Guppy Q

[Coleallensmom]

I recently set up a 20 gal aquarium for my son for his birthday. Bought three small female fancy guppies and one green cobra male. I ran my QT filter on the tank in tandem with a new filter and the tank cycled with in a week. Water parameters today were-

ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10
Temp: 76F

In the short time since we bought the guppies, I've noticed significant growth in two of the females. Meanwhile, I am concerned about the third. She is still swimming around the tank and her fins/gills are not clamped. She gets excited at feeding time and swims after food however she doesn't seem to really eat anything and when compared to the other two females, she is noticeably thinner. Her color has paled and just today I noticed her tail fin seems ragged. Basically, she seems to be wasting away and as quickly as it seems to be happening, I'm wondering if she is going to last much longer. I tried googling this afternoon and all I could come up with is Fish Tuberculosis. My first reaction is to remove her from the tank. Is there anything else I can do to keep the other fish from getting sick? If it IS fish TB, I've read that TB is highly contagious to other fish and humans...does that mean I should clean my siphon and water change buckets, etc? If so, what is the best way to go about doing that? This highly concerns me as my children touch this tank every day and help me with PWCs/feedings.

 

[Itzblackmayne]

Well a easy way to help your fish get throw this is to do simple water changes it has helped my fish in the past so try a 20% water change and the new water try to get the water worm and use some a little more safe start should help and some times color lost can come from the temp if it's to cold the color will change / and she is eating just small amounts when she stops eating and lays at the bottom of your tank then you should start to worry that means she's sick and will die sorry for your fish and I hope I have helped

 

[Coleallensmom]

Well a easy way to help your fish get throw this is to do simple water changes it has helped my fish in the past so try a 20% water change and the new water try to get the water worm and use some a little more safe start should help and some times color lost can come from the temp if it's to cold the color will change / and she is eating just small amounts when she stops eating and lays at the bottom of your tank then you should start to worry that means she's sick and will die sorry for your fish and I hope I have helped

I don't think the water is cold. I run a heater and have a thermometer. The temp has stayed consistant as far as I can tell. I tested my water parameters this evening; they were fine. I don't think she's eating...she swims around at feeding time, but I specifically watched her today and I didn't see her eat a single piece of food.

 

[Itzblackmayne]

Ok know you should worry because if this is a decease it could spread to your other fish and I know you don't want that so if I was you watch her closely because some times fish bounce back as long as the waters clean it can happen but if she dies get her out of water fast so the other fish won't catch it

 

[Coleallensmom]

I'm sure I am probably over reacting; it's a mother's first reaction when it comes to her children. My kids are all over that tank every day!

Not sure what is going. She's definitely pale and thin.. and as I said, I haven't seen her eat. No clamped fins however and she isn't hiding. Maybe she has some sort of parasite? My kids are sleeping atm, will do a PWC in the morning to get some fresh water in there.

 

[mudraker]

There are a lot of issues that can plague female guppies, especially when they are new and you don't know their history.

She could be fine and you are just being a mom. But there is a high mortality rate in young female guppies.

Besides the obvious possiblity of coming to your tank from the LFS already diseased, there are a lot of other possibilities of why she looks or acts unhealthy.

Even at a young age, she may have given birth one time too many already and is becoming emaciated. This is why so many females die young.

If she gave birth one time too many in a tank full of other guppies, there is a good chance she'd been swarmed on during the birthing process and gotten beaten up pretty badly (I won't go into the gory details of what I've seen before) but it is very, very tough on the females when this happens and the wounds are not always apparent at first.

Keep up the PWC and feed the tank a good variety of high quality foods. If you only have guppies in the tank, salt might help. Guppies are very salt tolerant, so it certainly will not hurt them. A teaspoon for every 10 gals. is very safe.

I went through this same scenario many times with females from the LFS.

