Guppy behaviour

[maestromad]

Hello I'm just wondering if anyone can help, I've moved my guppies into a new tank, new substrate old filter all water treated.
Water test today all parameters excellent except the ph seems to have risen from 7.4 to between 7.4and7.8.
The guppies are grouping together quite a bit which they didn't do before normally in twos or threes and are spending time on the surface but don't appear to be gasping.
Is this just them getting used to the new setting or normal behaviour which they didn't exhibit in the smaller tank? I have 4 juveniles and 4 adults all male thanks

 

[BBradbury]

Hello I'm just wondering if anyone can help, I've moved my guppies into a new tank, new substrate old filter all water treated.
Water test today all parameters excellent except the ph seems to have risen from 7.4 to between 7.4and7.8.
The guppies are grouping together quite a bit which they didn't do before normally in twos or threes and are spending time on the surface but don't appear to be gasping.
Is this just them getting used to the new setting or normal behaviour which they didn't exhibit in the smaller tank? I have 4 juveniles and 4 adults all male thanks

Good morning maestro...

Your pH is fine. Guppies are very tolerant of more alkaline water and a pH up to 8.5 is fine as long as the level remains constant.

Keep the water very clean. I have large tanks of Fancy Guppies and replace a minimum of half the tank water every week. Your fish may just be getting used to their new environment.

I always do my water changes with water that's a little warmer than normal and my fish really enjoy the slight, temporary temperature change.

Check your filtration equipment to make sure it's running at it's highest setting. No need to overfilter your tank, if you do large, weekly water changes. I've found large filters to be dangerous for Guppy fry.

If any of your smaller Guppies are female, you should get a half dozen or more new females. Those males will not leave any female alone once she gets to breeding age, which is at about three months old.

Hopefully, you have a little larger tank, say 30 G or larger. Guppies are fast breeders and you can have new fry about every month. Also, float some Water sprite or Water wisteria in the tank, so the fry and pregnant females will have some place to hide.

B

 

[maestromad]

Thanks for that I've moved up to a 110l and I have all males. In work or a few more hours so fingers crossed they will all be ok

 

[DukeNukem713]

My guppy fry just started doing this too. I think it may mean your water is a bit too cold? I think it's normal though, mine arent showing any signs of weakness

 

[maestromad]

Thanks all my guppies appear bak to normal they are all sleeping on the bottom of the tank now phew! Hopefully their daytime activity will be the same! Does anyone know if airstones should be turned off at night???

 

[ocminpin]

I don't know if they're "supposed" to, but I go on the thought that they'd like to chill out and relax at night without the extra movement.. Same goes for my newborn fry tank with fry under 3 wks... I turn off filter at night so they can relax without dealing with the filter current.. I picture poor tired little fins ...
Perhaps I'm humanizing my fish too much.. But only my own theory.... Hope the Cesar Millan of the fish world doesn't come after me!
P.S.... I love Cesar...

 

[Shane l]

I usually keep my tank at 26 27 (got guppies) and the water temp dropped a lot so they are all acting like yours but it is normal I don't turn off my air stone at night but it seems to be a good idea I will try it

 

[maestromad]

Yeah I came to the conclusion they were sleeping after panicking the first few times! Thanks

 

[ocminpin]

I SO remember the first time I saw ALL my fish laying at the bottom of the tank!
I had done my first major cleaning (ever) that evening and I came out after being in bed a few hours to check out my sparkly clean tanks I was so proud of and to my (at the time) horror I saw all my fish laying on the bottom barely moving... Their fins were straight out at their sides and their gills moving super slowly... My heart sank even more when i saw my babies in the other tank were all doing the same thing ... Snuggled in the rocks...
I started tapping on the glass and trying to get then going wondering what possibly could have gone wrong. All these thoughts and statements from people here on AA went flashing thru my head--- Did you remember to add conditioner? I knew I should have gotten that prime. Why oh why didn't I listen to them and take my fish back to the store and cycle my tank properly? I don't even know where there is an Ace Hardware.. Oh my gosh I've really screwed up this time. Why didn't I buy the test kit? On and on and on.. I was lost in a barrage of beating myself up when I looked up and my babies were starting to notice i was there and were coming to the glass to wait for food... And then I saw my male was poking my females awake in the other tank... (go figure)...
Silly me... Fish DO sleep and I don't need to panic screaming in my head, "THE FISH ARE DOWN!!"

 

[maestromad]

Yes I've had that shock too! However with all my little problems lately I was so pleased to find them all sleeping last night. Fingers crossed in a few days my tank will get back to normal