My guppy is bloated and lethargic. What's wrong and how to treat?

The bloating could be infection. It may also be parasitic infection, constipation or swim bladder disease. You cannot discount them being gravid (pregnant). Glo fish are egg layers, so they could be females readying to spawn (release eggs). First check water chemistry and quality. Clean water is critical to having healthy fish or to having fish recover from illness or injury. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or for a small fee. An established tank will have 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with a nitrate level of 20 ppm or less. If your tank shows any level of ammonia or nitrites, perform a partial water change (no more than 30% total volume at a time) using conditioned water. Makebsurebit is temperature matched as well to prevent stress or shock. Glofish do best between 72 F and 80 F. Once water quality is squared away, fast the fish for 2-3 days, then feed tiny bits of cooked and shelled green peas. This will help with constipation and bloating. Feed peas until they are swimming normally and the bloating is resolved. If the peas don't help, try broad spectrum antibiotic, such as erythromycin or ampicillin. You can find either in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. An "all in one" product, such as Lifeguard (by Tetra) can also be used. This will treat multiple types of infection with one medication.

By your description, there may be seversl issues here. Check the water chemistry and quality. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Ideally, you want the following parameters: 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, 20 ppm or less nitrates, pH around 7, water temperature between 78 F and 80 F. Perform partial water changes to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Decrease the water level to make it easier for your fish to surface. Fast him for 2-3 days then feed bits of cooked and shelled green peas until swimming and defecation are normal. If he remains bloated, prepare a bowl of water at the proper temperature and dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt for each gallon. Allow for a 15-30 minute swim once or twice daily. In the main tank, use an antibiotic, such ad Kanaplex or Maracyn, to treat infection/fin rot. A conditioner such as StressCoat can also help fins. These products can be found in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

Parasites, constipation, stress or bacterial infection are all possibilities. Maintain adequate water quality. Continue with the salt treatment, it can decrease stress, aid healing and may treat minor infection. Consider a product such as PraziPro or General Cure by API to treat for parasites. Constipation can be managed with a 3 day fast followed by feeding bits of cooked, shelled green peas until defecation is normal and regular.

Check the water chemistry and quality. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. Perform partial water changes to stabilize chemistry and improve water quality. use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Fast Froggy for 2-3 days then offer bits of cooked and shelled green peas. If the issue s constipation, this should help. Maintain water temp at the upper limit to aid in digestion.For ADFs, this is about 78 F. An Epsom salt bath may also decrease the bloating. Do NOT use table salt or aquarium salt. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of conditioned water and allow for a 30 minute swim once daily. If the bloating is due to bacterial infection, Maracyn 2 can be found in the Aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and consider moving the frog to a hospital tank during treatment.

Unfortunately, by the time you see "pineconing ", the chances of recovery are very very small. Broad spectrum antibiotic products, such as Kanaplex or Maracyn II, may treat infection. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Bettas do best in water between 78 F and 80 F. You can dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and allow a 10-15 minute swim before returning him to the regular tank. This may help with fluid buildup. Do this once or twice daily. Even with aggressive treatment, the mortality rate is very high.

This is a classic sign of swim bladder disorder. Check water quality and chemistry. use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. pH should hover around 7 and water temp should range between 65 F and 72F. Perform a partial water change is necessary to stabilize chemistry and improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Pristine water quality is the foundation for recovery and healing. Next, fast her for 3 days. Resume feeding bits of cooked, shelled green peas until she is swimming and defecating normally. You can fast her one day a week in the future and offer green peas to maintain regularity. If symptoms persist, consider a broad spectrum dewormer and a broad spectrum antibiotic. You can find both in the aquarium section at Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment in indicated.

The natural antibiotic properties of Melafix work best with minor or external infections. Your Molly may be quite ill and may need more aggressive treatment. If you have other fish in the tank, especially Bettas or Gouramis, you cannot use Melafix as this could harm them. Separate the molly to a hospital tank and treat there. You will need to remove the carbon filter insert during treatment or it will filter out the Melafix. The symptoms listed may indicate bacterial infection, parasites, constipation or obstruction. If Negrito has a pinecone appearance, he may have a serious infection (dropsy) that is causing kidney failure. This would in turn cause the swollen abdomen and lack of appetite. Check the water chemistry, temperature and filtration. Ammonia and nitrites should be absent and nitrates can be present at 40ppm (parts per million) or less. Molies do best in water between 75F and 80F. Perform a partial water change if necessary to stabilize chemistry and maintain water quality. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Clean water is the best way to manage any infection. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water but it is not recommended if your molly has dropsy. In this case, Epsom salt can be used to decrease swelling. Allow a 15-30 minute swim in a bath prepared with 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water. Do this in a separate container. It could help with constipation as well. If the Melafix does not help, use a product such as Kanaplex or Maracyn. These are broad spectrum antibiotics that you can find in the aquarium section of the local pet or fish store. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. Hopefully, any infection will be resolved with treatment. If it is dropsy, unfortunately, this condition has a high mortality rate.