What is wrong with my guppy?

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MusicalMenage

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Apr 22, 2021
Messages
3
My female guppy has recently taken to hanging vertically head up in the gap between my filter and tank wall. Sometimes she will sit horizontally on top of the filter. Her colouring has darkened and there is rapid tail movement.

She is in a 100 litre tank with one other female and one male guppy, 3 mollies, 1 adult bristlenose and a few baby bristlenose, and about 10 baby guppies.

Tank has been established since beginning of February. pH slightly alkaline, I have driftwood in the tank to try bring back to neutral. I do a 10 percent water change every few days. Filter is an Aquatopia internal filter 200. Mostly plastic plants with a couple of live plants which are surviving but not thriving.

Any ideas?
 

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Do you know about the nitrification cycle? There is an article link in my signature which includes it.

Water quality, knowing ammonia, nitrIte and nitrate can help you understand where you stand on how safe your fish are.

When in doubt do a bigger water change.

Did you recently throw out and replace an older filter / filter pad, rinse the filter pad in plain ole tap water, buy new fish or add live plants to the tank?

The article really does a good job of helping you understand water keeping and keeping fish safe and well.

If you do not have a test kit do a 30% water change and then do another 30% water change and see if the fish in general look more alert and happy. It is unknown if it will help the vertical one. But try.

If you can get to a fish store, save a sample of water before you change the water, and one after you change the second round.

Make sure to temperature match the water and use dechlorinator / chloramine water conditioner.

If you can't get to a fish store and it seems the fish are perking up after the first 2 water changes, then do another 30-50% water change the next day, and another 12-24 hours later. This should help make sure the water is getting better.

Having a way to test the water is very important to see what's going on.
 
Yes I know about cycling the tank :)
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5

Have recently added a couple of mollies and the baby bristlenose.

She had perked up this morning but when I got home this afternoon she was hiding under the driftwood. Came out at dinner time. So I caught her and put her in my hospital tank. She's swimming around a bit, mainly because I think she is a bit agitated about being on her own.

Guess it's a wait and see now?
 
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