Guppies Exploding!

[spistols]

I have a 55 gallon community tank full of fancy guppies and platys. Some of my guppies have had the front portion of the abdomens growing larger and larger (both males and females) until the point of their intestines coming through, and eventually dying. This may take up to 6-8 weeks. At first, when it started in the females, I thought they were pregnant, but then the males started getting it.

I do not think it is dropsy, because the fins are not ballooning out, as if they looked like pine cones.

What could this be? It is as if a portion of their intestines keep growing until the bodies can no longer contain the growth. No one in any of the fish facilities I visit can effectively diagnose the problem. Can anyone help?

 

[jflowers]

What how and when do you feed?

Jon

 

[spistols]

I feed Tetra Min 2x day. All they can eat in about 2-3 minutes each time. Every other day I put in a few Algae Disc and Sinking wafers for the 2 Catfish and 2 Plecostomus'. 1x week, I feed them for a treat a small portion of frozen bloodworms.

 

[jflowers]

Well, hopefully, someone with more experience than me will come and post. Sounds like you are feeding ok to me, I thought it might be too much food or wrong food. have a look at the pinned posts of usual ailments.

Jon

 

[Lynz781]

wow, fish will eat til they burst?

 

[jflowers]

Yep, some fish will, puffers don't usually.

Jon

 

[WILDER]

I would issolate the fish and try a treatment of antibiotics on them and some shelled peas,is this just happening to the guppys, and are they all the same family, or bought at different times and different lfs.

 

[spistols]

Yes, this is happening to the same family. No outside fish. This is only happening to the guppies. Again, the abdomens keep increasing in size for about 4-8 weeks, until the intestines or whatever start breaking through.

 

[WILDER]

That's why I asked as it sounds like a genetic disorder, only thing I can suggest is maybe try the antibiotic treatment to see if that does anything.

 

[loafybones]

maybe it could be worms?

 

[WILDER]

What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.

 

[ferrikins]

It's posible it the almighty dreaded Guppy Disease . I wish I new of a link with info on it though.

I do a gooooooogle and get back to you.


EDIT: google result in your post in livebearers is waiting.

 

[3fsh]

Sounds like constipation to me... I would fast them for a couple of days and then feed them some shelled/smashed peas. Guppies need fiber (plant matter) in their diet, this can be provided by feeding them crushed algae wafers or peas every so often. I have also had bad experiences with blood worms causing constipation. Another thing you can try is switching the flake food to a healthier brand. Hikari tropical flakes are the best you can get (IMO) and my guppies absolutely LOVE them! I have seen their color and health improve 100% after feeding them Hikari flakes for a month.

 

[spistols]

Their stools are normal. That is the strange thing about it. At first, I thought it was constipation too. I will try switching food to another flake brand. They do eat some Algae discs, and I do not think I feed them enough bloodworms for that to be a problem.

 

[fishman 1]

Have you actually seen them explode? Or is it a case of finding them in the morning and they look like that is what had happened?

Incidently what type of catfish do you have?