your fish, and I understand that you feel awful. It was an accident. I know that doesn't make you feel any better, but it could have happened to any of us.

Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2016, 12:26:55 PM »
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Thanks, both.

This illustrates exactly what happens when one's mind is focused down a certain route - I'd been so pre-occupied with the obese tetra that, in the situation of a missing fish, I'd ordinarily advise others to check/dismantle the filter, but my mind couldn't help assuming that it was related to the obese tetra and thus that cannibalism had taken place and which accounted for the obese tetra's size (or that the fish might somehow re-appear from somewhere this morning).

After many tears shed, and a fitting ceremonial burial, I "consoled" myself in the usual manner - took myself down to the LFS and browsed the fishtanks, battling with a lump in my throat and tears flowing down my cheeks.

Now, I'm going to focus on whether anything can be done with the filter to prevent such a situation happening again (ie fish swimming into the bracket and getting trapped there or squashed during filter maintenance), and, if I'm not confident that it's fully "fish-proof", then I'll buy a new filter. I might also remove the backing paper from the side of the tank, as that might make it easier to check the back of the filters regularly and easily in the event of any missing fish.

Update: the only way into the filter bracket is from above, so I have blocked that entry point with filter wool stuffed in/down as best I can.

Offline Fiona

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2016, 01:27:26 PM »
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I had a glowlight tetra that got trapped behind the filter bracket, I thought I'd somehow trapped him in there when I'd moved the filter to clean it except the daft thing got itself stuck there the next day, after that I plugged the gap with filter wool. Things like that happen unfortunately :( don't beat yourself up too much.

Your female could be full of eggs fcmf, maybe a water change with cooler water will trigger a spawning.

Offline Paddyc

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2016, 01:48:06 PM »
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@fcmf, condolences for you and the Tetra you lost. I felt similarly to you after the loss of my fish that jumped out of the bucket... It's so sad. Keep your chin up, as others have said it was an accident and you've already ensured it won't happen again.

Hugs x

Offline fcmf

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Re: Obese tetra - what action?
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2016, 04:57:14 PM »
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Thanks, both.

I decided that everyone could do with a treat (the fish) / cheering up (me), so went back to the LFS and bought some frozen food. This seems to have gone down well in the tank. Hoping, in addition to a further water change topped up with cold water, it might induce the huge female to spawn if indeed she's full of eggs - certainly, I see lots of mating behaviour daily but have never yet seen any eggs released (although appreciate they may get gobbled up quickly).

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