Help! My Guppies have the plague and they keep dying!

waternymph

Registered Member
Nov 30, 2006
3
0
0
Reno, NV.
Ok there has to be something wrong w/ me. I have a 10 gal. tank, complete w/ 2 Talking Catfish, 2 Chinese Algae Eaters, various plants (which by the way are all in great health) and a few Fancy Guppies. I started out w/ 5 and have been replacing them constantly ever since. The temp in the water is correct, as well as the ph balance. I am down to 3 guppies this time, I lost one today and another is looking like its going to be heading towards the "bright light" here in a few hours. What the heck is the matter? Am I doomed to be the guppy-reaper, please advise.
 
please test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and post the levels so we can know them. that will help us determine what the problem might be.

when did you set up this tank?

how often do you change your water?

exactly what is your ph and how do you keep it "correct"?

are your guppies showing any physical symptoms of illness?

how big are your catfish and algae eaters?

w/o knowing answers to any of these questions, i would say that being overstocked (too much fish in too little space) might have something to do with it.
 
well, I did after all lose the one little guppy that seemed ill. She also happened to be pregnant and had about 25 fry before she passed away. So cute! They are all safe in a "Guppy Crib" as I like to lovingly call it, but I believe that it's called a "fry saver". my 2 remaining adult guppies seem to be fine... but so they all do before i find one dead.
do you think that there is anything else that I could maybe be doing wrong? thanks for all the advise.

answers to previous questions:
I tested my nitrite, its at 0
I set up my tank about a month ago.
The water is changed about every 2 weeks.
ph is 7.2, and it's maintained using ph down tabs.
they all appear to be very healthy one minuet, then I find one dead.
my algae eaters are 1 1/2'' and 2''
catfish are 2'' and 2 2/3''
 
1. Need an ammonia reading please. If your tank is new and still being cycled, your fish may be suffering from ammonia poisoning. Especially since you have such a large fish load in a new tank.

2. Water changes (on a new, still-cycling tank) should be done as soon as ammonia appears. This usually requires water changes every few DAYS during the cycling period, not weeks.

3. I don't recommend using chemicals to mess with PH levels. Most fish do fine in less than optimum PH, as long as PH levels are stable and not always fluctuating.

4. IMO you were a bit overstocked for a 10 gallon tank.
 
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