We had a large, presumably old female swordtail. She was large when we bought her a year ago, and was 5” long at the time of her death.
She seemed perfectly fine until yesterday morning, when I saw that she was swimming upside down. She was really trying hard to swim down further into the tank, but she seem to be floating back to the top. Her belly was very distended. My assumption is she was either severely constipated, or possibly pregnant and something went wrong.
I quarantined her, but she died within the hour. All of my other fish seem perfectly fine, and my water parameters are good, so I’m hoping this was just a fluke based on old age stress, but any other thoughts?
In this pic she was still alive.
She seemed perfectly fine until yesterday morning, when I saw that she was swimming upside down. She was really trying hard to swim down further into the tank, but she seem to be floating back to the top. Her belly was very distended. My assumption is she was either severely constipated, or possibly pregnant and something went wrong.
I quarantined her, but she died within the hour. All of my other fish seem perfectly fine, and my water parameters are good, so I’m hoping this was just a fluke based on old age stress, but any other thoughts?
In this pic she was still alive.