Pregnant SAE

gsparsan

gsparsan

AC Members
Dec 2, 2007
397
2
18
Hi Guys

Qu 1: Is this the genuine Siamese Algae Eater?

Qu 2: This one looks pregnant. That pic is 2 days old and now she is even bigger, ready to explode. What should I do? Is it easy to raise some SAE eggs/fry? Compared to Angels for example? The only success I had so far was with livebearers. I had angels (long ago) hatching several times but never managed to keep them alive for more than 3 weeks.

Qu 3: From the picture, can anybody tell how long has she got before laying the eggs?

Thats the 2nd time she is pregnent in 1 month. Last time, I didn't do anything and then suddenly she was not pregnant anymore. I guess those angels are not really garding her as they should. :grinyes:

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make sure the scales arent sticking out like a pine cone. they are true sae's but from the pic it looks like it may have dropsy. sae's have not been bred in captivity except for some fish farms that "claim" to have acheived it by schooling a few hundred together in a pond. if she is pregnant and you do get viable eggs, good luck! you hit a gold mine and may be put in the record books as the first one to breed them in the aquarium. but to me, you more likely have a fish with dropsy and should make sure and treat asap (if it is the case).
 
yeah looks like bloat
 
If it is the same size as a rummy nose tetra, it has a lot more growing to do before reaching maturity. Not sure what size they must be to be sexually mature.
 
Can't tell from the picture what is wrong with the fish, but it is not "preggers" nor full of eggs. It could be constipated, have internal parasites or the kidney infection that causes bloat. The first can be treated with Epsom salts and a better diet, the second with metronidazole and the third requires antibiotics.
 
clayt101 said:
If it is the same size as a rummy nose tetra, it has a lot more growing to do before reaching maturity. Not sure what size they must be to be sexually mature.
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That's what I thought too. It is too young to be full of eggs and spawning among SAE's is very rarely done so any claims that they do will always be doubtful unless proof is offered that they indeed spawned.
TwoTankAmin said:
Can't tell from the picture what is wrong with the fish, but it is not "preggers" nor full of eggs. It could be constipated, have internal parasites or the kidney infection that causes bloat. The first can be treated with Epsom salts and a better diet, the second with metronidazole and the third requires antibiotics.
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I second this.
 
Oww, that looks uncomfortable. My SAEs are greedy eaters but never like that. I agree, probably constipated. Don't feed the tank for a couple days then give some shelled peas, they love them. If that doesn't work I'd go with TwoTankAmin's suggestions. Good luck.
Also check the vent for red thread-like worms, camalanus seems more common these days. Levamisole HCL is a safe TX if you can get it.
 
Thanks guys. She is at least twice the size of the rummy nose. The picture is misleading I think. She is so bloated that she is having difficulty swimming as usual and prefers to stay on top of a leaf or wood. Normally the 2 SAE i have are very active. I've checked and I think the scales are not abnormally sticking out or raised. So the next most probable cause is bloating. I'll skip feeding for 2 days and see if that helps.

Just a bit of history... The tank is recuperating from a sudden fall in temp last week due to severe weather. I've lost several fish. There was a start of fungal infection on some of them. I have raised the temp and did a 50% wc. I have separated and treated the infected 3 fish. 2 survived and are back in the tank. The water parameters are as usual (pH 6.4, NO2 0, NO3 20, NH3 0) but I am still having deaths. Yesterday 2 platys died. I inspected the body and there is still no external sign of infection. I will do another 50% wc today (Wednesday) and another 50% on saturday. I also have a cory missing. Probably dead as well as it was looking sluggish last time I saw him. But can't find the body. There are lots of places to hide a carcass so it may be decomposing in the water. I will need to tear apart some of the deco and look for it.

In case it is one of the others (dropsy or internal parasite) how fast does it spread to others? I guess I better go read about dropsy.
 
gsparsan said:
In case it is one of the others (dropsy or internal parasite) how fast does it spread to others? I guess I better go read about dropsy.
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Dropsy is associated with several causes. The following below are the probable causes.

1. Damaged organs
2. Excessive intake of proteins
3. Bacterial infection
4. Intestinal parasites

Cannibalism of afflicted fish and contact on organic wastes can cause dropsy on other fish. In this case, it is easy to assume that it is a bacterial infection. What do you feed your SAE and how often? Improper acclimation procedure can be associated with damaged organs as well as extreme changes such as pH and temperature.
 
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