Ballooned Guppy, How? Definitely not pregnant.?

Question

I have over 200 guppies. One of them has become fat and huge but she is not pregnant. She was fine till a couple of months ago but can now hardly swim properly because she is so fat. She eats with no problems and doesn't seem sick. This is the second one it's happened to in the last 2 years. All my other fish are fine.

Answer 1

Does it look like her scales are sticking out? If so then she is bloated, it can be caused by a few different things but usually it is a bacterial infection. You can try to save her but most of the time when they are to the point where you can see the scales sticking out it is too late. I have never tried to cure a guppy from this but I did treat a goldfish. You will need to put her in a hospital tank and get maracyn 1 and maracyn 2. Do what it says on the packages but use the maracyn 2 first, then when that's over use carbon to take that out, give her a day to rest then treat with maracyn 1.

Answer 2

This sounds like contipation or dropsy. I'd isolate the fish. Don't feed it for 2 days. Then cook a pea, peel it, and feed some of it to her. If the issue is just her digestive system is backed up this may cure it. If it's dropsy she's a goner any way. Dropsy is caused by organ failure which caused by disease, or something like ammonia poisoning. Once a fish starts swelling, and the scales start standing out it's too late.

PS- With guppy I'd recommend feeding them cooked peas every week or 2. Of course guppies love chopped raw peas too.

Answer 3

No idea, but had this happen with a couple female guppies and 3 zebra danio's...not pregnant, not swimming erratically, but they all died in about 2 weeks of developing the bloated gut.

Answer 4

My fish developed dropsy. Huge stomach, with scales sticking out like an old pine cone. Also, the eyes bulged.
If so, apparently it isn't contagious but your water conditions might need checking. I have managed to get a fish to survive, using internal bacterial infection medicine, but they're never quite right.

Answer 5

Sounds like an abnormal growth of some kind. If its not affecting your other fish and this is only the second one in two years i certainly wouldn`t worry about it. Fish do get tumours and growths the same as we do which is probably why she seems fine otherwise.

Answer 6

Sounds like dropsy. You can get anti internal bacterial potion to put in your tank. Thats what i'd recommend, as if one has it, more will probably get it, so treat the lot of them. It can be fatal so be prepared for a death in the family, possibly a few more.
Sorry....

Answer 7

take it owt ya tank a.s.a.p put it in a quaranteen tank by itself if available... and c iv it improves... oh and by the way dropsy is contagous.. b careful if its a infection it can spread to all fish in the tank.. thirs a gud treatment u can get think its called methylyn blue or sumit (ask at ur local pet store).. a would treat all the tank to kill the infection off.

Answer 8

hhmm could be a swim bladder infection m8, probably swimming nearly on its side yeh? if so it wont live long go tell a fish shop.. someone who knows about guppys.
all i know is it happens the bladder gets filled with loads of tiny air bubbles till they suffocate. it needs treating or its fatal.

Answer 9

i have no experience with fish but i would say your best bet is to put it a seperate tank and take it to the vets.

Answer 10

try separating it from the others and start feeding it bloodworm's it stops it getting bloted it wont harm the others to try some either.