Guppies keep dying

[Leda5181]

Started my first 10gal 6 months ago. Cycled then added 3 guppies. They were fine for a few weeks, then 1 died. I waited a couple weeks and the remaining gups were fine, so I added 3 more, 2 zebra danios & a sucker cat. A couple weeks later lost 2 more guppies, so again I waited 2 weeks, then replaced them and added 2 black skirt tetras & a Cory. Within a month all the guppies were dead, but everyone else was doing great. I gave up on them and haven't lost a fish since, but I'd still like to know why I had such trouble. The only visible problem was that their tails got a little tattered, one almost completely gone. I never saw anyone picking on them though. I've heard they're overbred and weak. Any thoughts?

 

[Fishnova]

Probably bad stock, nipped(don't think so), or fin rot due to poor water conditions. What are you water parameters? It sounds like you are overstocked.

 

[Leda5181]

Don't yell at me, but I've never tested. Everything I read said the cheap kits are useless and the expensive kits are, well, expensive. I read several sites that said watching fish closely is a better indicator, and cycled the tank well before I started. I've never seen any signs of stress in the other fish, and I never had more than 10" of fish at a time. As for fin rot, wouldn't the other fish be affected too?

 

[rreekers]

you can get an API test kit from Amazon for around $25... honestly something to save up for. my best guess is that you water quality is bad

how often do you do water changes? and how much water?

in my opinion your tank is overstocked. and IME, things will only get worse as your fish continue to grow... also why type of filtration do you have?
-at least bring your water to a local fish store and have them test the water, then report the readings to us so we can help

 

[Leda5181]

I'll definitely get a test kit if I ever try guppies again. I thought they were supposed to be good starter fish, but I guess they're not so tough. I seem to be at a good place w/ the tank right now. All I have are the 2 danios, 2 tetras & 2 cats. I do 20% wc & vacuum gravel every 2 wks. Standard starter kit filter, the over the side kind. I have good well water, so no declorinating to mess with.

 

[BHead707]

Don't yell at me, but I've never tested. Everything I read said the cheap kits are useless and the expensive kits are, well, expensive. I read several sites that said watching fish closely is a better indicator, and cycled the tank well before I started. I've never seen any signs of stress in the other fish, and I never had more than 10" of fish at a time. As for fin rot, wouldn't the other fish be affected too?

What do you mean by this? im going to assume you havent done a full nitrogen cycle because you said you've never tested,

 

[Leda5181]

I had some comets my turtle decided not to eat, so they lived on the tank for a month before I put anything else in. Started w/ frequent large water changes, tapered off following instructions from another site.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm sorry to say but the tank was probably in the middle of cycling when you introduced the guppies. My guess is that's why they died. It usually takes longer than a month to cycle a tank.
You really need to get your water tested. 20% every two weeks wont be cutting it. Try doing 20-30% weekly. Your fish will appreciate it.

The fish you have in your tank are very unsuitable. They all need schools of their own kind of 6 or more and a lot more swimming space than a 10g can offer.

 

[Fishnova]

I was just trying to help, there are no exclamation points anywhere...

I was also giving you some ideas on why your guppies were dying.

Didn't mean to come off as rude or anything.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I was just trying to help, there are no exclamation points anywhere...

I was also giving you some ideas on why your guppies were dying.

Didn't mean to come off as rude or anything.

I think the OP was saying it because he/she had never tested the tank not because they thought you where rude

 

[Leda5181]

^Exactly. I know I should test, but $25 is still a lot of money for me. Christmas is coming though. As for the cycling, I had the 1st 3 guppies for a month after the comets before any died, so it should have definitely been done by then, right?

 

[Leda5181]

As for schools, not much of a selection at the lfs. Pretty much the only option that didn't recommend large schools were betas. I thought I'd try these & see how they acted, and they all seem happy. Nobody hiding or bullying.

 

[Fishnova]

I am sorry. I totally misread...

:/

 

[Mumma.of.two]

As for schools, not much of a selection at the lfs. Pretty much the only option that didn't recommend large schools were betas. I thought I'd try these & see how they acted, and they all seem happy. Nobody hiding or bullying.

Bettas don't live in schools anyway. They are solitary fish.

The cories will get too big for the tank and the black skirts get quite a lot bigger than you would expect. 2-3x the size sold at the LFS. The danios simply just don't have enough swimming space.

IMO you really need to look into rehoming or upgrading your tank so you can fill out their schools.

 

[Leda5181]

The web site I was going by gave these max sizes:
Black skirt- 2 1/2"
Danio- 3"
cory- 2"
Otocinclus cat- 2"
Accurate or no?
I do think the danios would appreciate a little more room to race around. I'd like to try a larger planted tank next year when I can afford it.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The web site I was going by gave these max sizes:
Black skirt- 2 1/2"
Danio- 3"
cory- 2"
Otocinclus cat- 2"
Accurate or no?
I do think the danios would appreciate a little more room to race around. I'd like to try a larger planted tank next year when I can afford it.

Yes that's their sizes.
When stocking a tank the size of the fish is only one of the things that needs to be taken into consideration. You need to look at swimming space/activity levels if the fish, if they need schools, compatible tank mates, if your filter can handle the bioload and aggressiveness.