Pregnant Or Just A Fat Female?

Is the fish like that all the time? The lumpy look to the bottom of the abdomen looks a bit like a fish that has stuffed more than its fair share of food. But if it's like that all the time, then it's not overfeeding.

According to Serioulsy Fish these fish do spawn readily. A high pH usually means the eggs won't hatch rather than the fish won't spawn. High pH often goes with hard ater, and it's the hardness that affects the egg coating which causes the problems. If it is an egg bound female, she should either release them after being chased by a male(s) or she should reabsorb them if not. Keep an eye on the fish as it could also be something wrong - if the swollen abdomen doesn't go down in a few days, that is more and more likely.


One thing you could try is feed them some peas, then nothing for a couple of days. There is always the chance of constipation causing things to back up, and peas won't harm them even if they don't help