Platy Fish Pregnant or Sick ?

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Shavanna Beardsley

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Hello ! I need help figuring out if my platy is pregnant or just sick. I got her a few months ago, and she is certainly larger in the tummy area than when I first got her. She has been pooping long, dark strings of which I hadn't noticed before until recently. She is still very active with the molly fish in her tank. Its a 5 gallon tank. Please help!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

If the fish is eating and swimming about normally, then she is fine.

A stringy dark poop is nothing to worry about. A stringy white poop is a concern.

Most fish health issues are caused by poor water quality. Make sure the ammonia and nitrite levels are 0, and the nitrate levels are less than 20ppm.

If you have any sick fish, or are concerned about their health, post a picture of the fish and do a big (75%) water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until the matter has been identified or resolved.

The following link has information about what to do if your fish get sick. It's long and boring but worth knowing. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep. :)
https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/

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If the fish has been fat for several months and not given birth, she could have intestinal worms.

You can use Praziquantel to treat tapeworm and gill flukes. And Levamisole to treat thread/ round worms. If you're in the US and can't find these medications, look for Flubendazole.

Remove carbon from filters before treatment and increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.

You treat the fish once a week for 3-4 weeks. The first treatment will kill any worms in the fish. The second and third treatments kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs inside the fish's digestive tract.

You do a 75% water change and complete gravel clean 24-48 hours after treatment. Clean the filter 24 hours after treatment too.

Treat every fish tank in the house at the same time.

Do not use the 2 medications together. If you want to treat both medications in a short space of time, use Praziquantel on day one. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate on day 2 & 3. Treat the tank with Levamisole on day 4 and do a 75% water change and gravel clean on day 5, 6 & 7 and then start with Praziquantel again on day 8.

The water changes will remove most of the medication so you don't overdose the fish. The gravel cleaning will suck out any worms and eggs that have been expelled by the fish. Repeating the treatment for 3-4 doses at weekly intervals will kill any worms that hatch from eggs. At the end of the treatment you will have healthier fish. :)
 
Hello ! I need help figuring out if my platy is pregnant or just sick. I got her a few months ago, and she is certainly larger in the tummy area than when I first got her. She has been pooping long, dark strings of which I hadn't noticed before until recently. She is still very active with the molly fish in her tank. Its a 5 gallon tank. Please help!
Hi and welcome to the forum :hi:

Any chance of a short 20 second video, or clear picture of the fish?

Best of luck.
 

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