Emergency! Swordtail HUGE and floating!

[Insomniac]

Hey Everyone,

I have a pineapple sword female who is VERY fat and floating belly up at the top of the tank. I thought she might have been pregnant, there is a slightly darker pigmentation on her belly where the gravid spot is usually, but it isn't as dark as my other pregnant swords. I brought her home from work two weeks ago because I thought she looked pregnant then as well.

Could she be having birthing problems, or is it something totally unrelated to pregnancy? Help! I'm panicking here!

 

[Ddraig Goch]

It could be dropsy, are her scales sticking out like a pine cone?

 

[Insomniac]

It could be dropsy, are her scales sticking out like a pine cone?

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No, she looks normal aside from the huge belly

 

[Annastasia]

She could be bloated, or constipated. Though if she's flaoting upside down, that leads me to believe it's swimbladder. What are the current water params, and what other fish? Do you have a hospital tank you could put her in, with salt?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Feed her some peas or algae wafers, do you have any recent stats for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? How long have you had her and the tank?

 

[Insomniac]

Feed her some peas or algae wafers, do you have any recent stats for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? How long have you had her and the tank?

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The tank has been set up for atleast two years, and her for three weeks. All of my other swords, the platies, and the gouramis are fine.

I tested the water a week ago and everything was fine, but I will take a water sample to the petstore tomorrow.

She's actually not on her back anymore, she's on her side. She lives with two male swords, four female swords, a moonlight gourami, a school of cory's, a synodontis, a red dwarf gourami, and an opaline gourami. The tank is 33 gallons...

I have a hospital tank, but just ran out of salt...I'll go buy some tomorrow, as soon as the store opens!