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View Full Version : My fish's belly is distended all of a sudden!


BChen7106
11-21-2007, 01:42 AM
So I finally got my fish to eat (I've been cycling with a guppy and a platy for 2 weeks). For the first week, the platy refused to eat, but now he's eating everything I put in.

But in the last 2 days, I've noticed that the platy's belly has become hugely distended. I don't think he's constipated--poops a good deal, but he definitely seems to have a bigger belly than before. I'm assuming he's a he because he has a penis-looking fin:hmm3grin2orange: . But is that how you even tell if they're male or female?

cocoa_pleco
11-21-2007, 01:50 AM
females are usually larger

KcEE
11-21-2007, 01:56 AM
And I don't think males have a penis pertruding...hahaha...

RichBowyer
11-21-2007, 02:29 AM
Is "he" getting dark near his poopshoot? If so, he is a she.

Lady Hobbs
11-21-2007, 02:30 AM
laughing and crying/wiping eyes

Man I love this forum!

BChen7106
11-21-2007, 03:13 AM
Glad I could entertain everyone.

After careful research, I've decided that he's definitely a he. Indeed, the penis looking thing has been confirmed to be a gonopodium (why don't they just call it a penis?).

So that leaves me to believe that HE is not pregnant. So why the heck is his belly so distended? He's otherwise behaving normally. It looks like he's going to explode.

Nick_Pavlovski
11-21-2007, 04:42 AM
For a start, cut back on the amount of food you give.

Lady Hobbs
11-21-2007, 06:22 AM
I agree with Nick. They are hogs really and will eat and eat and end up with those long trails of poop trailing behind them. A day a week of no feeding helps clean them out as well as feeding sparingly just once a day.