Crooked back guppy

[Morgan71163]

I was looking at my baby guppies the other day and noticed my one has a pretty crooked back. Does this cause pain for the little guy or will he be able to live a good life just how he is?

 

[nirbhao]

Whether the fish is in pain is a question of the degree and direction of the bend. If you are not separating this fish from females, please humanely euthanize it.

We have a bent back fry who is now eight months old. Our daughter is madly in love with her. Her bend is mild and vertical. She eats very well. She rests a lot but can swim when she wants to. Is she in pain? Fish experience pain very differently than humans, so... Maybe?

If the bend is horizontal, there is enough internal deformity that the fish's organs will not function properly.

 

[abw0004]

Is it a fancy guppy? Over time almost all fancy guppies do this as their spines are not made to support that big of tails. So as they age, that tail weighs them down. Back when I had guppies, this was why I always got normal guppies so they were less prone to this arch.

 

[Toad]

It's usually a sign of over inbreeding or poor nutrition as they were growing. Regardless, I'd at least seperate it from any females so it can't pass it on if it is genetic. I've had a colony of fancy guppies, only every had two do this, it's not something that should be happening regularly at all.