iridecent shark

Question
I recently baught an iridecent shark. It was a normanl size when I baught it but its belly got big all of a sudden. Is this something I should be worried about.

Answer
Hi Melissa;

He may be overeating. Those guys can be very greedy when it's feeding time. He could also be constipated because he is overeating. Constipation can be deadly to fish. Try fasting him for 3 days and see that helps. This means no food at all for 3 days. He won't starve and if you have other fish they won't either. Fish don't really even need to eat every day. When it's time to feed again, give him cooked peeled green peas instead of regular food to help clear the digestive system. Hopefully he will get back to normal again in no time.

I should tell you something about your new fish that you may not already know. He is actually a type of catfish and gets to be over 3 feet long and almost 100 pounds as an adult. He will need at least a 500 gallon tank by the time he gets that big. Iridescent Sharks need lots of space because they are very hyper and will break tanks as they thrash around if the glass isn't strong enough to hold up. As he grows he will eat any other fish he can get into his mouth too. They are actually farmed all over the world for people to eat. Here is a profile page about them (be sure to read the "In The Aquarium" section on the page);

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridescent_shark

I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins