Why my guppies are jumping out of my tank?

[fernandohsa]

I have had my aquarium since October/2012 not very long ago. I left it cycling for 2 1/2 weeks and only added some life after taking the water of my aquarium to test at my pet store and waited for approval. I am not sure but I think they have tested NO2 levels what was low (yellow mark).
After adding 5 males guppies and 2 females I had a few problem with them. On the following day one of them jumped out of the aquarium. The others ones were looking fine. After a while I started having problems with swim bladder disease because I was over feeding them, i guess. so added Aqualibrium salt just in case it was bacterial or viral the disease cause, did it oriented by the pet store. The salt kill slowly ur plants btw, so be careful.
And a couple of weeks ago other male jumped out of the aquarium and yesterday another one. I can tell when they are about to do it because they get really excited and running up and down.
I have set my water level on the aquarium lower about 2.5 to 3cm now it was 1cm previously.

I don't understand why they keep jumping out I think is part of their nature to jump, from what I have read around some others forums but there is a tiny space for them to get trough and it would be to much coincidence to happen 3 times, it could be but I am trying to find out if it could have another reason.

Any suggestion and comment r welcome, takes

 

[Aqualady40]

Do you have an API liquid freshwater test kit? If not, you may want to get one, they are around $20 online...sounds like ammonia or nitrites may be too high....the lfs test are usually done with test strips which are commonly inaccurate....well I hope someone chimes in to give you more info

 

[Vienolac]

Do you have an API freshwater test kit? If not, you may want to get one, they are around $20 online...sounds like ammonia or nitrites may be too high....the lfs test are usually done with test strips which are commonly inaccurate....well I hope someone chimes in to give you more info

I was informed. By an aqauriumist a while back that test strips only last
14 days, and after that the gel on the strip starts to break down making for less accurate results

 

[Aqualady40]

I was informed. By an aqauriumist a while back that test strips only last
14 days, and after that the gel on the strip starts to break down making for less accurate results

Yes, that's why I informed OP to get their own API (liquid) test kit due to test strips are commonly inaccurate.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Once the test strips are exposed to the air they become useless. The first few that are used apon opening the container may be accurate but after that they're junk.
Geronica's right, API's liquid master kit is the best affordable test on the market imo.

 

[KBCoggin]

I agree, get a liquid test kit and test the water for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Might want to test the PH as well, but I don't think thats the problem.

 

[TOMatt]

"5 males guppies and 2 females"

Shouldn't you have more females than males because of aggressive mating needs? Maybe that explains the hyperactivity and jumping to escape the lusty males?

 

[KBCoggin]

"5 males guppies and 2 females"

Shouldn't you have more females than males because of aggressive mating needs? Maybe that explains the hyperactivity and jumping to escape the lusty males?

Good catch! This could be the issue as well. When I kept guppies I always kept twice as many females than males. The males have all the color, but are extremely aggressive, sexually.

 

[fernandohsa]

Do you have an API liquid freshwater test kit?

My pet shop has oriented me to get only NO2 test and is what I got. They basically said I shouldn't worry about the others :/.

Yeah and I know strip tests aren't very accurate. Might get a full test then.

Tks

 

[fernandohsa]

Good catch! This could be the issue as well. When I kept guppies I always kept twice as many females than males. The males have all the color, but are extremely aggressive, sexually.

Is really weird because on the pet shop they didn't even tell me to get females what I thought was confusing. They said guppies have too many babies and I would have problem with having to many fry. Actually I got only 3 fries and 3 hidden around the aquarium so far.

The fish who has jumped out yesterday was a dominant male, he was the always going after the females and I have never seen any fight among them.

I don't know the fries gender's still but might be more females I guess.

 

[librarygirl]

What size tank? It looks like a 5 gal or so? If so that's pretty small for 7 guppies. They're probably stressed. I'd also suspect ammonia or something in the water that isn't to their liking. What's your water change schedule? Is the water heated and if so what's the temp? What filter do you have? I'd do daily 50% water changes with dechlorinator until you get a good liquid test kit to see what's going on in the tank. This link might help too: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[Autumnsky]

Sometimes they just jump. But mostly they can jump to get out of the water since there is something wrong, usually with the water quality, but it could be from stress, or looking for more females or ???

If you clean your tank, and filter, please use old tank water and or dechlorinated/conditioned water to clean filter media/pad, and don't replace the pad unless it is falling apart as that is where your beneficial bacteria (BB) are. Also if you have Chloramines in your water, you may need to double your dechlorinator dosage.

As previously mentioned, check temperature 78F / 25-26C is good. And water quality. Ammonia and Nitrate especially.

You may not have completed your cycle. Who knows, just keep doing pwc every few days. Also check and see if you have ammonia in your tap water.

I do. So I have been using Prime water conditioner to help with that. Go through each possibility to help find the answer.

 

[fernandohsa]

What size tank? It looks like a 5 gal or so? If so that's pretty small for 7 guppies. They're probably stressed. I'd also suspect ammonia or something in the water that isn't to their liking. What's your water change schedule? Is the water heated and if so what's the temp? What filter do you have? I'd do daily 50% water changes with dechlorinator until you get a good liquid test kit to see what's going on in the tank. This link might help too: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

It is a 5 gal / 22 litres. I have been told by the pet shop I could have up to 12 guppies but a part from 7 guppies I have 2 shrimps one dye today and have an invasion of pond snails. What is controlled now but I want to get ride of them and have only shrimps.
I change water once a week around 30 to 35% and I always add API stress coat and stress zyme.
My water is heated around 25* C
Filter I am not sure, I have water pump that came with the aquarium also came with some ceramic noodle and a sponge.
http://www.aquaone.co.uk/documents/AquananoInstructions.pdf

 

[fernandohsa]

Sometimes they just jump. But mostly they can jump to get out of the water since there is something wrong, usually with the water quality, but it could be from stress, or looking for more females or ???

If you clean your tank, and filter, please use old tank water and or dechlorinated/conditioned water to clean filter media/pad, and don't replace the pad unless it is falling apart as that is where your beneficial bacteria (BB) are. Also if you have Chloramines in your water, you may need to double your dechlorinator dosage.

You may not have completed your cycle. Who knows, just keep doing pwc every few days. Also check and see if you have ammonia in your tap water.
.

I think I haven't completed my cycle because I haven't added anything to help to create bacterial that help on the decomposition of materials. I noticed I have started having issues when I noticed it was to many poop and from the first week.

I believe it might be ammonia, I do clean my tank but sometime because I got a big driftwood for decoration it doesn't allow me to clean properly with the gravel vacuum.

 

[librarygirl]

Well the fish themselves are providing the ammoia to cycle the tank, so there's no need to add anything else. The issue is if the tank isn't completely cycled yet (which means enough bacteria to process the toxins the fish are putting out through waste) the fish are then swimming in toxins which can be damaging to them. I'd do a couple of 50% water changes with vacuum (remove decor if needed to clean properly) and get the API liquid test kit so you can test the water and find out what's going on.