# Problem with a Guppy female



## hth313 (Sep 30, 2019)

We got a Guppy trio 6 months ago (2 females, 1 male). The first female died early summer when it was about to give birth.

This caused the male to go after the remaining one who have had a hard time. She gave birth early August and then 24 days later.

I was on vacation during the second time. The caretaker unfortunately overfed and I have had lots of work to get the it back into order again. The tank is overstocked due to the fry. After all this, she has been really miserable. She was bending like a banana and some scales were up. She really looked as she had been through a lot of rough handling (the male is nipping after her, so no big surprise). She also hid in an ornament from time to time to be left alone.

The worst part was that she did not seem to want to eat at all. I tried to provide food, but the fry and youngsters seemed to take it all. She started to look very weak to me. I began to really worry that she would not make it. I eventually talked to a shop and got the advice to buy a mesh box cage for her. So I did and she has been there for a little over a week now.

The scales look better, but she still bends (I have little hope that will improve) and she does not really go much for food, but she does eat a little and poop a small amount almost daily.

She seems very slightly more alert the recent days and look at the fish outside, but she does not eat much and is not really active. I worry to let her out and lose the fight for food with the kids and have the male harass her again. She is not pregnant at this point.

I do not know when I should let her out. I can put the male in the cage for a while (which would solve part of the problem), but I rather have the cage out to give everyone more space. I do not really want to let her out too early and it is really impossible for me to judge how she is really doing. I fear the same scenario as before, or worse.

What to do?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I would leave her in the mesh box so she can have some peace and space to eat & recover. Releasing her back into the tank will likely see her harassed and starved to death in a short while. 

Anthony


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## hth313 (Sep 30, 2019)

Thanks, leaving her inside was what I decided to do, until today. This morning I found her outside the mesh box, swimming around quite happily!
She must have gotten over the edge, either jumping or flipping herself over (upper edge was by the water-line). My thinking is that if she can manage that, then she is ready to try living outside again with the others. I gave them food and she was nipping after some of it and overall it looks quite good. Definitely way better than 2-3 weeks ago. I removed the mesh cage and will monitor her closely to see how it goes.


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## kivyee (Oct 15, 2016)

Sounds like your guppy might have scoliosis. https://guppyexpert.com/guppy-fish-bent-spine/


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## hth313 (Sep 30, 2019)

Just to give an update.
She is doing fine outside so far and looks a lot more like in the old days. There is just some slight tendency of bending, but overall she straightens up a lot better than before. I would say she is back to normal. She has some trouble competing for food, but I dump in food faster now so that the small ones cannot consume it all at the surface fast enough and some sinks down to collect here and there. It gives the grownups a chance to search around for food, like everyone else and evens the playfield a bit.


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