Constipation is not that uncommon in fish and can, if left untreated, cause the death of the constipated fish. Some fish are more prone to constipation than others and it is hard to give any general rules about which fish that are inclined to get constipated and which aren't. It can however be said that fish with high narrow bodies such as angelfish and silver dollars usually are more susceptible to constipation then fish with other shapes.
The symptom of constipation is swelling of the body and abdomen and loss of appetite. Constipation is usually not caused by any diseases but rather by the diet the fish are fed. If the wrong diet is given to a fish for a prolonged time this can cause constipation and constipation can therefore often be rectified by improving the diet of your fish. Exactly what this means depend on the species of fish you keep in your aquarium. Predatory fish are best kept on one type of diet and herbivores on another, and so on. If a predatory fish is kept on an herbivore diet or vice versa there will be problems. One possible problem is constipation; others include various deficiency caused diseases. Search this site, the rest of the Internet and books to find information about the right diet for your fish and make sure to feed your fish such a diet in the future. It is also important to remember the importance of a varied diet. Not varying the diet enough is a common cause for constipation as well as for different deficiency related health issues. If the fish is given a varied diet suitable for the fish in question constipation should never occur.
If the constipation doesn't resolve itself after an improvement of the diet of the fish you will have to try other methods. Feed your fish flake or other dried food that has been soaked in glycerol, castor oil or medicinal paraffin oil to help remove the colon blockage that causes the constipation in your fish.
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