Why are My fish getting fat. | Freshwater Fish Disease and Health Forum (2024)

I have 5 red eye's, 2 black Widows, 1 gold ram, 1 blue ram, 3 Cory cats 1 placo in a 60 gallon planted tank.
This last week I observed that some of the red eye's and 1 black widow are looking fat. I feed 1 time a day tetramin plus+ tropical flakes and I give frozen blood worms, 2x week. all the fish swimming and acting normally and eat normally. Do I need to pickup diet fish food? Lol.

Howdy,
It's nice to see a question that isn't "why are my fish dying." It sounds like if your fish are fat and still craving food that your tank is being well maintained. However what you should look out for is excess nitr(A)tes that come after the fish expels that waste.

A few points below:
1. With the cold weather a fishes metabolism slows down so you may need to feed less.
2. Make sure you are feeding a high quality food so your fish aren't getting bloated instead of thick.
3. Dropsy is something to look out for but you would know if your fish look sick. It looks like their scales are sticking out much like a pinecone when viewed from above the tank.
4. A hungry fish is a healthy fish. But if they are always hungry you need to regulate the feedings. Once they have established themselves in their tank environment they will beg literally every time you come by.

I feed 1 small pinch of food. That's why I don't understand why some of them are looking like they getting fat. Water temp is 74/78. It's got me baffled.

Do I need to start skipping a day or two?

Do I need to start skipping a day or two?

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Maybe increase water flow for like 5 hours a day so they burn some calories.

I like to give my fish rest periods and high flow periods. They look pretty muscular.

That's a good idea. I did shut down my power head because it was a little more powerful then I wanted.

A few points below:
1. With the cold weather a fishes metabolism slows down so you may need to feed less.
2. Make sure you are feeding a high quality food so your fish aren't getting bloated instead of thick.
3. Dropsy is something to look out for but you would know if your fish look sick. It looks like their scales are sticking out much like a pinecone when viewed from above the tank.
4. A hungry fish is a healthy fish. But if they are always hungry you need to regulate the feedings. Once they have established themselves in their tank environment they will beg literally every time you come by.

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1. These are tropical fish. The temperature outside the tank is irrelevant, as the tank is at a constant temperature (if the tank gets cooler in cold weather you need a bigger heater).
2. Bloating has nothing to do with the quality of the food. It has to do with feeding the wrong type of food. The highest quality "carnivore" food for example will bloat a herbivore, etc.
3. Dropsy is not directly caused by food. It is caused by fluid buildup in the body cavity.
4. Absolutely not. Many diseases do not affect appetite, and stressed fish still eat if they're hungry enough.

If only some of your fish are getting fat they're probably the females. They get fatter than male because they carry eggs.

Bloodworms are a very high calorie food; you might consider cutting back on those, as they are usually considered to be a 'treat' food, used mainly to entice reluctant feeders.
As with man and fish, the origin of looking a little out of shape is generally too much intake combined with too little output.

"Maybe increase water flow for like 5 hours a day so they burn some calories.

I like to give my fish rest periods and high flow periods. They look pretty muscular".(quoted from above post)

I really like this post, as I recall reading that someone like Innes or Axelrod recalled collecting discus, not from the calm water that we normally associate them with, but rather from a stream with a rather heavy current, and noting how much more muscular and well conditioned they seemed in contrast to they fish collected in still water.
I think it safe to say that if, at my pre to current dementia age of 57 I can still find it within me to run 5 miles 3x a week, your fish might also benefit from a little more exercise--it is either that or football(soccer), and fish are even more blatant liars about fouls, injuries, and such then the elite players are.
So, as you seem to have a well balanced tank, just cut back a bit on the treats. Another way to exercise them might be to introduce a tank divider and an oscar, in an effort to increase the amount of time they spend swimming rather than begging. Just kidding, sorry Re: that, rick

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If only some of your fish are getting fat they're probably the females. They get fatter than male because they carry eggs.

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That is exactly what my wife tells me, and for the sake of my health, I do most fully agree. rick the fearful

1. These are tropical fish. The temperature outside the tank is irrelevant, as the tank is at a constant temperature (if the tank gets cooler in cold weather you need a bigger heater).
2. Bloating has nothing to do with the quality of the food. It has to do with feeding the wrong type of food. The highest quality "carnivore" food for example will bloat a herbivore, etc.
3. Dropsy is not directly caused by food. It is caused by fluid buildup in the body cavity.
4. Absolutely not. Many diseases do not affect appetite, and stressed fish still eat if they're hungry enough.

If only some of your fish are getting fat they're probably the females. They get fatter than male because they carry eggs.

Click to expand...

Uh huh.

1. Temp in a tropical tank can fluctuate as the heater compensates for outside temperatures. My heater in my house failed this year. My tropical tank dropped 3 degrees and the heater worked to keep it up. But yes another heater can be added. Who knows if the OP has a well heated house, I was the 3rd poster and responded based on the info provided.
2. Fish can become bloated as they eat flakes from the surface as more enters the body. Some foods are full of fillers and less digestible ingredients. So while I see your point I disagree with your post. Try eating Mcdonalds all week. It's made for humans, is it healthy and made of good ingredients? No, it's full of fillers and people become fat and bloated from it. Feeding higher quality foods will ensure that the fish is growing instead of getting bloated.
3. Correct, dropsy isn't caused by food? Did I say it was? No, I was pointing out dropsy as something to look out for since we don't have pictures and I never know if someone will continue to post on here. It was a general statement. Dropsy can have any number of causes, most of which are related to health issues, infections...etc. It is a side effect of a larger problem.
4. A hungry fish is a healthy fish, I'll stick with the information i've gathered here and in my own research.

Not sure why you decided to argue with everything I posted. If you need me to post sources for everything I posted I'll gladly dig up lots of information from stickies and other places on this site.

I like what everyone is advising. Thank you all.