Ill female guppy!

Question
I don't know how many gallons my tank is but it is about 2feet by 1foot! My female guppy used to be colourful and has started turning pale/grey! I only just bought her and another female guppy from the pet store and I think they weren't looked after well! Her front fins are sticking up and she is struggling to swim! She is hanging around the top! I think she is pregnant and I have put her in a breeding tank!What is wrong with her? In my tank I have 3 guppies including the ill female, 3 platies (1male 2female), 5 neon tetras and 4 krabensis (2male 2female/ I think). Please help!!!

Answer
Hi Nadia,

Since you just recently purchased her, chances are, she was already ill from the store. Stores often keep fish in terrible conditions, and fish sickness is often unpreventable.

It's unlikely that the female is pregnant if she's turning gray. If she's actually pregnant, she would probably have an abortion of the fry if she's sick.

Here's what I would do:
-Perform 20% water changes every day in the female's tank
-Add a slime coat enhancer, like Stress Coat, by API(available at store)
-Add an antibacterial medication, such as Maracyn, as a preventative measure

Antibacterial medications can be found at your local fish store.

She should recover soon, as long as she's not TOO sick. You can expect her to fully recover within 2 weeks.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!