Help ID This Fish!!

[rocstar629]

Can anyone help ID this fish? Sorry the pics aren't great i was using my cell phone and the fish wouldn't sit still! lol I was told it was a mollie but it doesn't look like one..

 

[Dude1982]

From the pic I would say it is a guppy !

 

[rocstar629]

From the pic I would say it is a guppy !

Don't guppies typically have a bigger tail?

 

[ShadoeFox]

Not always. Female guppies are usually fairly short finned, especially when compared to males, and mixing breeds and letting them intermingle can produce weird variations or very boring looking fish. How big is it?

 

[rocstar629]

Not always. Female guppies are usually fairly short finned, especially when compared to males, and mixing breeds and letting them intermingle can produce weird variations or very boring looking fish. How big is it?

Probably an 1 1/4" or so.

 

[ShadoeFox]

Kind of a big guppie, but within the realm of guppie growth. From the picture I'd have to agree with Dude. (The follow up question would be "does it look pregnant..heh.) I definately agree though, it doesn't look like any molly I've seen. A platy maybe (If I'm remembering platy's right. I don't have any, but I remember thinking they look kind of like big guppies) and that's a possibility too I suppose. I've noticed Petsmart likes to stock them with Molly's for some reason, at least the one near me does.

 

[Dude1982]

Lol thanks shadoefox. I have many guppies now and I have 1 that looks just like the one in the pics. I just can't stop them breeding now (there like bloody rabbits lol). If you have a male in the tank with her then yes she will be preggers already hehehe !

 

[Kat1103]

Looks like a guppy or platy. Also looks like something is wrong with his tail.....can't remember what they call it,sorry.

 

[rocstar629]

Lol thanks shadoefox. I have many guppies now and I have 1 that looks just like the one in the pics. I just can't stop them breeding now (there like bloody rabbits lol). If you have a male in the tank with her then yes she will be preggers already hehehe !

This is the only one I have. The rest of my fish are mollies, tetras, glo fish, and corys

 

[ShadoeFox]

Heck, sometimes guppies come pregnant, and can stay that way for like a year or somthing like (I know, not really that long, but geesh!)

And I agree, somthing does look funky with the tail, but then I've seen so many guppies looking like that I don't know if it's a birth defect (thank you Walmart...geesh) or if it's an illness. Of course, the thing could have been in a weird pose when rocstar got the silly thing lined up in his camera.

 

[rocstar629]

no i agree his tail is constantly bent down. I have had this fish for probably 3-4 months, and most of that time his tail has been that way. I thought he was getting sick, but he still keeps going. Also he stays at the top of the tank most of the time.. Not sure if he is getting air or what? I added an air pump to try and add more oxygen but he still does it. He doesn't seem sick or anything, that is why i am trying to figure out what he is. Do guppies/platys school? or are they fine on there own?

 

[Dude1982]

Seeing the pics again it definitely looks like a guppy with a slightly arched back. The arched back sometimes come with old age with guppies, that could explain the size of it aswell !

 

[ShadoeFox]

Fair point. And it chilling near the top sounds like a guppy too. While mine use all the tank, they are mostly near the top (And I think that's their most common swimming level.) Also, if it's a guppy, an it see's a human, most likely it's thinking "Food is on the way!" also explaining why it's near the surface. Guppies are shameless beasts! I love them for that.

 

[Dude1982]

Here's some of my guppies, I think yours looks quite like the first one in the pics !

 

[ShadoeFox]

oh... nice tale on the third one. I've not seen that particular shade of blue before.

 

[Dude1982]

Thanks he is one of my faves. Here's a couple more I have, it's so hard getting a decent photo of them lol.

 

[rocstar629]

bent spine with old age? How long do they live? I wouldn't imagine he is older than 6 months.

 

[Dude1982]

Guppies usually live between 1 to 2 years (not very long at all). I have bought guppies before and only had them last around a couple of months. When they start getting the arched back watch out for them getting really thin and skinny because unfortunately they really don't have much time left sorry !

 

[ShadoeFox]

actually, an inch and a half is just shy of their max length. Guppies live (I think) about three to five years.

Now, to be fair, I got a guppie with the same shape as the guy you've got and he died quick, and something I read suggested that it was a sign of illness, but if he's been running about in your tank for 3 to 4 months like this it probobly isn't in his case. Most likley he's old (And your LFS just somehow didn't sell him for one **** of a long time) or its a birth defect. I actually had a White Cloud Minnow that was born with a club tail for a while. Stupid thing got me all fond of White Clouds before she died. **** you Stubbie (Only on who ever got a name, too. Out lived one of the others I bought at the time though. Just goes to show you.)

 

[Dude1982]

A couple of my deceased guppies gave birth so I guess their legend lives on lol !