Pregnant or sick?

[Cinnebuns]

I want some opinions here. I have a tank full of juvenile females that are supposed to be virgin. In start to seperate them at about 4 weeks. I found this girl in there. My first instinct was "she's pregnant?"  Upon a 2nd look I noticed she's carrying the extra weight in the front and not the back so maybe she's sick. Maybe dropsy?  I'm not good with illnesses. If she is pregnant I have a theory as to how. I would like some opinions. TY.

@Guppy Guy @Guppysnail

Edited August 21, 2022 by Cinnebuns

[Guppysnail]

Her gravid spot does appear to be developing so probably pregnant, however she also has something going on. The back portion should be larger than the front until she squares off. 
Im not great at diseases but had one girl do something similar but not this exaggerated. 
When I did probably the lamest autopsy she had what looked like mis-developed fry near the cloaca a few dead but properly formed fry that were necrotic and tons of “puss” for lack of really knowing what I was looking at. It pushed all the organs up to her chest (note I really don’t know if those organs should have been up that far) but when I cut her open I started at the chest her actual organs burst out. Please know I have no idea how to do a proper fish autopsy but I needed to at least try to see if it was parasites etc. 

Im sorry I could not be more helpful. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 8/20/2022 at 8:06 PM, Guppysnail said:

Her gravid spot does appear to be developing so probably pregnant, however she also has something going on. The back portion should be larger than the front until she squares off. 
Im not great at diseases but had one girl do something similar but not this exaggerated. 
When I did probably the lamest autopsy she had what looked like mis-developed fry near the cloaca a few dead but properly formed fry that were necrotic and tons of “puss” for lack of really knowing what I was looking at. It pushed all the organs up to her chest (note I really don’t know if those organs should have been up that far) but when I cut her open I started at the chest her actual organs burst out. Please know I have no idea how to do a proper fish autopsy but I needed to at least try to see if it was parasites etc. 

Im sorry I could not be more helpful. 

This is helpful actually. Someone on Facebook pointed something out that dropsy comes with pineconing which she does not have. I'm highly suspicious she's pregnant and i know how. I did one of my big fears and miss sexed 2 males. They were in there at least 2 weeks. They hadn't yet developed a full gonopodium so I was hopeful they weren't sexually mature yet but maybe they were. 

[Guppysnail]

Usually if you can see a gonopodium at all they can impregnate. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 8/20/2022 at 9:38 PM, Guppysnail said:

Usually if you can see a gonopodium at all they can impregnate. 

There was an anal fin but it wasn't sharp and pointed like a gonopodium but triangle like a female like they all start out. I'm not sure where that lies. 

[nabokovfan87]

Square shape, so I would lean towards being pregnant.  You can also see the black area as well (gravid spot)



Different species, but this is where I learned about the shape of it being an indicator:
 

Quote

Belly Shape

Now, this one is important. Generally, dropsy happens all at once, and you’ll suddenly see your swordtail become fat. But, in pregnancy, the belly bulges out slowly day after day.

Perhaps the most important thing you should notice is that the pregnant belly is squared from the front rather than rounded like dropsy. Dropsy is a more balloon-like belly. Likewise, a pregnant belly will also have a dark gravid spot, which the fat belly lacks.

The gravid spot is the surest sign that your swordtail fish is pregnant. This is a dark hue spot below the abdomen which is the growing fry pressing against the uterus—the darker the hue, the further the pregnancy.

 

I hope things end up ok.  Reading the story above... 😞 very disheartened now.

[Guppy Guy]

I agree with @Guppysnail, I think she is pregnant, but has other issues as well. Has she always been kind of boxy like that? If so, it is probably genetics. If it is recent, it could be dropsy. If there are more fish like that in the tank, it could be columnaris, but it is unlikely. 

@Colu, any opinions?
 

[Scot]

On 8/20/2022 at 10:41 PM, Cinnebuns said:

There was an anal fin but it wasn't sharp and pointed like a gonopodium but triangle like a female like they all start out. I'm not sure where that lies. 

What about on the "other" fish? 🙂

[Colu]

I think more than likely pregnant it's also possible something else could be going on have you notice any rapid breathing hanging near the surface white stingy poop as internal parasites can also cause the bloating your seeing 

[Cinnebuns]

On 8/21/2022 at 6:46 AM, Guppy Guy said:

I agree with @Guppysnail, I think she is pregnant, but has other issues as well. Has she always been kind of boxy like that? If so, it is probably genetics. If it is recent, it could be dropsy. If there are more fish like that in the tank, it could be columnaris, but it is unlikely. 

@Colu, any opinions?
 

It's hard to say how long she's been like this tbh. I don't sit and watch this tank too often and sometimes individuals can get lost in the group. No other fish in the tank are like that other than I guess big momma who IS known pregnant and about to give birth. 

 

On 8/21/2022 at 8:05 AM, Scot said:

What about on the "other" fish? 🙂

All female. I've checked a bunch of times since catching the goof 

On 8/21/2022 at 10:54 AM, Colu said:

I think more than likely pregnant it's also possible something else could be going on have you notice any rapid breathing hanging near the surface white stingy poop as internal parasites can also cause the bloating your seeing 

No other signs at all. Yesterday I watched her pretty closely and was confused i didn't even see signs of rapid breathing which could happen even with late pregnancy. 

[Guppy Guy]

I just remembered that guppy females can hold male sperm in their vent for a few years, so if she has ever been with another male, that could be from him. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 8/21/2022 at 12:03 PM, Guppy Guy said:

I just remembered that guppy females can hold male sperm in their vent for a few years, so if she has ever been with another male, that could be from him. 

I bred her myself and she was seperated along with her siblings starting at 4 weeks old. The problem is I miss sexed 2 males and they were in the female tank. I hoped they weren't sexually mature enough because their gonopodiums weren't fully formed but I think they were. Now I worry about the entire lot of them being pregnant which knowing guppies they likely are. Not a huge deal but just something to know and act accordingly.