Male platy looks pregnant

[Kelly Preussner]

ok, so my male platy has developed this large stomach. Could he have a disease? He looks pregnant. I have enclosed pics although hard to take. Water conditions are good. He was being chased around the tank by a larger male but since I have gotten 2 more females & now the larger male is chasing 1 of the females around. I have 2 male & 3 female.

Here are tank specs:
36 gal bow front
PH is 8.1, Amonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5
2 female swords
3 female platy
2 male platy
3 male platy
1 female Betta
2 female molly fry in breeder cup

 

[JuiceBox52]

Your ph is a little bit high, don't know if that would affect it much. I bet its dropsy. Drospy is a hard one to cure because it can be caused by any number of things. If you look at him from above do his scales appear to be sticking out? Like a pinecone?

 

[Kelly Preussner]

They do not. He appears normal like the other fish. He is very active & eats well. Just seems a little bigger than the others. My PH has been this way since my tank was started up.

 

[FishGuest5123]

It’s not dropsy, at least not yet. Have you tried feeding him a blanched, shelled pea? I would do that and then fast him for a couple of days. You can also give him Epsom salt baths. Epsom salt helps pull fluid out. You can place 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of dechlorinated water or tank water and allow fish to remain in it for 3 minutes. You can do this several times a day.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Thanks for the info. I will try that. Maybe I can feed the other fish during his bath. Can I use a thawed frozen pea with skin off? Thanks

 

[Kelly Preussner]

How do you worm fish??

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks for the info. I will try that. Maybe I can feed the other fish during his bath. Can I use a thawed frozen pea with skin off? Thanks

Yes, thawed and peeled.

 

[Essjay]

The pH is fine for livebearers, though a bit high for the female betta. However, hardness is more important than pH. Livebearers need hard water while bettas need soft water.
I'm afraid your female betta is not really compatible with livebearers.