bloated male guppy

Question
Hi Darryl, thank you for being the answer person, so good of you to give your time and expertise.

I have a 35 gallon tank with three different types of filters and every time I check the water quality it is perfect. I have red swordtails (7 since the original pair had fry), one male and two female bettas, lyre tail mollies (3), two dwarf gouramis, 4 tetras, a pleco, and three clown loaches as well as probably 12 fancy guppies. Every one is happy and eating and the three live bearers are having babies.

From one of the batches of guppy fry that I had about three months ago there were two identical orange snakeskin males that stuck together and I paid close attention to. Recently one of the aforementioned male guppies was often lying on a rock and not swimming much but still eating and seemed ok. The last few days I have observed him almost always lying on the same rock in the same place, he will move if someone swims close to him, but then he goes right back to his spot. What is really concerning me is that he is VERY bloated and seems to be breathing faster than normal. The little fins next to his gills are really going fast. At first I assumed that I was wrong about sexing him, but I have been really studying him, and there is absolutely no gravid spot. I am wondering if he might have some type of internal parasite that is making him so bloated. He really looks like he might explode, the size and shape of his belly is totally different than the pregnant females. Also I have not noticed any fecal matter being expelled like I can sometimes observe on the other fish. I would like to know if you think he might be jeopardizing his tankmates health and if I should quarantine him.

Thank you, Laurie

Answer
Hey Laurie,

Starting off, thank you! and not just for the complament. I find live bearers absolutely amazing, and splendid pets that relieve stress, create a calming and peaceful home environment, and even add great beauty to a dull and drab room! The fact that you keep so many, and care so well for them with absolutely perfect tank water is stunning. Few have that kind of attention to detail, and i thank you for it! quite refreshing!

Back to the matter at hand, quarantine. It's always best (even if it's in a small 1/2 gallon bowl) to fill up a container with tank water, and remove the problem before it spreads. Using tank water instead of fresh water helps reduce the volume of stress caused by transport. You can refill the main tank with new water though.

Once isolated, treat immediately for swim bladder and dropsy. Typically, the treatment for the two are the same as they are very commonly mistaken for each other. Cut up peas or take the bristly greenage off of the tops of broccoli (good food for ALL of your herbi- and omnivorus fish). The vitamin packed veggies will give the fish a huge immune system boost, if you can get him to swallow the peices. Also, a change in diet could spark interest in eating. Brine shrimp is another great alternative food then flake as well, due to it's high protein nature. Worms and such typically can carry diseases that affect freshwater fish (and people!) so try to avoid them. If you dont know where to get brine shrimp, check a hobby lobby or other various kids toy stores for a sea monkey kit. Hatch your own live sea monkeys at home! Hehe.

Once your fish is isolated and eating, you can continue treating the others normally (or improve their diet as directed above too, to insure they stay healthy for their long, happy lives). As for treatment, maracyn-two is typically regarded as the best medical tool to curing dropsy, and i find it works on swim bladder disease as well. Coincidentally, if the problem does stem from an internal parasite, or external parasite you didnt see at first observation, maracyn-two is the answer. So, after setting up your guppy in a comfort tank, and trying to coax him to eat with some thawed out peas (frozen is better then canned for fish) take a trip down to your local pet store and pick up some maracyn-two.

Be super careful while moving your guppy out of the main tank. Because of his weakened nature right now, the added stress of fighting to avoid the net could prove harmful, if not fatal. Also, to be 100% positive your live bearers are male / female dont rely on color. Male swords have the quite obvious "sword" on their tails, but mollies, platies, and guppies are all just as easily sexed. If you look on your male swords, they have a distinct anal fin that's tube-shaped, rather then triangular like their female counter parts. Guppies, platies, and mollies all have the same anal fins on their respective sexes. A quick survey of your swords, and a study of the others will help you get a feel for who's who in your tank!

Hope all this info gets you started down the right path. You seem like an expert yourself with the tank setup you described! The only thing you're missing is a forest of live plants and rocks to keep the fry safe from hungry parents!

Best wishes, and good luck!