Male Guppy

[tom16]

Hi

My Male Guppy(Rocky) has been in my tank for over a week now. When he first went in he was very strested but has since calmed down.

I have just got home from college now and he cant swim up right. He swims up side down/ side.

I ate some flakes this morning and was fine but is looking in a bad way.

16G tank

Ammonia - 0
Nitite -0
Nitrate- 5
ph 7.8.

What do i do?

 

[WILDER]

Not sounding to good.
Ph shock can take time to kill a fish up to 2 weeks sometimes.
All you can do is issolate him and try a bacterial med.
Is he bloated?

 

[tom16]

No he isnt bloated.

I dont have another tank (hospital)

Also I have heard it can something to do with the spine.

 

[WILDER]

Is his spine bent.
Once fish turn upside down they rarely make it.

 

[tom16]

It looks like it is slightly bent.

Do i leave him in their?

What is the best thing to do for the fish?

 

[Athena]

It can be very difficult to save a fish once it's reached that stage of severe swimbladder. Having said that, I had a neon do a similar thing the other week - no idea what caused it - but I quickly did a water change (I usually do a weekly one on that tank so this was done again mid-week). I added some shelled pea to the tank, hoping its problem was caused by constipation - but I didn't actually see him eat any of the pea.

Strangely enough, next day, he was swimming about as normal as ever! so I can't say whether it was because he ate some pea that cleared his gut or whether it was the water change that helped. But either way I was pretty glad I didn't act hastily to euthanise the poor thing.

Of course, there are so many causes for a fish swimming upside down/sideways etc - could be bacterial, old age, shock, internal gas, parasitic etc

I think you should use your judgment as to whether the fish looks to be suffering in any way. Can he still eat? Are the other fish starting to peck at him? They normally do this when they know a fish is on its way out. If this is happening, you might think it's best to euthanise.

Regards - Athena

 

[WILDER]

Bent spine can mean old age, fish tb, internal parasites, vitamin defiency.
Does he look skinny, what did it look like when he went to the toilet.

 

[tom16]

Thanks

How would i euthanise him if i did?

He hasnt go anyone near him, but he hasn't eaten.

 

[WILDER]

Get a jug of very cold water, add ice cubes till the water freezing cold. If have no ice cubes place the jug in the freezer till it has a sheet of thin ice on top.
Place the fish in the jug of cold water, it shouldn't take long for the fish to die.
Make sure the gills are no longer moving and leave the fish awhile in the freezing water, just to make sure it's passed away.

 

[tom16]

Thanks i will let you know How it goes.

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.

 

[tom16]

I have just taken him out of the tank and but him my water change buket with some of the tank water.

At closer inspection were he used to be silver over the top it he has gone see through colour and has a huge build of black stuff. Could that be poo?

 

[WILDER]

Where the black stuff, don't know what you mean, can you explain in more detail.

 

[tom16]

It looks like it is inside him?

 

[WILDER]

Not sure what it is then.
If he's in bad shape I would end his misery.