Guppy Is Acting Very Odd.

[iheartjeffrey]

I have posted here recently about my pregnant female guppy. And I have now noticed her acting strange, i am not sure if these are just part of her pregnancy (btw she is starting to look very large and squared off now). But, I have noticed she will go into this corner she has been picking out now for the past two days and sits there then will swim downward and ever so slowly rub her belly against the decoration, and then dart off REALLY fast. And then return to her corner and so on.Is there something I should be worried about?

Please note: I cannot tell the ph levels and so on about the water, i havent been able to aquire text strips this week. So please bare with me here!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Sounds to me like she's very close to dropping her fry. I don't know what your plans are or what else you have in your tank.

Test strips are pretty much a waste of money because they're so inaccurate. You really need an API (liquid) test kit to get accurate results.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

Sounds to me like she's very close to dropping her fry. I don't know what your plans are or what else you have in your tank.

Test strips are pretty much a waste of money because they're so inaccurate. You really need an API (liquid) test kit to get accurate results.

Im hoping that is the only problem She's gotten very big now and almost close to being squared off. The only plants I have in my tank are three fake plants, these were in my larger aquarium and transferred into hers and the fish have never had problems with these plants. Thats about all that is in the tank she in. I have put her into her own 5 gallon tank bare bottom, no gravel.

Do you think she is *just* close to dropping?
Here is an image of what she looked like four days ago.

This is how big she is now, sorry for the blurr she was swimming.

A little more clearer.

 

[This Old Spouse]

She doesn't look very squared off here. Did she start with the weird behavior before or after you moved her?

When I was still encouraging breeding, everyone just stayed in the same tank, but it was heavily planted. When the fry dropped, they'd hang out in the plants for a day or two and then swim with the rest of the community with no problems.

As the mother was dropping the fry, I'd try to feed her to take her interest away from eating the fry. I have lots of babies now. Lots. Free to whomever would like to come get them.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

She doesn't look very squared off here. Did she start with the weird behavior before or after you moved her?

When I was still encouraging breeding, everyone just stayed in the same tank, but it was heavily planted. When the fry dropped, they'd hang out in the plants for a day or two and then swim with the rest of the community with no problems.

As the mother was dropping the fry, I'd try to feed her to take her interest away from eating the fry. I have lots of babies now. Lots. Free to whomever would like to come get them.

I don't know to me she seem's pretty big, but I guess im wrong She started the weird behavior about 6 days after her gravid spot started to change colors. It would be black then pink then black and so on. I was told this was the fry moving about and she should drop soon in about 7-10 days. And she has not started acting weird after being transferred into the tank. She has been in this tank for probably 3 days. But the odd behavior like I said only started about 6 days ago. I would love to place her in the tank with the other fish but, its not heavily planted. I only have three plants in total and they dont spread out much, im waiting until next week to be able to purchase some plants.

Do you think this behavior is because of illness or close to dropping?

 

[OldMan47]

Is the new tank fully cycled? Odd behavior also happens when fish are stressed.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

Is the new tank fully cycled? Odd behavior also happens when fish are stressed.

I want to try and fully explain, so I can get the best answer possible for my fish. I have a 15 gallon, 5 gallon, and 1.5 gallon tanks. I moved all the adult guppies into the 15 gallon (4 guppies in total), they are doing great right now. Then I moved the one female from her 1.5 gallon into the 5 gallon. All tanks were already fully cycled. She has also been swimming around a lot less, she'll stay in the same spot for awhile and then move about, then stay still again and so on. She is more... "jumpy". When I feed her, she'll eat but when she sees me she'll dart off, like she's afraid of me. Never done this before either. Does any of this seem like its only because she is getting close to dropping? It's now a week since her gravid spot has been changing color's.

Any ideas would be great, wouldn't want to lose her because I won't be able to acquire any meds for this week, all I have on hand currently is aquarium salt.

 

[OldMan47]

The behavior of your female is far from typical for a single female in a cycled tank. The change in color of a gravid spot is something I would never notice since I completely ignore gravid spots. They have never done anything but mislead me in the past so I learned to ignore them. I judge a livebearer strictly based on shape and pay close attention to the squaring off shape of a female. It even works well for goodeids which are otherwise completely unlike the far more common Poeciliids like guppies, mollies or platies.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

The behavior of your female is far from typical for a single female in a cycled tank. The change in color of a gravid spot is something I would never notice since I completely ignore gravid spots. They have never done anything but mislead me in the past so I learned to ignore them. I judge a livebearer strictly based on shape and pay close attention to the squaring off shape of a female. It even works well for goodeids which are otherwise completely unlike the far more common Poeciliids like guppies, mollies or platies.

So is her rubbing up against decor not normal?

 

[leviethan]

No dont think she's big enough to drop yet. Guppy are not normaly solitary characters. Although they can be alone if she has been living with a group and all of a sudden they are gone she's likely to get upset. You see, probably lonely and pregnant lol. Put her back with the others if its safe to do so.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It's been several days since the first post by the OP. Has she dropped yet? I wouldn't put her back with the others until she has dropped. Moving her back and forth is stressful and doing so may keep her from dropping at all.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

It's been several days since the first post by the OP. Has she dropped yet? I wouldn't put her back with the others until she has dropped. Moving her back and forth is stressful and doing so may keep her from dropping at all.

No, she hasn't dropped yet. Sort of getting worried at this point and confused as to what to do. I don't want to put her with the others since she has been in this tank for longer then two weeks now. She has now not eaten for 3 days. At least from what I have noticed, she completely ignores every feeding! I can tell that she has not been eating because her flakes are now at the bottom of the tank, and of course about three days worth of food. Last night I found her right next to the heater (I installed it on the 13th), so I thought she was close to dropping maybe but no drop at all.

She is still being rather solitary day and night. She will either be in the back right corner of the tank, or the left back corner of the tank behind the filter all day. I don't see anything physically wrong with her, her colors actually look rather brighter then usual. So I am totally stumped!

This is her about two days ago.

 

[iheartjeffrey]

As of today, she has yet to eat as well. I found her at the floor of the tank just sitting there throughout the day, and sometimes in the corners and behind the filter. Im really hoping for some insight on what's going on and if this is normal?

 

[This Old Spouse]

No, it's not normal. Has she started to square off yet? I'm starting to think she might not drop this litter if she's feeling too stressed. It might be best to put her back with the rest of the population, unless she seems really ready. Can you supply us with a photo?

 

[iheartjeffrey]

No, it's not normal. Has she started to square off yet? I'm starting to think she might not drop this litter if she's feeling too stressed. It might be best to put her back with the rest of the population, unless she seems really ready. Can you supply us with a photo?

Im not quite sure whether she has or not. I will take pictures right now and post them.

Here are the photo's tried my best to take the pictures.

Front view. (Sorry, this one needs to be flipped to the right.)

Slight side angle.

Side View