Part of guppy head missing?
- Thread starter Familyfishny
- Start date
Ouch! Poor little thing, that looks painful 
@Colin_T would be able to give better answers.
What other fish are in there? Size tank and cleaning routine?
There are a lot of particles in the water... As first aid, whether it's an injury or infection of some kind is to clean the tank, wipe down tank walls, rinse filter media in removed tank water (never under the tap) give the substrate a good clean, and do a large water change. 75% of the total water volume, making sure to use water conditioner and temperature match the new water to the tank temp before adding it. That will boost his immune system, and reduce the amount of disease organisms in the tank, and the chances of a secondary infection.
@Colin_T would be able to give better answers.
What other fish are in there? Size tank and cleaning routine?
There are a lot of particles in the water... As first aid, whether it's an injury or infection of some kind is to clean the tank, wipe down tank walls, rinse filter media in removed tank water (never under the tap) give the substrate a good clean, and do a large water change. 75% of the total water volume, making sure to use water conditioner and temperature match the new water to the tank temp before adding it. That will boost his immune system, and reduce the amount of disease organisms in the tank, and the chances of a secondary infection.
Familyfishny
Fish Fanatic
Attachments
Poor girl... don't like the look of what's coming from the anus.
Does the other fish on the left have a bulge on it's face too? Or is that just the photo?
Does the other fish on the left have a bulge on it's face too? Or is that just the photo?
Familyfishny
Fish Fanatic
Ammonia 0
Nitrite O
Nitrate 5
pH 7.8
Kh 180
Gh 180
37 gal tank, now 3 (was 7) guppies, 3 corys, 1 pleco.
Small weekly H20 change but will do 50% from now as recommended by Captain Barnicles in a related thread, weekly or twice weekly vacuum.
Nitrite O
Nitrate 5
pH 7.8
Kh 180
Gh 180
37 gal tank, now 3 (was 7) guppies, 3 corys, 1 pleco.
Small weekly H20 change but will do 50% from now as recommended by Captain Barnicles in a related thread, weekly or twice weekly vacuum.
No idea, can't tell from the pictures.
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. The water change and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
Add some salt.
----------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate. The water change and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
Add some salt.
----------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
It's very unlikely to be damage from other fish, given the stocking, so can at least rule that out.
Familyfishny
Fish Fanatic
AdoraBelle Dearheart: I don’t think so. That one is the healthiest of them, and seems like it’s trying to nip at the yellow one’s wound. Similar poop from the grey one, though, and also a brief view of red protruding from its anus.
Is there a way you can isolate the wounded one? Fish will often bully a sickly a weakening fish. Seems cruel but in the wild, a sick fish attracts predators, so the other healthy fish want to drive it away from their area. But no where to escape when in a tank. We also don't want whatever is affecting the yellow fish to spread to the others, and them eating the body or biting at the wound could easily spread some things.
Even something like a net breeder box can be useful to put the ailing fish in so it isn't bullied, if you don't have a quarantine tank.
Did the red look like a bunch of bristles? Like a ruined paintbrush?
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
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Where did you buy these Guppies? Don't go there again, what a sickly bunch 
I've noticed this a lot recently with guppies, just jam packed with parasites
I've noticed this a lot recently with guppies, just jam packed with parasites
They are inbred too much. The ones at the store are extremely week and sick nowadays.Where did you buy these Guppies? Don't go there again, what a sickly bunch
Yup. If I ever get guppies or endlers again, I'll be looking for ones hobbyists have bred themselves, and will still worm them during a longer quarantine.Where did you buy these Guppies? Don't go there again, what a sickly bunch
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
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Best way to go, I had no end of trouble with guppies I've given up on them now. They used to be your go-to hardy fish but heck, if they're not wasting away to nothing they're ballooning up with worms
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