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It does sound possibly like bloat but could also be dropsy. Bloat in africans is usually caused by a nutritional imbalance of a diet very high in protein but can also be caused by a massive internal worm infestation. Treatment would be to feed a food that has a protein concentration of around 25-30% and never feed beef heart to africans (implicated in causing malawi bloat). Also perhaps considering using an antiworming agent that has praziquantel as the active ingredient.

With dropsy the scales of the fish protrude outwards like a pineapple and their internal organs turn to mush. It's caused by multiple factors that can all be traced back to one thing, water quality. To treat it it's best to increase the frequency of water changes and try antibacterial remedies such as trisulpha or tetracycline however cure is unlikely and is probably best to euthanase the fish.