I hope she makes it and everything is fine.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Thank you for your reply. I had checked on her last night and she just looked the worst she's ever looked. Scared me a bit. After I calmed myself down (lol) I reasoned there is not really much I can do but watch and see. Thank you for chimming in with a voice of reasoning; I've never had guppies before and know little about them (My 8 year old picked them out!). Will give the salt a go.

 

[mudraker]

Let us know how she does.

It's such a common problem, I'm surprised it doesn't come up here more often.

But then, usually people who post about guppy problems have multiple problems with the tank itself which has to be resolved before every fish meets it demise.

 

[Coleallensmom]

I wish I knew more of what to do. I have no idea what her previous tank mates were...when we bought them, they were the last three fish left in the tank. We've not had them long, but I suspect the other two females are pregnant, so the difference between their plump bodies and her tiny anorexic looking body is huge. She looks so sad. Added the salt this morning...so we shall see.

 

[mudraker]

Yeah, its all you can do. With only one male in the tank and two other females, she has a much better chance of making it. Usually when they are stressed like that, too much horndogging by males will push them over the edge.

It sounds like you are doing just about everything you can for her.

 

[Coleallensmom]

She passed yesterday. On a good note, the other two females seem just fine..as plump and happy as ever. Is there a sure fire way to tell when a female guppy is going to have babies or is it just a wait-and-see sort of thing? All of my current fish are egg layers, so have little experience live-bearers.

 

[mudraker]

Well, they usually go from being really rolly polly to kind of boxy looking before they give birth. They will also usually give birth within a week or so of getting the squarish look aound the abdomen.

Note I said usually. They can be maddeningly unpredictable. But they are a lot of fun, and its great for kids to be able to see the lifecycle.

I think guppies are a great way to introduce a youngster to the birthing process.

Its bloodless and you don't neccisarily have to get into awkward anatomy lessons they may not be ready for.

 

[Coleallensmom]

I will keep a watch..I am pretty much flying by the seat of my pants (clueless). lol It will be fun for me even as an adult to see the girls give birth to fry. Growing up I had all sorts of animals/babies but I've never watched the process with fish before.

Pics of the females-

Female 1

2

Comparison (one is much fuller in the belly than the other)-

And the male, just for fun-

 

[mudraker]

Wow, they have some nice color to them!

Are you going to use a nursery in the tank, or just wing it and let them give birth in the tank?

 

[Coleallensmom]

We had a fish tank when I was young but I was young enough not to remember anything about it. My Dad was over this week and saw my son's tank for the first time (my son had to show his "babies" off) and my Dad commented on the same thing. He didn't think the female guppies should be quite so pretty. lol

I bought a plastic floating breeder so that I would be prepared if the need arises to seperate fish, but I like the idea of letting nature take it's course.

 

[mudraker]

I'd recommend using it if you think they are close to giving birth.

I only say this because if she doesn't hide herself well, sometimes the other fish will swarm onto a female when she is birthing. If they go into a feeding frenzy on the fry, they will begin nipping on her too.

Fish eating the fry is one thing, but the female will usually die within a week or so if this happens.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Wow! Thanks for the warning. One would hope with having only two other fish in the tank, that everything would ok, but I guess you can't really predict what will happen. I would think it would be stressful for them to be confined before their time.. However never having witnessed the whole progress before, I'm not really sure how to recognize the signs of impending fry. I will keep a very close eye on them.

My son would not be a happy camper is he lost when of his "girls".

 

[mudraker]

Their tummies will get boxy looking rather than round before they birth, but how long it will take is totally unpredictible.

So is the reaction of the other fish. Sometimes everyone, even the fry, live happily ever after, sometimes the opposite.

I just thought I'd let you know.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Thank you for all the help..I appreciate it! I'll keep you updated

 

[Coleallensmom]

Their tummies will get boxy looking rather than round before they birth, but how long it will take is totally unpredictible.

Checked on the girls first thing this afternoon and the gravid spot on one of the females has gone from the orange color in the photos to a dark coffee brown color.