Sudden Bent Spine

[Laura22]

I had a female guppy for a couple of months, she always had a humped back, but last week she looked really ill and died within a few days, then on Friday another, once perfectly healthy female had a sudden bent spine and died that evening, came home today and now my pretty blue female suddenly, within 24 hours developed a bent spine, she is looking really thin and has a couple of blood spots on her.
 
Can anyone help? I'm not sure she is even going to survive the night
 
Thank you Laura

 

[techen]

Size of tank? Fish in Tank? Water stats, How often do you do water changes? Has the tank been infected with anything else before?

 

[Laura22]

240lt tank, ph 7.6 everything else is 0, I have about 10 guppies 4 mollies 3 bettas 1 cae 1 common plec and 4 apple snails, last disease was callumus worms but treated without any fatalities about 3 months ago, change between 20 -50% water every couple of weeks, was planning on changing some this weekend but the water levels were all ok , thanks

 

[phoenixgsd]

everything else is 0ppm? a cycled tank usually has nitrate, are you using a liquid test kit or paper strips?

 

[techen]

Indeed the lack of nitrates is somewhat odd, I'd say if it were one fish with a bent spine I'd say it was just a oddball but the fact the rest are getting it sounds more like theres an infection in the tank. But I doubt there's any treatment as its something I've never heard before.
 
Am not sure what I can suggest, Only that you avoid getting your fish from the place you bought them from. Could be bad DNA from the breeders.


Also, you must change your water once a week, This is a must! Do around 30% a week.

 

[Laura22]

@ phoenix. I have a api liquid test kit, nitrates are always 0 I'm not sure why? I have had the tank for three years, but did strip it down about 6 months ago to aqucascape, have bought a filter starter few weeks ago as i thought it was odd

 

[Laura22]

@ techen looking on the internet im worried its fish tb! But it says the bent spine is more gradual but my females bent within hours! Did read it maybe a internal bacteria had dosed with essha, she was still alive this morning so fingers crossed I was hoping to breed with her too!

 

[Glitzy]

How bizarre.... I had this with guppies back in the late 90s, never did find out what it was though. Lost the lot and have never kept them since. Sorry not much help but can sympathise.

 

[byork]

This has happened to my ladies before. I changes their diet to blood worms, brine, a small slow sinking pellet and flake all mixed about equal by weight. I also started adding a vitamin supplement (currently vita-chem but there are plenty of good ones) with every water change. Also I keep my carbonate hardness up. I have not had any problems since and 2 of my ladies have straightened out almost to their original form. Although unlikely....I have heard tuberculosis can cause these symptoms. So just be careful because it is communicable. It is probably just hard on them to have so many babies. They just need the extra vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy.