guppy with "enlarged" gills

[mangomerle]

I really don't know if it's that the gills are enlarged or what, but it definitely isn't normal.
Fish is less than 1 1/2 inches long
looks like the gills are swollen
head is bent upward
has difficulty swimming
stays at water surface hiding in artificial plant
is eating fine and is energetic at feeding time

I sort of inherited these fish 2 months ago and this one has been like this since I got them. Everyone else looks fine. They're very active fishes and all seem happy but one.

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya mangomerle and welcome to Aquariumadvice:

Can you get us a pic so we can figure out whats going on? Its an unusual description; with a pic we'd be better able to figure out the prob.

 

[Fishy]

Wish I could get a pic of my Tetra. Mango's description of guppy sounds just like mine except he hangs out at the bottom in the back of the tank but is active at feeding time. Finally was able to QT him last night.

 

[mangomerle]

I'll try to get a pic, but without a digital camera it may take a while.

The head is bent upward kind of like there's somethingpushing outward on the gills. The gills themselves are are healthy colored and look good other than the strange shape. Is it possible she was born like this and my cousin just gave me a slightly deformed fish?

 

[mangomerle]

Did another water change today and got a good look at her up close. I didn't see anything when I took her out of the tank to change the water, but I looked just as closely when I put her back and there is some kind of worm something hanging from her left gill. It doesn't look like any of the pics of anchor worm I've seen, but I'm not ruling it out. It doesn't have a split end. Could it be some kind of large gill fluke? Are there going to be eggs hatching possibly? Could a salt treatment take care of this? Since this thing has been there since I got her about 6 weeks ago and I don't know how long she had it before that would it just be more humane to put her out of her misery? Also, I don't have a heater. It is usually about 78F in my dorm room. Is there anything I can do for her and her tankmates that doesn't necessarily require heat? I ask because there is no way I can get to a fish or pet store before Friday and I definitely don't want to have fish in distress any longer. I wish I were more knowledgeable about this, but the only other fish I've had were a goldfish that succumbed to ich when I was 9 because my parents didn't know what to do and a crayfish named Ferdinand who shed his/her skin and died when I was 15 after about the 3rd year we had him/her.

 

[venters04]

It could be leeches i had the same problem and my female guppy did exactly the same hanging around the top with enlarged gills but my fish also scrathed and rubbed against things. The leeches are small and transparent. the best way to treat it is to remove the leeches with tweezers carefully or infestations should be treated with an insecticide,Metriponate.
This could also be Gill Parasites the symptoms are basically the same as the leeches but the fish may also have laboured breathing and in large infestations the eyes will be glazed over,hightened colour and disorientation due to the lack of oxygen to the brain the most common Gill parasites are Dactylogyrus(Gill Flukes) which may explain the swollen gills.

 

[Fruitbat]

mangomerle....

Try a product called Parasite Clear from Jungle. I've had good luck with it and it should be able to take care of any flukes that might be in your tank. If you have any snails or shrimp that you want in your tank...take them out before you use the Parasite Clear.

Good luck!