Weird problem with guppies

[Sprinkle]

I don’t think the OP will be back, but I guarantee if he/she asks about this on other forums, they’ll be asked the same and probably more questions than you asked. So don’t worry about it, you were just trying to help.

Of course i was trying to help, im helpful right? No, she wont be back. She wants to hear that the hatched is killing the guppies but i doubt it kills them. The way the hatchet look in the photo? Not aggressive at all. The female guppy? Wide open fins? She looks sickly.

 

[Wyomingite]

Thanks ;(

I wasn't trying to run you down Sprinkle. You're my buddy. And I agree the OP didn't have to be rude to you. I should have made that clear. I was trying to explain to you why nobody was worried about the water parameters. Would it have been nice to have? Yeah. Water parameters are important. I'm not taking sides. I am trying to get you to think outside the box and consider the greater picture. In this case, water quality isn't likely the issue. Therefore I, and FA74, skipped that and started looking for reasons the hatchet was behaving like that.

I don’t think the OP will be back, but I guarantee if he/she asks about this on other forums, they’ll be asked the same and probably more questions than you asked. So don’t worry about it, you were just trying to help.

The whole thing seems odd, but not outside the realm of possibility. Like you, I have a feeling the OP won't be back. I am perplexed that the hatchet was attacking other fish to begin with and have been trying to figure how it slit the guppies' throats. I have had and heard of "serial killer fish", so I was wiling to consider the possibility. There are a lot of peculiarities and I doubt we'll ever have enough information to understand what happened. I doubt we'll see a clear picture to ID the species or ever get all the questions clearly answered.

I'm not very knowledgeable about tetras or other characins in general. Of the families common in the hobby, characins are probably the one I know the least about. I've always considered tetras and such as eye candy. I'm going to have to fix that.

WYite

 

[Sprinkle]

IMO params always should be included.

I wasn't trying to run you down Sprinkle. You're my buddy.

 

[super tetras]

do guppies not like fast moving water?

 

[Sprinkle]

do guppies not like fast moving water?

Nope, they like it. And if they wouldnt, they wouldnt die??

 

[jake72]

The problem is when we talk about 'strong' current is strong is relative. My guppies prefer areas with less current but anyway....

 

[Sprinkle]

mine never had problems with fast flow.

 

[Gumby131]

Hello. I'm a newbie to forums, so I hope this is a proper post... I am experienced with freshwater fish, for the most part. That being said, I have a 20 gallon tank that just has 2 cory catfish and 1 hatchet fish... I thought the hatchet, whom I've had for 4 months now, might be lonely. I know they prefer to school. So I couldn't find any in stock in my area and thought oh, I'll put in 2 female and one male guppy. I did so two days ago... The hatchet fish, which is thriving, I think but can't confirm, has killed the male and one female guppy. I can't figure why. They're all well fed, water parameters are perfect, as I tested when I got the guppies, and I thought all were compatable... I'm hoping someone has some insight as to why my hatchet has become a jerk killing machine???

You should try keeping more than 1 hatchet I did the same thing when a RD I had jumped tanks and ate all but 1 hatchet.
He instantly became a twat and killed a whole school of rummy and a female betta.

 

[Sprinkle]

You should try keeping more than 1 hatchet I did the same thing when a RD I had jumped tanks and ate all but 1 hatchet.
He instantly became a twat and killed a whole school of rummy and a female betta.

This has been mentioned already we dont think that op will be back

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Hatchets do best in groups. Singles may never settle in and may be nervous all the time. However, I am not sure that means it will start killing tankmates. It may just be chasing them away. But this doesn't mean that the chasing isn't stressing the gups. And stress is the first step on the way to more serious issues. Combined with the fact that gups are often inbred could explain the problem.

As far as I know small fish are not part of the normal diet for hatchets.