Guppy...what to do, what to do?

[fyrclwn]

have an adult female guppy, and i'm in something of a quandry about what to do with her. will need to give you her basic life history, for you to understand my dilemma........

she is of the 5th generation of guppies born in this tank. considering her coloration, i believe her 1st gen progenitrix was a mildly humpbacked female. although she looked "normal" as a fry, as she matured, i started noticing some physical deformities-----she is shaped more like, say, a zebra danio than a female guppy....body is more streamlined, without the deep "chest" normal in a guppy. her pectoral fins are smaller than they should be---somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 the size of her same-batch sister---and she has never developed a gravid spot (or had any fry, although she reached full growth about 3 months ago)! she has always, since maturing, swam at about a 45 degree upwards-tilting angle....i think due to a combination of the small fins, and possibly an underdeveloped swim bladder. however, since i don't give doodly-squat about breeding guppies---just keep 'em for enjoyment & color---the fact that she is seemingly infertile, and has definite "undesirable" physical deformities (?) does not bother me. if she was in distress, or was having problems, i would've euthanized her immediately, BUT........she has never had any problem getting around the tank, eating, socializing with the other fish, mating with the males, etc. she lives exactly like the other fish, acts exactly like the other fish, etc. so as long as she seems to be enjoying her life, i have no problem with allowing her to keep it, y'know?

now, however, i have noticed that it looks as if small, internal tumors are starting to grow along her spine---not actually attached to it, but alongside & below it (she is somewhat transparent, and the spine is easily visible). so far, 2---one just before her tail fin, 1 just behind the place her gravid spot should be. this does not seem to have affected her in any way...no change in behavior, eating, coloration, etc., and she exhibits no symptoms of any sort of disease or paracite.

so my problem is this----do i allow her to keep on as she has been until the time that these tumors start negatively affecting her, or do i go ahead and euthanize her before she starts ailing? on the one hand, i certainly don't want for her to be in any sort of pain or distress, but on the other hand, i don't want to take her life as long as she is still enjoying it.

any advice?

thanks!
fireclown

[Toirtis]

I would euthanise her, and stop inbreeding your fish.

[TankGirl]

Right, second that. Anytime you see deformities cropping up you need to introduce some new blood - this situation will not improve. In the case of livebearers it is so easy to go with the flow but some culling needs to take place, unsavory as it sounds, and you will need to separate out some of these siblings. If you have a local aquarium club you can swap out members and ensure the health of future generations. Good luck!

[fyrclwn]

yo, folks--i have one tank--one. so seperation is not a possibility, and unless you know of some guppy salt peter, i'm afraid they're gonna breed. as far as deformities--she is the only one (besides the 5 gens ago original) who has/has had any physical problems. no aquarium clubs, nada---LFSs don't even take fish, or at least, not guppies. the original humpback was bought that way---was either an injury or lack of enough light while maturing.....whichever, there were no genetic flaws in any of her fry. (or the fry of the 3 other original females.....purposely bought females only. forgot they could be "pregnant" forever.) and breeding with her is not an option, anyway----near as i can tell, she is barren (no eggs). as i said, she has no gravid spot--never has---and since that is essentially eggs and/or fry, she obviously is not capable of breeding. so if the culling is based soley on the idea of her being able to breed, and therefore pass on genetic deformities....well, that isn't a possibility.

i apologize if this sounds rather terse, but i find the idea of killing a non-breeding animal merely because it does not meet certain pre-determined standards of appropriate physical traits to be rather appalling. if the animal is in pain, is unable to care for itself because of its disability, and/or is in obvious and/or terminal distress......sure, euthanasia is undoubtedly the proper course of action. but to destroy a life because it isn't pretty or has undesirable physical characteristics----particularly when it is impossible for those characteristics to be passed down, the animal is otherwise healthy, and those characteristics don't seem to be having a negative effect of the animal's quality of life---well, personally, i think that's just wrong.

my concern is with the tumors, and whether their closeness to the spine is going to have an impact on her nervous system & ability to swim. also, although i have a very vague recollection of reading about fish tumors, i don't recall what the prognosis is, whether these tumors tend to be benign, etc.

any info/links would be appreciated--
thanks!

fireclown

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by fyrclwn

yo, folks--i have one tank--one. so seperation is not a possibility, and unless you know of some guppy salt peter, i'm afraid they're gonna breed.

Or you could get rid of all but the males.

as far as deformities--she is the only one (besides the 5 gens ago original) who has/has had any physical problems.

So far, but it will only get worse.

.....whichever, there were no genetic flaws in any of her fry.

Visible flaws, anyways.

i apologize if this sounds rather terse, but i find the idea of killing a non-breeding animal merely because it does not meet certain pre-determined standards of appropriate physical traits to be rather appalling.

Its a severe genetic deformity that is affecting the fish's capability to function as normal, and it is likely causing the fish some stress....it has nothing to do with 'pre-determined standards of appropriate physical traits'.

I find the idea of inbreeding closely related animals (and inevitably producing genetically damaged offspring) rather appalling.

my concern is with the tumors, and whether their closeness to the spine is going to have an impact on her nervous system & ability to swim. also, although i have a very vague recollection of reading about fish tumors, i don't recall what the prognosis is, whether these tumors tend to be benign, etc.

They tend to be terminal in time.

[TheManichaean]

i don't want to take her life as long as she is still enjoying it

With underdeveloped pectoral fins, small body size, a poorly functioning swim bladdder, infertility, and tumors on her spine how much can this fish enjoy life?

If you care enough for this fish to post a question, heed the other posters' advice and take steps to prevent the creation of any more of these poor creatures.