Pregnant or sick?

[DoodleDrums]

My guppy has been getting very large lately. I was worried that it might be sick, but she has shown all the signs of pregnancy, so I just want to clarify. We separated her from the other fish in the tank, with whom she had been swimming and playing normally. Now she hangs around in the upper corners, breathing heavily, but showing no signs of being lethargic. Her scales are puffing out a little, but I have had fish with dropsy before and it is nowhere near that extent. From a side view, it's easy to see that the front of her enlarged belly is almost a 90 degree slope down, then flat, then gradually sloping up the back. I think I can see a gravid spot beginning to darken, but she is all yellow and I know that sometimes they don't get gravid spots. She is eating and swimming normally, apart from being really big, so I'm inclined to believe pregnancy, but I'm no expert. Please respond quickly, because if she is sick I'd like to care for her ASAP. Thanks!
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[GaryE]

I tried to take a look, but the photo isn't available..

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Should be able to upload photos directly to the site if you look at the top row, to the left of the emoji button is one for attaching media. The video upload function doesn't work, but photos will.

Sounds as though she may be gravid (and in female guppies, being gravid is pretty much a given at all times, anyway!) gasping at the surface might be part of labour, but also make sure to check the water temperature, and make sure there is plenty of surface disturbance to allow for oxygen exchange. Gasping at the surface can mean the water isn't oxygenated enough, and warmer water holds less oxygen.

Do you have plants in the tank she's in? Especially floating plants/fast growing stem plants that float, like elodea, hornwort, guppy grass etc? She'll feel safer if she has plants to hide in, and the fry will also seek plant matter to hide in at the surface (they head for the shallows in the wild, so most head to the surface and edges to hide from predators).

 

[DoodleDrums]

I tried to take a look, but the photo isn't available..

 

[DoodleDrums]

Should be able to upload photos directly to the site if you look at the top row, to the left of the emoji button is one for attaching media. The video upload function doesn't work, but photos will.

Sounds as though she may be gravid (and in female guppies, being gravid is pretty much a given at all times, anyway!) gasping at the surface might be part of labour, but also make sure to check the water temperature, and make sure there is plenty of surface disturbance to allow for oxygen exchange. Gasping at the surface can mean the water isn't oxygenated enough, and warmer water holds less oxygen.

Do you have plants in the tank she's in? Especially floating plants/fast growing stem plants that float, like elodea, hornwort, guppy grass etc? She'll feel safer if she has plants to hide in, and the fry will also seek plant matter to hide in at the surface (they head for the shallows in the wild, so most head to the surface and edges to hide from predators).

There is a waterfall filter that disturbs the surface of the tank, but she’s in a divided compartment on the other side. Her compartment is recently filled with large plants that go all the way to the surface for her and the fry to live in.

 

[emeraldking]

That's a bloated male guppy...

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yep, sorry

Was hoping from the description that you'd be having fry soon, although I was concerned about the surface hovering, but that's definitely a male, and not looking good

Fast him other than trying to get him to eat some cooked, de-shelled pea. It's possible it's bloating and can help clear the gut.

But generally it's a sign of internal organs starting to fail, I'm sorry. Dropsy isn't a disease in itself, more an umbrella term we use to describe the final stages of organ failure in a fish, which is why it's almost impossible to cure once it reaches the stage where the fish is pine-coning. Rarely possible to cure even in the early stages once organ failure begins too.

If he doesn't improve after the de-shelled, cooked and chopped up pea pieces (if he'll eat),declines, reaches the pine-coning stage, or becomes much more obviously ill and suffering, I would use clove oil to humanely euthanise him.

I'm sorry it isn't better news.

 

[DoodleDrums]

Yep, sorry

Was hoping from the description that you'd be having fry soon, although I was concerned about the surface hovering, but that's definitely a male, and not looking good

Fast him other than trying to get him to eat some cooked, de-shelled pea. It's possible it's bloating and can help clear the gut.

But generally it's a sign of internal organs starting to fail, I'm sorry. Dropsy isn't a disease in itself, more an umbrella term we use to describe the final stages of organ failure in a fish, which is why it's almost impossible to cure once it reaches the stage where the fish is pine-coning. Rarely possible to cure even in the early stages once organ failure begins too.

If he doesn't improve after the de-shelled, cooked and chopped up pea pieces (if he'll eat),declines, reaches the pine-coning stage, or becomes much more obviously ill and suffering, I would use clove oil to humanely euthanise him.

I'm sorry it isn't better news.

Thank you for the info. I am definitely disappointed, but I'm going to use your suggestions to try to save him. I'll keep y'all updated.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thank you for the info. I am definitely disappointed, but I'm going to use your suggestions to try to save him. I'll keep y'all updated.

Will cross fingers for both him and you!
It's sometimes worked for people.

But if it doesn't, and you need any help with using the clove oil method for euthanising, we can help you with how to do it smoothly and humanely so the fish is sedated properly before being overdosed so it passes easily and painlessly. It's not a pleasant or fun topic, or thing to do, but at least in my opinion, is more humane than letting a fish suffer for too long.