Lethargic guppy

[connor31556]

I might be wrong about this but when I got my first female guppy I had her for a couple months and she then had babies in my tank I don't know if you knew but guppies have babies by giving out like packets of sperm and the female can hold those for I think about 6 months when mine was giving birth she hid in the back for a while just coming up to eat perhaps she could be pregnant? This seems to match those symptoms

 

[King Fisher]

My guess would be either constipation or internal bacteria. If you have a quarantine tank I'd put her in there and dose salt and meds.

If you don't have a quarantine tank and you want to treat for constipation, go with Epsom salt (plain non scented) and add 1 TEAspoon per 5 gallons of water. After 3-4 days up the dose to 2 TEAspoons per 5 gallons. You can run this for several weeks or until she gets better. Your plants won't be affected with Epsom salt. Or even with aquarium salt unless you are adding a high dosage.

 

[King Fisher]

I might be wrong about this but when I got my first female guppy I had her for a couple months and she then had babies in my tank I don't know if you knew but guppies have babies by giving out like packets of sperm and the female can hold those for I think about 6 months when mine was giving birth she hid in the back for a while just coming up to eat perhaps she could be pregnant? This seems to match those symptoms

That could very well be it too. I'm not up to speed on breeding so I'm not much help with pregnant fish. Her swimming looks fine.

 

[connor31556]

That could very well be it too. I'm not up to speed on breeding so I'm not much help with pregnant fish. Her swimming looks fine.

That is why I'm thinking she's pregnant the swimming is fine and she still eats when my guppies bloat they are still very active and their stomachs are much bigger and it doesnt last a week. When the guppy I was talking about had her fry my female betta ate them all in 5 minutes but I had not room for them so that was good sort of lol

 

[lgsmith17]

I don't have any male guppies and I got the three females in August; is it possible that she has stored the sperm this long?
In regards to constipation, how long does that typically last? I tried feeding her a piece of a pea, but she did not want it. I am not able to get epsom salt but I do have regular iodized salt; would that have the same result?
Another side note is that she has also been breathing heavily.

 

[connor31556]

Guppies can store sperm for 6 months so that is a possibility and no epsom salt is magnesium sulfate and that salt does not have the same chemical makeup its alot different so no you cant use that instead

 

[King Fisher]

Aquarium salt or Epsom salt only. I say Epsom because it's a natural laxative. You should be able to order it off Amazon or a grocery store.

 

[Fishlover99]

Correct. The fins look totally normal.

So I see that you actually have male guppies, they are loaded with worms. Mine are going through the same thing. API general cure mixed in with food for about 5 to 7 days. Lower temp to 75 slowly if you can. Do a 60% water change sucking everything in the tank, you want to do this to suck up eggs left by the parasites. One packet of ApI to 4 oz of pellets, half tbs of garlic powder, use tank water. Mix the general cure with about 10ml of tank water, and garlic. ( Garlic is they will eat it. Fish love garlic) then mix that with the food. Wait one hour before you feed, feed only this for 5-7 days. Every other day doing a 30% wc again this is so you are removing the dead and dying, eggs. Make sure your carbon is not in the filter. This should help them feel better. If one has internal parasites they all do.

 

[AlyciaMari20]

I don’t believe that is a female, I have two exactly the same, which are males. I wish I had more insight on the illness.