# Help! Is my pitcus pregnant or dying? *Video*



## snook413 (Jan 5, 2011)

*Help! Is my pictus pregnant or dying? *Video**

Hello everyone! I have noticed one of my pictus catfish had little bulge in its belly about 10 days or so. They are little piggies and usually have bloated bellies after meal time so I haven't really been worried. I had just assumed that one of them was beating the other out for food. I noticed yesterday that one of them looked slim and the other was fairly big - once again not too worried because I had just fed them. When I got home today, one is huge and the other one is still slim. 

I have link below to a video I took about 15mins ago. It is about 30 seconds long and at the end, you can see the other one swim into the frame so you can get a size comparison. These are my first pitcus so I am not super, super familiar with them. Both fish are swimming and eating fine. The bigger one does seem a little more spastic than usual though. Could this be a pregnant female or do I have something else going on? I had read that it is rare for them to breed in a tank. Any help or comments or suggestions or anything would be helpful!!! Thank you all!!!

Oh, and they are in a 29 gallon planted tank with one molly, two small platys, a mystery snail, 2 ghost shrimp one striped raphael catfish, and one black ghost knife. All the other fish in the tank are healthy, I have had no new editions to the tank for about a month and the water tested good.

Here is the link to the video:

YouTube - Pictus Catfish with huge belly


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Not sure but it sure does look like bloat. You might try feeding it some blanched skinned peas or some frozen brine shrimp to help.

What are you numbers for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. saying that they are good can mean a variety of things. Need the exact numbers.

It may not look it right now but your tank is to small for the fish you have once they start growing. The black ghost can get up to 18 inches if given the right conditions.


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## snook413 (Jan 5, 2011)

Hi susankat! Completely aware the tank is too small for the black ghost knife. It is only temporary in this tank while a larger one is in the works. Shouldn't be too much longer and it will be in a new larger home. 

Ammonia was 0ppm, nitrite was 0ppm, and nitrate was 20ppm

Thank you for your response. I'm going to try the frozen brine shrimp. This may be a silly, but I should thaw the brine shrimp before I feed them correct? I'm new at all this and I just want to be sure. Thanks again!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

It really doesn't matter but if its thawed it will go to the bottom faster.


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