Another fish with a hole in her stomach

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MaryWhit

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Dec 8, 2020
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6
Ok so I'm very confused and looking for some advice here. I'm linking my last post below, but long story short, a couple weeks ago I lost a new guppy I was quarantining after having shipped to me. Despite extensive medical intervention and pristine water, she died, and upon examination a large empty hole in her abdomen was identified. No other fish in quarantine had any symptoms, and I got no answers about what her condition might have been, so I wrote it off as a fluke/some random condition from the seller or specific to that fish.

Now today I was cleaning my 30 gallon. This tank is long since established, has all it's own equipment, and has had no new additions in the last 6 months. There's no possible cross contamination between this tank and my quarantine tank. And yet, today as I was changing the water I discovered the very recently deceased body of my oldest swordtail. I fed them at 11 pm last night and she ate happily and was her usual self. She was the biggest fish in the tank - I'd had her for 2 years and she was a monster of a fish with no prior health problems ever. In shock, I removed her from the tank and realized that she too had a big hole in her belly, exactly like the guppy. I can't see any parasites at the site of the wound, no redness, nothing. The response I got last time asked whether I thought the guppy had eaten a rock, as goldfish tend to do, bc often that causes a hole in the abdomen (usually that feces is visible in though, which was the case with neither fish). I'd never had that issue with a fish as small as a guppy, and where I suppose the swordtail was big enough to do that, most of the gravel in that tank is large and smooth mixed with sand. I've never had any fish do that before. Did this idiot really live in that tank for 2 years and just randomly decide to eat a rock one day? The only other thing I can think of is a potential pregnancy/birth complication, as they were both female livebearers. I'm worried for the rest of my fish and would appreciate any insight anyone may have.

I'm providing the link to my previous post below, which includes the presentation of the guppy's wound and all the treatment she went through unsuccessfully before the mysterious hole illness ultimately killed her. There is a photo of her there too. Also attached here is the picture of the swordtail.

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/guppy-with-a-hole-in-her-stomach-375360.html#post3554541
 

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Did you ever see the hole while the fish was alive? I only ask because fish get picked at after they’re dead and if this was my situation I wouldn’t necessarily assume the whole killed her but that another fish dined on her post-Mortem.

Was rather recently pregnant / give birth?
 
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