Red Tail Catfish

Question
I have a 2 foot red-tail.  Just today I noticed that his stomach is swollen quite a bit. He has not had any gold fish in a few days so I know he hasn't eaten them to fill his stomach.  I do feed him shrimp pellets and was wondering if he could have swallowed a nice size rock.  Any suggestions on what it could be or what I need to do.

Answer
I especially hate to give negative responses.  However, A catfish like yours requires a massive tank to remain healthy, it will need 1000 gallons+ to be happy.  Without massive filtration, these catfish rarely live for long. Healthy catfish should be rounded but should not look like they have swollen bellies. If you catfish is obviously fat or bloated, or its stomach pokes out then you may have just been feeding it too much.  When it comes to feeding big catfish, some feed fairly large meals very sparingly, like once a week. Others prefer to offer very small meals daily. However, I believe live feeder fish must be avoided. Use them even once, and you risk exposing your catfish to parasitic infections.  Feeder goldfish can carry a list of deadly diseases without you knowing such as a deadly disease called Dropsy.  In dropsy, fluid in the body tissues and cavities causes the fish's abdomen to become swollen and bloated. This is most likely the case if you notice a "pine cone" appearance which is caused by the fish's scales sticking out. Fish may also stop eating, lose their color, become lazier than usual, have sunken eyes, and either stay at the top or bottom of the aquarium. The condition affects the fish's internal organs, causing them to eventually fail.  Most cases of dropsy are fatal. By the time the fish has swollen up enough that the scales begin to raise, the internal damage may be too extensive to repair.