Juvenile Guppy has a distorted spine
One of my juvenile Guppies caught my attention today. It shows the following symptoms: a slightly distorted spine (slightly bent, it looks as if he had a hollow back), uncertain swimming movements. It is hard to see as the fish is still rather small. Now I would like to know if this threatens the other fish, and if stress increases the risk for other fish to become ill. I would like to add some Black Widow Tetras as well.
Hello,
this kind of abnormity occurs every now and then in Guppy babies, rather a lot of them seem to be caused genetically. Injuries are also a possible cause.
Although it may sound brutal: it is alright if some of the babies get eaten. In nature, this is exactly what happens to misshapen, injured or ill fish - they can escape less easily and are slower than healthy fish, thus they are the first to become prey to predators.
Best regards
sera GmbH
Dr. Bodo Schnell