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Hello everybody.

Im panicing a little here, and maybe posting too early (I dont have the water specs).

One of my male Cichlids is bloated, his eyes have popped out quite a bit (and are a little cloudy) and he is bloated around the stomach area. This has slowly been happening over the past 4-5 days. He is approx 3 years old.

See picture: (He has always been more pale than the rest.)
http://www.doesntmatterhowfar.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/chorykolps.jpg

Regarding his behavior, he is maybe a bit slower than the rest, but nothing really.

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
I VERY rarely change the water, it seems it is in balance. They have all been healthy for years, and the ones we have now is the 3 generation.

Ammonia: n/a
Nitrite: n/a
Nitrate: n/a
pH: n/a
Temp: 22

Tank Information

Tank Size: approx 20 gallons, approx 30x15x15 inches
Stock List: 10 of the same type
Fish size: all around 1-2 inches

Additives
None


Please tell me what to do or what it is, all help is very much appreciated.

Regards,
Jan Ivar Czaplicki

You really need to post your tank's perameters before anyone can help you. Even if everything seems fine, it may not be.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

If you only rarely change the water the nitrate will undoubtedly be high, certainly unless you have proof otherwise you must NOT assume that it isnt.

On the picture front I can think of two possibilities, the first and most likely is pop-eye, caused you guessed it, by high nitrate, and complicating bacterial infections, and then the second option would be renal damage. The fish is fat, may have some kidney damage, and consequently osmotic problems that in turn may cause soft tissues to swell. If this is the case the next step might be dropsy, which for this fish, might well prove fatal.

Change the water, 50% to start, then 20% weekly, and offer less food. its also worth checking some antibiotic sources just in case it is pop-eye and needs treating.
Then see how it goes.

Good luck.

hi,this is not popeye,i know because i just finished cureing my blue acara from popeye and only the eye or eyes swell and get cloudy, with popeye the rest of the fish looks normall,what your fish has is called pineapple,if the eyes are popping out and the belly is swollen as u said, this is what its got,most of the time this proves fatell,if u are lucky and catch it early u MITE CURE IT,but as you said its been 4-5 days,are the scales on the belly kind of lifting away from the body,like upwards,this happens because the fish is absorbing water faster than it can deplete it,there for it swells up,even thoo its been 4-5 days u mite want to still try a cure,i THINK you can use algone p,but dont quote me,ask your LFS they should be able to give you some sort of meds,good luck and let us know how u goand dont be to upset if the fish does die even with treatment as i said 9 out of 10 times this(pineapple) is fatel,now i would try to figure out why your fish has this,i think its from high nitrites,but to find out why its has contracted this,u will need to get yourself some test kits,they really are a great investment for any fish keeper,hope this helps