Guppy with damaged tissue?

I have 3 guppies and 3 platys in quarantine since I just recently got them and one of the guppies looks as if her side has been opened up. Her other side also has some red pattern on it which may be natural or something else. My current list of meds on hand are furan 2, kordons rid ich plus, general cure, aquarium salt, and general cure pellets I made.

I should also add she looks a little swollen and has pale stringy poop. This may be internal parasites which is what I'm treating for as a preventative. Her scales are raised on the side of the wound as well.

 

Which med are you using?
Pale stringy poop is often a sign of Hexamita, but also could be if she's feeling constipated or not well. Not that guppies can't get Hex, but it's not a common guppy ailment.

Is she bloated? Or preggers?

To relieve fluid retention, you could try an Epsom salt dip or even a lower dosage in the main tank.

If it was my tank, i'd start with 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons (dissolved). If you see any improvement, you can go up to 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. But I do it slowly to not shock the fish like over a couple days for the higher dosage.

Epsom salts help draw out fluids and also act as a laxative (helps relax muscles) if she's constipated.

 

Which med are you using?
Pale stringy poop is often a sign of Hexamita, but also could be if she's feeling constipated or not well. Not that guppies can't get Hex, but it's not a common guppy ailment.

Is she bloated? Or preggers?

To relieve fluid retention, you could try an Epsom salt dip or even a lower dosage in the main tank.

If it was my tank, i'd start with 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons (dissolved). If you see any improvement, you can go up to 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. But I do it slowly to not shock the fish like over a couple days for the higher dosage.

Epsom salts help draw out fluids and also act as a laxative (helps relax muscles) if she's constipated.

They are all in quarantine as I just recently got them about a week ago and when I got them in i noticed they had ich so I used rid ich plus. I also treat all fish with general cure as a prevention of internal parasites. She didn't have this open wound when I got her it just appeared yesterday. I have put aquarium salt in too but I can try Epsom salt if you think I should. Do you know what the wound could be? Her other side looks red Ill try and get a pic of it.

She looks a little bloated and isn't pregnant

Okay I put in some dissolved epsom salt. I put 2 teaspoons since the tank was 10 gallon and if it looks like it works I will try 2 table spoons. It really looks like a whole in her so hopefully it gets better. I'll make an update if something happens.

 

Okay I put in some dissolved epsom salt. I put 2 teaspoons since the tank was 10 gallon and if it looks like it works I will try 2 table spoons. It really looks like a whole in her so hopefully it gets better. I'll make an update if something happens.

Upon further inspection the wound is actually deep. I can see the insides of the fish. It looks like hole in the head as you mentioned but I'll see if the epsom salt helps. Can it spread to the other fish?

 

Which med are you using?
Pale stringy poop is often a sign of Hexamita, but also could be if she's feeling constipated or not well. Not that guppies can't get Hex, but it's not a common guppy ailment.

Is she bloated? Or preggers?

To relieve fluid retention, you could try an Epsom salt dip or even a lower dosage in the main tank.

If it was my tank, i'd start with 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons (dissolved). If you see any improvement, you can go up to 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. But I do it slowly to not shock the fish like over a couple days for the higher dosage.

Epsom salts help draw out fluids and also act as a laxative (helps relax muscles) if she's constipated.

Okay something is up. I just now checked the whole is a lot bigger than it was and it looks like another guppy is starting to develop a hole. What should I do? Here's a pic of the hole now.

 

One of my guppies that I have in quarantine since I recently bought it has a hole in its side. She has been healthy until yesterday when it appeared. It has grown from just a little hole that didn't even look like a whole to a big gaping hole. I recently added 3 platys 3 days ago as well so I could medicate all of the fish in one go but surely they couldn't have caused this, but I have seen the platy nip at the hole now so maybe he did? I can't see how a fish with no teeth could have caused this. I'll get a pic of it in a second, but I expect her to be dead by the morning due to how fast the hole grew today. I swear I have the worst luck with fish.

Here's what it looked like this morning

 

Here's what it looked like this morning

And this is what It looks like now

 

Probably Aeromonas. If not, it's another Gram negative aerobic bacteria.

 

Probably Aeromonas. If not, it's another Gram negative aerobic bacteria.

Probably Aeromonas. If not, it's another Gram negative aerobic bacteria.

So could I use furan 2 to treat this? She made it through the night but the whole is bigger

 

So could I use furan 2 to treat this? She made it through the night but the whole is bigger

I would use ciprofloxacin.

 

I would use ciprofloxacin.

Okay I'll try furan 2 and if it doesn't work Ill get some. Do you know where I can get it?

 

I would not spend money treating her. Based on your pictures she is in the later part of her life even without the hole. What i mean is that you should not be shocked if she dies in the next month or two even if you successfully treat her but the process of adding medicine to the tank might have a negative impact on your other fishes and removing her to treat is going to induce a lot of stress.
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Ignoring the money factor you might end up doing more harm to your tank in the attempt to save her.

 

I would not spend money treating her. Based on your pictures she is in the later part of her life even without the hole. What i mean is that you should not be shocked if she dies in the next month or two even if you successfully treat her but the process of adding medicine to the tank might have a negative impact on your other fishes and removing her to treat is going to induce a lot of stress.
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Ignoring the money factor you might end up doing more harm to your tank in the attempt to save her.

You mean that as in she's old? I just bought her at the fish store surely she's not that old, and shouldn't I treat just in case any of the other fish caught the bacteria?

 

How long has your guppy had the hole? From the lit i read if it is Aerimonas it should be fatal in a few (1 to 4) days. It isn't clear to me if it is contagious but large water changes do help remove it from the water. If you just purchased the fish is it possible she had the hole prior to purchase ?

