My Guppy Is Fat !

[melgeo126]

My female guppy is EXTREMELY huge. She's not pregnant either She has been this way for about 4 months. I originally thought she was pregnant because she has been pregnant before and has had babies. But, she's still huge! My camera doesn't take good pics of my tank but my camcorder takes great videos ... so I took a video of it. I don't feed very much, and have fed even less in the past month or two to try and get her to slim down. She hasn't gotten smaller at all. Is it hard for them to lose the weight they put on? She literally waddles when she swims lol. She gets along fine with all the other fish in the tank. There is no male in there anymore, he died a month ago. So no stress is on her. Her spine has curved alot since shes put on the weight and she looks like she's gonna explode! I really want to get her to lose weight but how can I do this? Feeding even less hasn't been working I'm very worried about her. Any Ideas?

Video of Fat Guppy

P.s. I have been giving her peas once in a whle over the past month or two as well to make sure she isnt constipated, she poops fine too.

 

[chibi]

I am willing to bet that your guppy is seriously, seriously ill. It looks to me like fish tuberculosis, a contagious disease that even you can catch. I'd post this video in the Emergency section to get a second opinion, but if I were you I'd seperate her immediately from your other fish. If it is TB, expect to euthanase her. I'm really sorry.

 

[kribensis12]

Yeah it is Fish TB. You need to euthenize her, as far as i know, there is no known cure. And yes, she is pregnant.

 

[melgeo126]

No, shes not pregnant, shes been this way for about 4 months ... none of the other fish have caught it at all ..how long does it take before it spread to the other fish ? Like I said shes been this way for about 4 months. Wow, I had no idea there was such a thing, I will post this in the emergency section like you suggest

 

[melgeo126]

Symptoms can include:

Loss of appetite
Progressive thinness
Sluggish movement
Folded fins
Eye protrusion
Dark coloration and granular appearance of the cornea (this is the first sign in Angelfish).
Skeletal deformity
Hanging at the surface
Skin defects, including blood spots and open wounds that may ulcerate
Black spots, or overall dark coloration (in Cichlids particularly).
Fin rot, characterised by the outer rays falling out.
Scales loosening and falling out
General swelling and scale protrusion (as in Dropsy)


The only symptom she could have is skeletal deformaties , and that might just be because shes fat??

 

[melgeo126]

Like I said, shes completely normal, eats fine and everything...just has gotten fatter and then her spine started to curve more and more, other then that shes totally healthy as is all the other fish. None of my fish have died lately, well the male guppy did but that was because he hit his eye off the cave and mustve gotten an infection and died, but that was after she got fatter and her spine curved. She doesnt seem to have any of the symptoms of fish TB ...

 

[kribensis12]

When there back is arched like that means it's fish Tb. Look up pic's on google of fish with TB. Unless it's a parrot Cichlid, their backs shouldnt look like that.

 

[melgeo126]

yeh but she has none of the symptoms except the skeletal deformity ... fatness cant cause her back to arch? All that weight pulling down on her back?

 

[kribensis12]

No being fat has nothing to do with the back arching. I've had fish with fish TB that only show the back issue. It is the most common reconizable symptom. Fsh not eating and other things are usually caused by other diseases and issues, usually bacterial.

 

[melgeo126]

Oh, so do I really have to euthenize her?
She seems to be so happy and enjoying life
Its not like shes resting on the bottom of the tank all day in obvious pain ...
I would just feel so bad killing her and always woner if she really needed to be euthanized
Maybe I will just wait and see, she seems so fine & happy

 

[kribensis12]

The longer you wait, the more you put your other fish at risk. I would either freeze her, put her in a bag with clove oil, put her in a bag of liqour, or cut her head off. Those are the most humane ways to do it.

 

[chibi]

If you have trouble killing her, at least seperate her from the others. Put her in her own tank. She's going to die eventually (and pretty slowly). I do understand how hard it is to have to kill a fish. I always feel terrible. Good luck.

 

[crazyaussie]

the best way to settle this for you her and your other fish is to put her down she might spread the disease to your other fish its for the best good luck

 

[fourthtimelucky]

I think you have to steel your nerves and put her out of her misery.

Fish aren't like dogs, they can't whine to tell you they are in pain, and as prey animals they will instinctually conceal illness as long as possible. This is why she is trying to act normal. By the time they're lying on the floor looking really miserable they're generally on their last legs but given the state she's in I really don't think she can be 'fine and happy' at the moment.

Any of the methods recommended will take seconds, or less, and she won't be hurting any more.

If you really, really can't bring yourself to do it (or get someone else to) then at the very least you need to separate her into a QT tank. This will lessen the chances of her being picked on by the other fish and/or spreading the disease to them.