Guppy mortalities

[ckeck]

:duh:
Water Conditions:
Tank Size: 29 gallon
NitrAte: 20 mg
NitrIte: 0
GH: 75
KH: 120
PH: 7.2
Temp: 76
Filtration: Top Fin 30 Filter
Substrate: Gravel
Food: Tetra dried and sometimes worms, shrimp or frozen food
Fish:
1 Bristle Nose Catfish
1 Albino Algae Eater
4 baby Spotted Mollies
6 Male Guppies
1 Female Guppy

I have a dilemma. I have had a 20 L Aquarium for the past two years that has several bottom feeders, a bristlenose cat, 3 spotted mollies and 3 plattys and that tank does great. In November, the mollies had some babies and I had them in a nursery, but they didn't do well in there, so at Christmas my husband got me a 29 Gal aquarium where I put the babies which did much better.

As my tank would not cycle well with only 5 baby fish in them, I decided that I would get some guppies since I know that the babies would be safe (the other mollies were eating their fry - canibals!) with the guppies. HOwever, for some reason, my guppies are dying off one by one. No signs of illness, the just get lethragic and stay at the top and then in a day or so they are dead at the bottom. I just lost a female and now a male is doing the same thing.

Is there something I need to do differently with guppies that I am not doing? Do they need a higher PH or higher temp? I am truly puzzled. I kept guppies for years when I was young and stupid and never had a mortality rate like this.

Please help me as I really like the guppies as they add such cool color in the tank and do not hurt the other babies.

PUZZLED IN FLORIDA

[hunnysnax]

hey there

you seem to have lots of tests on your water which is a good start!!! everything you've written sounds ok, but did you test your ammonia? high levels of ammonia will poison the fish, making them hang near the surface and then die. once the tank is cycled there should be no ammonia or nitrite. you nitrate levels would indicate that your tank is either cycled or nearly there.

how many guppies did you add? the more guppies the more ammonia you'll have, at least until your tank is cycled.

the best way to stop livebearers from eating their fry is by have lots of hiding spots. the guppies will breed just as readily as your platys and mollies and they will eat their babies as well. there are lots of plants, both real and fake that the babies can take cover in so give it a shot. it may be easier that seperating them.

if you don't seperate the babies from their parents/siblings by the time they are ready to mate they will inbreed.

the last thing is always have more females than males, or no females at all (depending if you want fry) because the males will harass the females. a good ratio is 2 or 3 females to every male. then that way they will get a break :) good luck!!!

[ckeck]

Thanks for your response. I don't have any ammonia either (forgot to add that). Maybe it is my ratio of females to males. I will purchase some more females and maybe that will solve the problem.

Thanks again

[budrecki]

Hello fellow Floridian!

Guppies have a short life span. Are you getting them small or full grown? Where do you buy your fish? Maybe they have a back crop.

[Halo]

The ratio on guppies is more females than males. The males can chase the females to exhaustion if they outnumber them. Also, the lifespan question is quite a good one. Buy slightly immature guppies when possible. Another thing you can think about is oxygen levels. A bubbler might aid in water agitation.

Last but not least... if you swing by NC, I'll give you 100 of em... Mine are outbreeding my Arrowanna's appetite!