Fancy guppy problem/ new tank problem /need help soon!

Hello Lee,

I would first like to welcome you to this community. You will find a lot of great people with a lot of experience to share here. I haven't had a problem yet that they couldn't help me with.

You will be a very good fish parent soon but there are a couple things to learn first. You are doing all the right things.

When you added the water on day 1 did you add anything to treat for chlorine?

The Lifeguard Tetra is for treating diseases. It is not likely that your fish are dying from a disease.

There is something wrong with the water in the tank. Changing the water is for getting rid of fish waste. They live in their own bathroom and so the water needs to be changed every week or two. One fish will not pollute his tank so much that you need to change your water every day. In fact, changing the water several times a day may be causing your last fish some stress.

Step one is to make sure that you have treated your water for chlorine. Chlorine does evaporate so you should not have to worry about it after 2 weeks. However, many cities use chloramine which stays effective for 4+ weeks if not treated.

If you have already treated your water the best thing to do is to wait for a few days and do nothing.

While you are waiting can you answer a few questions?
How big is your tank?
What kind of filter does it have?
Does it have an airstone of some sort?

Don't feel too bad. It can be traumatic to lose fish but it happens to everyone and we all get better at it with time.

Nate

From the info you have given us, Lee, I tend to agree with Pinkey that this was not a disease (unless the fish had it to start with and were near death when you got them). I would think the fish may have died from ammonia or nitrite poisoning, or something connected with how they were acclimated. Three guppies in a 10g tank is not much, and especially with plants I would not have expected this, but it is still possible, since your ammonia was above zero initially and now the nitrite is at 0.5. Though it still seems odd, frankly. Starting over is the best idea now, and take it slow.

First on the Tetra Lifeguard. I wouldn't expect this to have finished off the guppies, but I will caution you about using any medications. Don't, until all tests have been run and then only if it is fairly certain that this particular medication will help. Fish get sick from many things, and some of the external signs are common to most disease/problems. Clamped fins, faster respiration, hanging near the surface would cover most everything. Medications add stress to fish because everything that goes in the water must pass over the fish's gills, and the internal physiological process that keep a fish alive are complicated. The less stress, the better.

Acclimating new fish. Float the bag in the aquarium to equalize temperature (15 minutes is usually sufficient). Then add some water from the aquarium to the bag; I usually add about a cup. Wait 15-20 minutes, then repeat with a second cup and wait. Then net the fish out of the bag and into the tank. Never allow the bag water to enter the aquarium.

To the future. As you have live plants, and as they seem to be growing, I would not mess around with fishless cycling. Do you intend getting guppies? Or something else? And can you check with your municipal water supply people, probably on their website, to ascertain the hardness (GH) and pH of the water? This can be important for some fish, less perhaps for others. But it is wise to know before starting out.

Also, what conditioner are you using? If you are doing water changes using a bucket, add the conditioner to the fresh water in the bucket and then add the water to the tank. And on your tap water, have you tested it on its own for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? This is worth knowing too, just in case.

Byron.

Lee567 said:

I bought the fish at a very prestigious mom and pop store. (One of the largest in the state). I live two hours away from the pet store. So I acclimated them for 15 minutes to adjust the temperature and added a cup of my tank water to the bag every five minutes. I see one of my mistakes, I added the fish and there water from the bag to the tank.

As for my tank I am undecided between catfish and shrimps. And I was planning on having around two larger fish (the guppies) and a couple of tetras.

the conditioner I used was Top fin water conditioner.
I'll have to check on my water supply hardness later (not home right now)
i tested the tap water before adding when I started the tank

ph 7.6
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ammonia .25

Click to expand...

Nothing bad here. And just so it's clear, adding the bag water is highly unlikely to have been the issue with the guppies dying, but it is something to avoid doing as all sorts of pathogens can be added.

Tetras are shoaling fish, meaning they must have a group, so that will take up space in a small tank quickly. Some catfish, like corys, are the same, no less than five or six. So don't rush into fish without all this coming together. Patience in this hobby is certainly a virtue.:tropicalfish:

Byron.

Lee,

I feel for you. It seems you are doing everything almost right. Once you figure out whatever mistakes you may have made it will be easy and fun. Don't give up yet.

Time is the best answer. Your filters seem good. Your setup seems like it will be exactly what those fish need. As educational (frustrating) as it is to wait for weeks before you do anything there is always a reward at the end.

Nate

@Lee: That is a pretty high stock level for a 10 gallon tank. It's doable, but you'll have to make sure you stay on top of water changes. Having the tank planted should help as well.

Also, I suspect that the dwarf catfish you were looking at were one of the smaller species of Corydoras or "cory cats". Probably either C. habrosus, C. hastatus, or C. pygmaeus. I've heard C. habrosus referred to as "dainty cory", C. hastatus as "dwarf", and C. pygmaeus as "pygmy", but they have other common names as well.

If you want to have any male guppies, I think it's generally recommended to have at least two females per male, but I'll let someone who's more experienced with guppies chime in on this one. I've never kept them, just going by what I've read. However, if you're just planning on two guppies, it may be best to get two females.

As far as when you can add more fish... you don't need your nitrates to be at zero, but ammonia and nitrites should be. When you're consistently getting results of 0/0/<20ppm for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates respectively, then it should be safe to add more fish. Slowly. Add only a few at a time and test your water frequently to make sure you aren't getting any dangerous ammonia or nitrite spikes.

Hope this helps and sorry you lost some of your guppies. Does the remaining guppy still seem to be having issues breathing? Or does he seem to be getting better?