One of my female lutinos (aunty O) gorged herself on beef heart cubes yesterday...I was saving the bloodworms for the babies so I fed the big Os the axolotl food. Mum and Dad O had a few cubes but because they had just spawned and lost their eggs they were sulking and didn't take their share.

Now aunty O has a big swollen belly and is lying on the bottom of the tank at about a 45 degree angle and is not interested in food. Ironically before the beef heart I threw in some peas for good measure because I was putting them in with the babies.

None of my O's have had this reaction to food before. Should I be worried? Should I go out for laxatives now? Do you think they are in pain when they are like this?

Shaz.... The one who feeds Oscars to death......

Na just chill out shar...mine have done this before when I have over fed them....you just need to remember that when they are adults they really dont need massive amounts of food.
I think the little and often rule is better than great lumps of it

Leave them a day without food and they should be fine. I over fed my JD when i first got him and he was floating on top of tank; I took advice from tv show QI and left him without food for 3days and all of a sudden he was fine. Thank god because he cost me £25 as a baby and I didn't want to loose him so earlier he is so cute.

I have been reading your thread on your babies also and it is heart breaking; I am no expert so I do not know what to suggest I have never bred fish before. I really hope you can get it sorted; I have looked as many litters of puppies though as I have worked in dog kennels before and we had a litter of 12 pups all suddenly die on us it was real sad because we couldn't understand why and later found out they were all born with a liver default. Im not trying to upset you here but sometimes these things just happen and I can really understand how you feel. They were really sweet springiers and were 8weeks old nearly ready to be rehomed and all looked real happy.

Just hang on in there and I think it is the overfeeding but I do not want to make a suggestion with no experience that would be wrong.

jnet wrote:


thanks jnet...I appreciate that..I think they are on the upside now...the next day or so will tell. Back to bloodworms and small amounts.. as for the big O's, they can go a day or so without food...they won't like it, but they can do it. Shaz x

fully grown o can thrive for a week after a big meal...especially
high protein meal like beefheart or pork spleen... i used to that
because my pair are in spleen diet... 1 feeding and gone for 3 days
without food.... but once they pooh, the tank will be cloudy

I agree Sharyn... just don't feed for a few days and all should be fine again... I will tell you, and I know I am a minority here, but my adults only get fed what they will eat in 2 minutes, EVERY OTHER day!!!.

Not only is that enough food, but it cuts down on the amount of waste in the tank leading to better water quality!

Hang in there girl!

Nicki--Sue wrote:


I agree once they are adults...there is no real need for massive amounts of food since they are no longer growing.

I hope your big un gets better. i aggree with the others and dont feed for a few days!!

THANKS GUYS, EMERGENCY OVER. AUNTY O DID A NICE BIG POO...BETTER OUT THAN IN... DOES ANYONE KNOW IF FISH FART? NOW THERE'S AN AMUSING MENTAL IMAGE.....SHAZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

My larger Red O does that every so often. Just eats til it can't swim anymore. I have seen it take a day for it to pass and my Red O start swimming like normal again. These fish are greedy eaters thats for sure.

Glad to hear aunti O is doing better.

Sharyn you are so much caring and i think a bit stressed, just relax.

mazhar.ahmed wrote:


Thanks...would like to but...husband away, school is out and I am looking after my 5 kids plus 2 more plus a million (slight exaggeration) fish and two dogs.... worrying is just what I do! Anyway it's all good now. Thanks..any tips for relaxing?