# Gravid or sick Danio?



## groverjr (Oct 24, 2009)

Help! My fiance is worried about her fish. Her pink danio has a huge belly and she is moving sluggishly, with her fins spread apart a bit. She's separated her from the others because she's worried about her being sick.

We think she is gravid, but we're worried maybe she is ill instead (due to sluggish movement and difficulty swimming). So, I have some questions and any help would be greatly appreciated:

1. Do you know of any sickness that would make her belly swell like this?
2. I have read online that she will lay about 200-400 eggs, but only if a male is present to fertilize them. Otherwise they will be reabsorbed by her. Is this correct? How long will it take to reabsorb the eggs? Should we see her belly thin out again? How many eggs would hatch and survive? How do you even tell a male from a female since we don't know if any of her other 4 danios are male...?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but that's it for now. I'll try to get a pic and upload it later. Thanks!


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

A pic would be nice, because it could be dropsy.
Are the scales popping out like pinecones?


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## groverjr (Oct 24, 2009)

Here are some pics. I hope they help, they are about the best my fiance could send.

Thanks again!


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

I have a feeling that it is dropsy. Watch her and if her scales pop out like a pinecone you'll know for sure that its dropsy.
Keep her water as clean as possible, especially if you have her in a container. Do you have any other tank you can put her in? Cuz a container isn't the best place for a danio. If you keep her in the container, do a 100% water change everyday.
Try feeding her cooked, shelled peas.

Hopefully it isn't dropsy, let's hope that she is full of eggs.
Hope this helped.


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

that doesn't look like a gravid female. its most likely dropsey. i don't know how to treat it, but i know others do. good luck


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2009)

Grover,

1st off that cup is way to small for a fish like a danio. these guys are fast moving fish and need space to swim. i suggest getting a smaller QT tank to keep it on standby in case of an emergency like this.

and that fish isnt gravid. its deff suffering from either dropsy or constipation. in the event that its dropsy i suggest doin an epsom salt dip. the suggested (and this has worked for me) doseage is one level teaspoon of epsom salt for every four gallon of water. or 1/4th tea spoon per gallon.

in case its constipated feed it boiled shelled peas. works wonders.

am sorry if i come across curt.

hope this helps.

Cheers!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

I could go either way on this one. I'm trying to picture in my mind how this same fish would look in the original blue, and then guess if it was gravid or not. I don't see any pineconing o th scales, so maybe it is just really really fat with eggs. I'd try the epsom & pea thing first, but if it didn't work, I'd just breed her.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

I bred danios before, and my females never looked THAT big, especially from the top. But you never know, they hold a lot of eggs.


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