 

Probably Aeromonas. If not, it's another Gram negative aerobic bacteria.

Okay I treated with furan 2. It says it treats gram negative and positive bacteria and it even says it treats Aeromonas.

 

Good luck.

Okay I treated with furan 2. It says it treats gram negative and positive bacteria and it even says it treats Aeromonas.

 

How long has your guppy had the hole? From the lit i read if it is Aerimonas it should be fatal in a few (1 to 4) days. It isn't clear to me if it is contagious but large water changes do help remove it from the water. If you just purchased the fish is it possible she had the hole prior to purchase ?

I purchased the guppy on the 18th. I knew they had ich and internal parasites so I treated for that. I then added 3 platys on the 25th. I noticed the spot 2 days ago. She still eats but I have noticed the platys nipping at the spot.

 

If you knew she had parasite the hole might be due to the parasite and not bacteria.

I purchased the guppy on the 18th. I knew they had ich and internal parasites so I treated for that. I then added 3 platys on the 25th. I noticed the spot 2 days ago. She still eats but I have noticed the platys nipping at the spot.

 

If you knew she had parasite the hole might be due to the parasite and not bacteria.

That does make sense but I didn't know of a parasite that craved a hole in a fish in less than 24 hours. The LFS I bought them from had parasites in the last guppies I bought from them but I treated them and they are good now. I thought that they wouldn't have them anymore but I guess not. Never buying from them again.

 

If the parasite was internal when it morphs it would dig a hole to get out. I'm not saying that is what happened with your fish i really not an expert here and my success at treating illnesses have been poor. I do think that guppy looks rather old - it is how her body is bloated and the head is attached. If you lived around here i'd just give you a 1/2 dozen.

That does make sense but I didn't know of a parasite that craved a hole in a fish in less than 24 hours. The LFS I bought them from had parasites in the last guppies I bought from them but I treated them and they are good now. I thought that they wouldn't have them anymore but I guess not. Never buying from them again.

 

If the parasite was internal when it morphs it would dig a hole to get out. I'm not saying that is what happened with your fish i really not an expert here and my success at treating illnesses have been poor. I do think that guppy looks rather old - it is how her body is bloated and the head is attached. If you lived around here i'd just give you a 1/2 dozen.

It could be hole in the head as Ive heard its a parasite, and I'm really starting to think it is because I just now noticed a little hole at the top of another females head.

 

Oh



I had something VERY similar with a shipment of angelfish. Clear stringy poop and holes in the head and body.

I attributed it to aeromonas bacteria (but of course can't be sure without a swab). I didn't save my angels

 

I'm starting to think its either aeromonas or hole in the head

 

It could be hole in the head as Ive heard its a parasite, and I'm really starting to think it is because I just now noticed a little hole at the top of another females head.

Exactly what my angels had! I thought it was HITH too, but I never saw holes away from the lateral line with HITH. Also I don't think it's due to a parasite like Hexamita. Similar symptoms, but different causes.

I lost all the angels in that shipment and two others from another source with them. It's a nasty bacteria to get in your tank. That one angel lasted a few weeks with the hole in the abdomen, but finally bloated up and died.

I'd get the heavy duty antibiotic for aerosomas or euthanize your affected fish and really keep the tank clean and fresh and hopefully the others don't get it.

I'm not clear either on if aeromonas is always in the tank or brought in, but once one fish showed symptoms, it was downhill for all of them one by one.

 

Exactly what my angels had! I thought it was HITH too, but I never saw holes away from the lateral line with HITH. Also I don't think it's due to a parasite like Hexamita. Similar symptoms, but different causes.

I lost all the angels in that shipment and two others from another source with them. It's a nasty bacteria to get in your tank. That one angel lasted a few weeks with the hole in the abdomen, but finally bloated up and died.

I'd get the heavy duty antibiotic for aerosomas or euthanize your affected fish and really keep the tank clean and fresh and hopefully the others don't get it.

I'm not clear either on if aeromonas is always in the tank or brought in, but once one fish showed symptoms, it was downhill for all of them one by one.

I'll finish this course of furan 2 and if I see no improvement I'll euthanize the affected fish.

 

I'll finish this course of furan 2 and if I see no improvement I'll euthanize the affected fish.

Sorry I didn't have access to meds and used Methylene blue, but it got worse. But! I didn't notice any new lesions after that. Just lost them anyway to wasting and weakness (or bloating for that one).

FYI, for Hexamita parasite, the main treatment is Metronizazole. GC is Metro and Prazi, so technically if it was Hex, you have already treated for that.

I think it's aeromonas

 

UPDATE: I've done 2 packets of the furan 2 so far and the guppy is still alive, but it looks like a hole around her anus is being made and near her gill. She's also having really bad fin rot as she's lost a decent amount of her tail fin. All the other fish seem unaffected so far.

 

Update 2: The hole is actually healing. I woke up and checked on her and its for sure smaller than it was. I'll finish this course of furan 2 then use aquarium salt to promote healing. She still eats as well so thats good.

 

Update 3 (and probably the final update): The hole is just about closed up. Its 3x as small. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me identify what this was.

 

Update 4 (Final Update): So the guppy healed, and the hole was gone. I thought everything was good until I turned the lights on the quarantine tank today to find her floating upside down. Another guppy in quarantine just died yesterday after getting bloated, leaving me with 1 female guppy in quarantine. I'm confused as I've done 2 courses of general cure and fed them general cure mixed with flakes. All those meds wasted i guess.