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Hi,

I have a bristlenose that has had a very concave belly for a about 5 days now.

He is about 4 years old and there have never been any issues before. I have two other bristlenose, one is a juvenile peppermint and they are both fine, as are the rest of the fish. He is still very active and eating well but starting to look very flat/thin.

I'm going to get the water tested tomorrow and will post the results but does anybody have any ideas and should I put him in a seperate tank?

Are you sure the one with the concave belly is a male? I know my female will get a concave belly after laying eggs. If you have had the fish for 4 yrs then you should see some bristles for sure.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Sounds like it is wasting away. If the BN is eating and still showing those signs it sounds rather strange.
Can you post a photo this certainly will help.

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Keith

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Sorry I say 'he' but I'm pretty sure only my peppermint is male and the two standard bristlnose are female.

Belly got even more concave for a couple of days, enough so that you could see the internals of the fish pressing against the skin. Not so bad now but still doesn't look great.

Unfortunately I can't send a photo just yet.

I feed them live blackworms, frozen bloodworms, sinking pellets and finally zucchini once every month or so as a treat (lots of people keep telling me to use cucumber but they just don't touch it and go absolutely nuts over the zucchini).

All three catfish readily eat whatever food I put in, doesn't seem to be any loss in appetite or activity.


Could it be a parasite?
Could it just be old age?

If your old regular BN is a female and you added a male they might have spawned causing the caved in belly. Do you see your male on a regular basis? If you don't he might be guarding the eggs and fry in a cave somewhere.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I don't think Ancistrus dolichopterus can breed with Ancistrus hoplogenys can they?

It was the very day I put the peppermint male in the tank that I first noticed she had a concave belly.

Seems to be getting better now anyway

Been about 4 years since I last lost a fish.