Unhappy Guppy

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The Editor

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
147
Location
Bath, UK
Hi everyone...

I started a fishless cycle back in January, had fish in the tank in mid March, so it's a pretty new set up still.

My tank is an 18x10x10" 30L tank, with Fluval U1 filter and Fluval E50 heater..

Parameters are normally 0, 0, 10-30, for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates

Stocked with 3 male guppies, and 1 Zebra nerite.

Now for the first few weeks everything was happy and the guppies all got along fine...

Recently however the largest guppy started bullying the smallest, chasing and nipping etc... Now the small ones tail is in shreads and he's taken to hiding at all times... I found he'd jammed himself in between the glass and the back on my filter the other day :(

I feed them a mix of Tetra Prima, Tetra Colour Pro, Tetra flakes, or sinking algae wafers some times, as well as the occasional lump of fresh veg etc...

Now I'm worried he won't feed properly with the big bully and he'll just get weaker and weaker...

What do guys?
 
I had this happen with a guppy, and he died.

Separate him to heal, and maybe add a few more guppies to level out the aggression. Keep us updated.
 
I've never really witnessed male-on-male guppy violence, maybe you should add a few more to create a more rigid hierarchy.
 
The problem is that this is my first and only tank so I don't have another one that I can separate them with...

Also since my tank is fairly small I'm overconcious about overpopulation. I have quite a large piece of wood and lots of plants in the tank so the actual water volume is reduced so I'm airing well on the side of caution.. The original plan was to keep a pair of Otos in once the tank had matured properly... This put me at 102% stocking according to Aqadvisor website.

Would a hang-in breeder box be worth getting to use as a "time-out" area???
 
I'm not sure. If you're talking about the aggressive guppy, I've heard of it working wonders.

The hurt guppy, it would only stress more.

I would use melafix and salt regardless of whether they're separated. It'll help the lil guy heal.
 
Well either guppy really...

So if I was to get one put the big healthy aggressive one in the box not the sick one?

I'll get hold of some salt and melafix quicksharp.... Just any brand tropical aquarium salt?

It's not such a huge issue atm, but I'll be away for 2 weeks around easter and have a friend popping who can feed them, but it still means they'll be left alone and unfed for about 5-6 days.... Unless you'd recommend those holiday feed blocks? But I read that guppies can go for around a week at a time without feeding and be perfectly happy....
 
The Editor said:
Well either guppy really...

So if I was to get one put the big healthy aggressive one in the box not the sick one?

I'll get hold of some salt and melafix quicksharp.... Just any brand tropical aquarium salt?

It's not such a huge issue atm, but I'll be away for 2 weeks around easter and have a friend popping who can feed them, but it still means they'll be left alone and unfed for about 5-6 days.... Unless you'd recommend those holiday feed blocks? But I read that guppies can go for around a week at a time without feeding and be perfectly happy....

Put the big healthy one in. Sometimes it'll turn a meanie into a nicey.

I would just leave them. Those feeders have more chance of fouling your water and killing the fish than not feeding. I suggest doing a PWC right before you leave.
 
Ok thanks, I'll pop into my LFS this evening and see what I can pick up...

Yea I was planning on doing a large PWC right before I left, then hoping the lil tank makes it through!
 
I'm sure it will. There was someone who was on vacation for eight days and didn't have any casualties. They didn't feed for that whole time. Did you say you might have someone coming in part way through to feed?
 
Yea my girlfriends sister is staying in the house for the weekend so they'll get a feed then...

Missed closing time at LFS so I'll have to go tomorrow morning instead...

Things seems calm this evening so far!
 
Picked up the necessaries this morning...

Shakira (I know girls name for male fish....) is now in solitary and the water is dosed with melafix and salt.

How long would you suggest leaving the bully in the breeder box?

The small injured guppy is hanging around the breeder all the time just watching... It's a face off!
 
I would leave it fir a couple days. Not too long, but long enough for him to 'be in trouble'.

That guppy is saying, "Nananananana, you got in trouble!". (Insert happy dance/swim here.) ;)
 
I agree a couple of days in solitary should quieten the bully down some, if he starts bulling again, back in the box for another session, if that doesn't work, then I suggest a trip back to the LFS. Good Luck.

Pete
 
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