My guppy is bloated and lethargic. What's wrong and how to treat?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Fish | Unknown - Fish | Male | unneutered | 8 months and 28 days old
My male guppy looks bloated what do I do he's not as energetic.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 29th, 2017
He may be constipated or may have a severe infection. You can separate him out or place him in a breeding net and offer bits of cooked and shelled green peas. This should help relieve the constipation. If it is infection, a salt treatment or antibiotics may help. Place him in a separate tank and dissolve 2 1/2 teaspoons of Epsom salt (NOT table salt) per ten gallons. This can help draw out excess fluid in the body. If there is no improvement, add a broad spectrum antibiotic such as kanamycin or Maracyn 2 to the tank. You can purchase either in your local fish store or in the aquarium section of most pet stores. Follow label directions carefully. Once he is recovered, you can return him to the main tank. Monitor water quality. Many infections can be caused by poor water quality, overfeeding or overstocking the tank. Use a home test kit to check ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. The first two should always be 0 ppm (parts per million), nitrates can read 40 ppm or less. Dropsy is a condition caused by infection that results in fluid retention. If your guppy's scales are sticking out (like a pinecone), he is likely in end stage Dropsy and humane euthanasia should be considered.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on March 17th, 2018
Check the water chemistry. Ammonia and nitrites should be 0ppm. Nitrates can be 40ppm or less. When performing a water change, be sure to use aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. It may take the guppy some time to acclimate. If he doesn't improve, consider separating him to a hospital tank in case he is ill or infectious. You can use plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt) as a general tonic to reduce stress, improve gill function, treat minor infection and aid in any recovery. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 10-14 days then reassess his condition.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
I have three glo fishes in my tank. Two of them appear to be very bloated. Not only is one of them more bloated than the other, but it is also losing some of its color in the lower part of its body and it has a rough look as if its scales were starti
My crowntail beta as said was mail on it's container looks really fat and my other beta gets the same types of food at the same The what's the problem
My betta is staying near the surface and blowing air bubbles out. He is not balanced, he tries to stay normal but floats sideways sometimes. He also has black gills, bloated belly and also his fins are melting. He is not as bright that used to be. He
30 gallon freshwater tank 6 peaceful community fish, planted tank. nitrite0, Ammonia0, nitrates low. ph 7. One molly died quick and sudden. another molly (bloated not pregnant) bottom of tank looked dying. put in salt. She improved. wite tube poop. s
I do not know if anybody knows much about betta fish but I think there is something wrong with my male betta. I bought him at a large petstore about 2ish years ago. He is kept in a heated, filtered, 2.5 gallon aquarium. Lately, he hasn't been eating
I recently got a tropical fish tank off of craigslist. There's two black skirt tetras, one white tetra (might also be a skirt), and one guppy. All 4 recently had ick. The three tetra get along well but the guppy is making me worried. He was at the bo
Hello I have a koi Betta fish and when I got it it use to eat all the time. Now it has stop eating for a week almost. It is bloated and hides in her house most of the time. I can't tell if its dropsy or ick or something else. I did treat it with salt
My beta fish has a swollen stomach and had turned white, can you help please
I noticed my two fancy goldfish are lethargic, one is small ryukin, and other is oranda. They stay at the bottom of the tank. furthermore, their bellies are swollen, and their tails are droopy; the two fish are not active like other six fish in a 50
Hi iv had my fish for 17 years and over the past few weeks the belly has become swollen and now seems she only swims upside down unless its feeding time. Its more so on the right side so finds it hard to keep floating as normal..i really dont wanna l
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
