Deformed platy

Neonlights

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Our platy had babies last summer and whilst 4 have grown up with slight bend in their bodies (hardly noticeable) and are now adult size, one has remained tiny but very deformed. It seems to be happy enough, eats every day, swims (but rests a lot on the gravel and plant leaves) it occured to me that maybe its quality of life is not what it should be.
Does anyone know if this kind of deformity would be causing discomfort or is it ok to carry on living like this? We’re really attached to this fish and would hate to euthinise it, but at the same time, we don’t want it to be suffering.
 

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It is a bad deformity, but if she eats and swims about okay(ish, considering her deformity) then no need to euthanise.

But you don't want any of the deformed ones to breed. If you're still keeping all males and females together, then it could be a problem. If those adults produce a lot of deformed young, you don't want to continue breeding from them either, and it would better for the species overall if you euthanise any further batches they produce (since the females store sperm, separating them from the males isn't going to stop them producing more fry).

That's a lot to ask of someone, but you have to think of the health of the species overall. If you're giving or selling the other young with the slight bend in the spine, they're going to other people's tanks and being bred, and more and more deformed fish are entering the gene pool. We want to be responsible when breeding fish, and think of the quality of the species as a whole.

I have a male only tank and a female only tank, and have kept deformed females to live out their lives in the female only tank. Have a female guppy right now that has had a prolapsed bowel since she was born;
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She's smaller than other females from her batch, but otherwise seems healthy and active, so she'll live out her life with me, without being around males. I've kept the two other female guppies I produced that had kinked spines, without breeding them. If they'd gotten pregnant, like if I hadn't separated them from the males in time- assuming they even survived the birth - I would have euthanised the fry. Sounds brutal, and I'd hate to have to do it, but guppies have become increasingly weak because of poor breeding practices. They used to be considered the most hardy, easy, beginner fish, but they now have a reputation for being very poor, sickly, and die easily. Prone to deformities as well. People really have to be strict for the sake of the species, or platies will become as weak and prone to deformities as guppies.
 
It is a bad deformity, but if she eats and swims about okay(ish, considering her deformity) then no need to euthanise.

But you don't want any of the deformed ones to breed. If you're still keeping all males and females together, then it could be a problem. If those adults produce a lot of deformed young, you don't want to continue breeding from them either, and it would better for the species overall if you euthanise any further batches they produce (since the females store sperm, separating them from the males isn't going to stop them producing more fry).

That's a lot to ask of someone, but you have to think of the health of the species overall. If you're giving or selling the other young with the slight bend in the spine, they're going to other people's tanks and being bred, and more and more deformed fish are entering the gene pool. We want to be responsible when breeding fish, and think of the quality of the species as a whole.

I have a male only tank and a female only tank, and have kept deformed females to live out their lives in the female only tank. Have a female guppy right now that has had a prolapsed bowel since she was born;
View attachment 132020

She's smaller than other females from her batch, but otherwise seems healthy and active, so she'll live out her life with me, without being around males. I've kept the two other female guppies I produced that had kinked spines, without breeding them. If they'd gotten pregnant, like if I hadn't separated them from the males in time- assuming they even survived the birth - I would have euthanised the fry. Sounds brutal, and I'd hate to have to do it, but guppies have become increasingly weak because of poor breeding practices. They used to be considered the most hardy, easy, beginner fish, but they now have a reputation for being very poor, sickly, and die easily. Prone to deformities as well. People really have to be strict for the sake of the species, or platies will become as weak and prone to deformities as guppies.
It worked out quite well that all the fry were male and sadly the mother was bullied by two guppies and died, so there’s no chance they’ll breed.
 
It worked out quite well that all the fry were male and sadly the mother was bullied by two guppies and died, so there’s no chance they’ll breed.
As sad as that is (and I really am sorry for your losses!), sounds like it's for the best, that you won't have to make some very hard decisions down the line. The deformed one looks like it might be a female to me, going by the anal fin, but it is hard to see in the photo, and with the way the fish is shaped.

As for whether she's suffering... that's pretty impossible for us to tell. We can't say whether a fish is 'happy', only provide the best environment we can, and if they are active and especially if they're breeding (more applicable to egg layers than livebearers, but still), then we can say that they seem to be well. If the fish is fin clamped, struggling to swim, or refusing food, then it's stressed, sick or suffering, and this little one doesn't seem to be in a bad way apart from her shape. Will possibly have a shortened lifespan, but I don't see why you shouldn't let her live out her natural lifespan with you :)
 
Monitor it and if the other fish chase it or pick on it, then separate it.
 
natural selection plays the role in my tank ??? i have some stunted guppies who are otherwise fine and their young are totally OK
deformed baby= starve,
starve= ded
ded= food!!!


but if the baby isnt THAT deformed, they sometimes make it to adulthood, that never happened though :( plus i only have 1 tank
 

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