I have a very sick tank

:mad2:

Can anyone identify this problem? The fish you see here was the second fish to have this "sac" coming out of his vent. The first one was one of my nice snakeskin guppies. He expired shortly after showing this sac. He was shimmying and was very disoriented.

Then this fish got it about 3 days later. He passed whatever it was (it either fell out or went back in), but then a week or 2 later he started shimmying and got the limp back thing, he would try to eat but was also disoriented and couldnt get food into his mouth.

All water parameters were normal, temp is at 78-80, but nitrates were at like 80, so i have been doing 30% changes daily, and now ive got it down to about 20. I have treated with salt for the past week at 1 tbsp per 5 gal, and i have reduced feeding slightly.

I just lost a 3rd guppy to another problem of shimmying and limp back, but he did not have the sac coming out of his vent. Now i come home today and find ANOTHER guppy with this sac in his vent, as of now he appears to be acting normal. Some of the guppies look lethargic, and are hanging at the surface (there are about 10 guppies), but the platys i have are unaffected, and are swimmig about quite actively.

Here are the pics.

Other info about the tank, 55 gallon with a few live plants, sand substrate, running an eheim pro 2 2026 filter, and a small hob filter rated for a 20 gallon (just an extra). I have not used any medications at this time except for aq. salt. I use stress coat as a water conditioner. Feeding is a mix of dried bloodworms, dried tubifex, dried brine shrimp, and spirulina flakes.

Please help me.

liv2padl said:

intestinal prolapse ... unfortunately this is a genetic issue and not treatable.

Click to expand...

I looked into my tank today, and the THIRD fish to have this problem now floating upside down and swimming vertically, nearly dead. I am going to put him out of his misery, but you guys think this is genetic only? Why is he swimming with his face toward the bottom and upside down? Should i treat the tank with anything???

Ok, i understand that.

Why would suddenly this start happening to the fish all within a few weeks though? Is there anything that provokes the problem?

The first fish who got it was the offspring of the fish you see in the picture. The one in the picture was the first fish i ever purchased, and he was the second to get it. This third fish who has it, i am not sure of his genetics line, but he was farily new in the tank, probalbly 3rd generation....

I just dont understand why i could have a fish for almost a year, and then suddenly 3 fish get it at almost the same time...