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my catfish has this huge bulge right underneath its head- more towards the stomach area--don't reem me out for not having pics, but i dont have a camera-- but idk if it's pregnant or if it is overfed, though im pretty sure a fish stomach is different from a human stomach in terms of bloating, etc

does anyone know what might be wrong?

-a solidary predator, the firetruck stalks its prey

it could be bloated...

try feeding some shelled and skinned boiled peas... helps the fishy bowels to get a move on...

if not then you might want to PM longhairedgit as he is very kinowledgeable with fish remedies and maladies!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

well not having a cameras ok if you dont have it you dont have it.
do you have any tank parameters? ph ammonia nitrites nitrates or anything like that? or changes in behavior like is it swimming weird? or weird for an upside down cat anyways . hmm id probably fo with overfed but i dont know much about bloating and its causes so yeah.
and longhairedgit is very very very knowledgeable with this stuff so like brandeeno said if those peas dont work you might want to ask him. best of luck!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

thanks so much

i wasn't able to get out this week for peas, but the bloating went down A LOT-- probably just a bad case of gas...if fish get that HAHA

it's probably already on the forums somewhere, but is it bad if the ends of the fins are white to clearish in color? is that fin rot, or is it something else?

-a solidary predator, the firetruck stalks its prey

I dont think its normal. Can you get your water parameters checked? pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? How long has your tank been set up? If you dont have test kits at home take a jar of water to your lfs and ask them to test it. Ask them for the results in numbers and report back. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0, if they arent this could be a cause of the fin problems.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

You'd be surprised how much a catfish's stomach can bulge; they can eat quite a lot!

How white/clear? I wouldn't be worried about the edges of your catfish's fins unless they were frayed or started developing fuzz, signs of damage, bacterial infection, or fungus. I'm pretty sure the fins in the Asian Upside Down catfish are naturally slightly edged with white/clear colouration; it's hard to see, but in some photographs of the fish you can see it.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

it is an asian upside down, so that would explain

i did not know they had a characteristic whitish edge on its tail

learn something new everyday i guess

-a solidary predator, the firetruck stalks its prey