Pregnant Upside-down Catfish?

So I know these guys haven't been successfully bred in the home aquarium, and mine are definitely wild caught (I mention that because I believe some are done by hormone injections at a Florida fish farm), but I noticed something peculiar with my one Upside-Down Catfish, and I can't help but wonder if it's pregnant. It seems to line up with pictures online, and none of the others look like this.

Is it a possibility, or is it just some sort of bloat? Doesn't seem to be acting any differently than the others. If it is pregnant, then what should I do?

 

They don't get pregnant, eggs are laid and then fertilized. Could be full of eggs, but could also be overfeeding, bloat, constipation, etc.

 

They don't get pregnant, eggs are laid and then fertilized. Could be full of eggs, but could also be overfeeding, bloat, constipation, etc.

Yeah, that's what I was meaning. Trying to figure out which it is. Constipation could be a possibility, but overfeeding I'm positive isn't, and I'm not 100% sure how to determine if it's bloat. Is there any better way to tell what it is?

 

If I could get pictures of my trio I think mine would look like pigs compared to yours. I don't think I overfeed mine, a quarter or half an algae wafer every night plus whatever food the female bettas don't eat... They seem to be on the tubbier side as many of the soft bodied catfish are, so I wouldn't worry too much. Females will likely get fat with eggs but that's normal.

 

You can fast the whole tank for a few days, then feed everyone blanched, deshelled peas. That can help rule out a few issues.

 

If I could get pictures of my trio I think mine would look like pigs compared to yours. I don't think I overfeed mine, a quarter or half an algae wafer every night plus whatever food the female bettas don't eat... They seem to be on the tubbier side as many of the soft bodied catfish are, so I wouldn't worry too much. Females will likely get fat with eggs but that's normal.

Ah alright, gotcha. I just found it interesting that one of them seemed to be chubby/prego belly, and kinda got excited at the prospect of eggs and the possibility of breeding. Just didn't make sense otherwise since the rest all still have pretty flat bellies, and this is the only one that's gotten like this. I also figure it may be worth mentioning, although it may mean nothing, that I did notice two of the Upside-Downs that seem to have paired off to some degree. I was watching them and wherever the one went, the other stuck extremely close, immediately following if one of them moved. And by close, I mean almost literally staying in contact the entire time, and it was the same pattern in which they moved each time as well.

If it is eggs, I do think it would be pretty cool if I could get them to successfully spawn though.

So anyways, from more of what I'm reading online (and from asking a friend who used to have a bunch of them), he says his never got quite like that, and online sources say that over time if they're all getting larger that means they're just eating well. Another is saying that if only one is like that, it may very well be eggs with a possibility of spawning. This feels like it's a bit too fast to be eating well, and since none of the others are like this, I am wondering if it's a she, and if she may spawn.

I'll have to keep an eye on it, but just in case, what should I do if that happens?

 

It'd do no good to remove them if the male doesn't fertilize them. If you can see a male doing that, you could remove the eggs and try to hatch them.

 

It'd do no good to remove them if the male doesn't fertilize them. If you can see a male doing that, you could remove the eggs and try to hatch them.

If that does occur, I've only got one other tank set up which is a 55 gallon, and I don't think that'd do. Although, I do have a fine mesh breeder net set up in it with baby Celestial Pearl Danios, since I wanted them to grow out first before letting them into the rest of the tank. I've also seen sources saying that when they do breed, either the male or the parents take care of the eggs and guard them, so I'm not sure if that matters or not. I'm not even sure how to tell if they would be fertilized or not if I don't see the male doing it.

So I'm just gonna walk through a brief scenario here at least, and tell me if it sounds about right.
If I see the Upside-Down pictured with a flat belly soon, it's definitely laid eggs.
If I don't see the eggs, either they got eaten, they're where I can't see them on the driftwood or in the rocks, or they're inside the cave where some of them hang out and my Kuhlis like to hide out in.
If I find eggs and can tell if they're fertilized, transport them while somehow still in water the entire time into the breeder net with the Danios.
After that, wait for them to hopefully hatch?