Hi Guys. Advice about a female guppy

[Paul65]

View attachment 87451 View attachment 87452 I’m sure she is pregnant but she don’t have a black gravid spot Its more pink.

I’m just wondering what this white string is coming out of her? It’s just started.

I am not taken her out the main tank, it’s too stressful for her. If she dose give birth, have I got enough hiding places? I’ve nothing going up to the very top, it’s a deep 61L tank.

There are seven other females in there with her.

 

[Colin_T]

she is a light coloured fish that will give birth to light coloured babies, ergo no black gravid spot because the fry are not black.

the stringy white poop could be caused by intestinal parasites like worms or protozoans or TB. unlikely to be TB is she if still eating, most likely worms.

 

[Paul65]

Oh gosh, is that bad? Can I sort it, give her something? I’m off to MA today.

She is a very healthy guppy usually, got her a month or so from MA. she’s never aggressive towards other tank mates, but now she just seems to want to be on her own, swimming away from the others. I’m not going to take her out of that tank, it’s an old tank, water perfect. I’m off to Maidstone Aquatics again later, they will test the water again for me, just to be absolutely sure.

Thanks Colin.

 

[Colin_T]

If she is nearly ready to give birth then she will try to find a quiet calm area where she will release the babies. If you have some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides), she will hang around that and the babies will hide among the roots and leaves. Plastic plants allowed to float do the same job.

As long as she is still eating then it won't be TB or protozoans causing the stringy white poop.

Intestinal worms are relatively easy to treat. Have a chat to your local petshop and see what they have for treating intestinal worms in fish, but don't buy anything yet. Once you know what is available post it on here and see what the other members recommend.

If your tank temperature is 30C you should drop it to 26C over the next few weeks. 30C is too high for most fish.

 

[Paul65]

Thanks Colin. I will certainly do that. She is trying to find places on her own. I think I need to rearrange some of the plants, even with only seven female guppies in there, it’s hard for her to get somewhere on her own.

I’ll drop the temp to. I was told 30 was about right.

 

[Paul65]

Temp dropped to 27. I’ve taken three females out, so now there are only five in a 61L tank now. Hopefully that will relieve any stress, she will easy find a place to hide now.

 

[IHaveADogToo]

Paul, I read on here the other day a story about a pregnant female guppy who, when the tank was rearranged, it stressed her to the point of giving birth prematurely to 2 fry. Then two days later she gave birth again to several more.

If you go to your LFS, you can just buy a handful or two of floating plants, and toss them into the tank without reaching your hands in to do a full rearrange.

 

[Paul65]

I’ve always wondered if putting our hands in would stress them, it’s something I try not to do too often. I went to MA and they didn’t have any plants tall enough for my tank. I’ve got two 12in man made mops and some busy plants. She is just laying on the mop now. She not eating now and clearly wants to be left alone. There are only three other female guppies in there now, so she on her own.

The white stringy thing has stopped, so that should be good news.

 

[Colin_T]

The white stringy thing has stopped, so that should be good news.

That just means she finished going to the toilet. Monitor her poop over the next few days. If it goes back to normal then good, but if it continues to be white and stringy then she will need treating.

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Shops generally get short plants from their suppliers. Basically the suppliers get cuttings from their main plants and grow the cuttings in small pots to sell to the shop. So the shop gets short plants. If given good conditions many aquarium plants will quickly grow taller.

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If your fish are use to you and have been in the tank for a month or so, you can put your hands in the tank (as long as they are clean and free of any chemicals, perfumes, residue, etc) and move things around without stressing them too much. Just do it slowly and don't chase the fish about. Most of my fish would follow my hand around the tank waiting for things to be stirred up so they could eat it.
Obviously if a fish is pregnant and ready to give birth then try not to disturb them too much.

 

[Paul65]

Thanks Colin.

I’ve noticed another female having this white string now. I’ve done a 50% water change, everything is good by my tests, but to be sure I took a sample to MA and they tested it too. All good.

Both them females are not eating, not swimming much and keeping away from the others.

Since the water change both guppies have stopped the strings now but they are not right. They both were big eaters, use to go mad when I put the TetraMin flakes in the take, take it out my fingers if i let them.

I’m hoping it’s just bloating, but I’m fearing the worse. The other three females seem to be okay.

 

[Colin_T]

Can you post another picture of them and a short video?

It could be the temperature drop. They were use to really warm and now its down to warm. If so they should start to act more normally in a few days.

 

[Paul65]

She doesn’t look so pregnant now, the white string is definitely stopped.

 

[Paul65]

My other fish that had white string, also stopped but don’t look well, she look sore. She has not been with any males while with me, but the seller said she has with him.

I’ll try and get a pic but she hides away

 

[Paul65]

I’ve had her two weeks. The seller dose post but I went round to Surrey and collected her.

 

[Colin_T]

Are there scales sticking out sideways from their bodies?