Guppy Has Changed Colour!

Athena

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Hi - I'm quite familiar with all the usual fish illnesses and what treatments to use etc - but today I am baffled by something.

Yesterday my female guppy looked ready to drop her fry. I didn't remove her from the tank because, to be honest, I don't have the room to rear any more fry so was going to let nature take its course. Anyway, I noticed that she became quite aggressive towards my beautiful Moscow Blue male (he really was a beauty) but I didn't realise she would actually kill him! I don't know how it happened but a short time after I saw her bullying him, he was dead with his fins shredded.

I also found a single guppy fry which tugged at my heart strings, so I ended up putting that in a fry net (hoping its a male that will look like its daddy).

This morning, on checking the fish, I got a shock to see that my female guppy had changed colour! She used to be a silvery grey - but today she is very yellow and looking a bit transparent! None of the other fish in there look any different.

I've never seen anything like this before so was just wondering if anyone else had witnessed this strange thing and, if so, what is it?

She doesn't appear to be ill - she was swimming and eating as normal. Her gravid spot has gone, so I presume she must have dropped all her fry in the night which have since been eaten.

Can a female guppy change colour after giving birth? Do they go back to normal colouration? Or is this the start of an unusual illness caused by all the stress?

I have plenty of various medications indoors but not sure if she needs anything. That tank has been established for 10 months, I do twice weekly water changes of 15-20%, monthly water tests which are always in normal range (liquid test kit) and none of the fish are sick. Last water change was done on Saturday morning.

Anyone any ideas? Sorry it's a bit long-winded :blush:

Thanks - Athena
 
I would post in the livebearer section of the forum as some members know alot about these type of fish.
Fish can change colour.
Shine a torch on the fish just to make sure she dosn't look like a gold dusting on her.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
 
Hi Wilder - well, now, I feel even more baffled because when I got home last night and checked on Miss Guppy, she looked absolutely normal again!!

I suppose she must have changed colour due to the stress of giving birth and fighting off the male. Oh well... you learn something new every day, as they say!

So, panic over... thanks!

Athena
 
When a fish is stressed there colour can drain from them.
Glad she ok bless her.
 
When a fish is stressed there colour can drain from them.
Glad she ok bless her.


i had the smae problem as you last nite with my two females looking very pale in colour and lost there gravid spot i awoke this morning to find them booth pregnant and well :blink:

but then again i did have 8 pints of stella lol :drool:
 

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