Guppy with flared gills?

PuppyFluffer

PuppyFluffer

AC Members
Jan 9, 2008
844
0
16
east coast USA
I am getting a little discouraged with this hobby....

I set up a 5 gallon tank for my 5 year old to enjoy and me to take care of.

I got the tank cycled after a failed attempt with Bio-Spira and losing 4 neons.

We have had one ADF in the tank through out the cycle process - purchased at the same time as the neons. It's doing fine.

We just added 5 guppies and a second ADF on Friday night so they have been in the tank 4 days. i did a gradual acclimation to my water in a bucket when I brought them home, took a few hours to do so then put them in the tank and turned the lights off overnight. I waited 24 hours to feed them and have fed them flakes and frozen bloodworms.

They seem fine, eating well, active etc.

Woke to find one dead either yesterday or day before, I don't remember but I posted about it and several thought it was just transport shock/the way it goes sometimes with new fish.

Now I have one who is swimming around with his gill covers flared out. He seems a bit less active than the others.

I tested the water the day I added the fish and it was 0, 0 and 12.5. i did a standard 10 - 20 % water change during the day and added the fish later that evening.

I just tested water again and I am getting the same readings as above. I am using the Tetra liquid test kits. Tank temp is 74 and I use bottled spring water.

Gravel substrate, two small plastic plants and a small bunch of anachris (and I don't think I spelled that right!)

Any ideas?
 
If your "spring water" is like most, it is almost distilled water as far as mineral content. It ends up being very pure water but most, I'm inclined to say all, fish need some minerals in their water. What does the water hardness measure? Even neons need some mineral content although they tend to be happy on the low end of the scale. My first inclination is to suggest adding some tap water. Guppies definitely need more minerals than you will likely find in bottled water.
 
A hardness kit is the one thing I don't have! I do have a pH kit.

We tend to have harder water around here and I have well water. I can add some of that. The only reason I have been using the spring water is that I created an algae problem in my smaller betta tank with well water and in a tank this small, it's affordable to use spring water.
 
I woke this morning to find Mr. Guppy setting on the bottom of the tank under a castle decoration. I went for the net because i thought he was dead but he swam off.

I am getting really discouraged with this hobby.
 
maybe try another fish store? they might have a bad supplier.
 
By stable, do you mean consistant ammonia, nitrites, nitrates? because my readings on those have been stable since establishing the cycle. I do a weekly water change which seems to maintain things quite well so far.

The three remaining guppies seem happy and healthy. I am remaining steady with them and will not replace the two that died. If they eventually die, I am considering a betta next because it seems I do well with those. I have two of them that are happy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom