Help, my guppies all die this way. WHY??

[amyb_70]

Please help me out here, i am a newbie here and only had my tank since May. For the most part all the fish i have gotten are good, with a death here or there but my guppies are another story. I have lost about 5 the same way, WHY? what am i doing wrong here.. I just had to put one to sleep (thankfully i learned on here how, so he didnt suffer long). Anyways they are fine and then Bang they start to act almost high, they get dopey acting, bump into the glass, then they 'get stuck' (lack of better words) to the filter, they flop around, get startled and swim off like crazy only to sink to the bottom they hit the gravel do a couple flips and back up and swimming. They will do this up to a couple hours but the end result is always the same - death. I am getting tired of my guppies dying and my 6 yr old doesnt need to see fish dying off after a week, especially like that... am i doing something wrong?? i had my water tested and it was great a touch hard but everything else was right on..

 

[amyb_70]

photo

here is a couple shots of what was happening with him

 

[Fishfur]

Where are the guppies from ? They are, sadly, inbred to a great degree and bred in astronomical numbers, so problems are common. You may have fish from one spawn that are genetically inferior or damaged. Some fish are shipped with parasites or other problems too. I doubt it is anything you did.

Maybe you might try one of themsmall rasbora species instead. Much hardier, healthier. Harlequins, especially the purple or lambchop version, or glow light danios, would be nice. If you are determined to have guppies, wait for a new shipment, or try to buy some from a local hobbyist rather than a store.

 

[amyb_70]

thank you for your reply fishfur, i have gotten my guppies from 4 different stores and have all died this way. i am not stuck on my guppies breeding. i give up on them all together, when these die i will not replace w/ another guppy. . i just thought how everyone says how easy it is to breed them it would be a great start and see where it took me.. but i did realize after a couple days my ghost shrimp is carrying eggs.. this was not planned or a wanted pregnancy but i will still do my best to keep them alive.. kind of funny, i thought she was constipated at first.. LOL.. now i can see the little eggs moving around her belly when she moves.

 

[Gibberwatt]

Just a thought, it might be an issue with the guppies air bladder. My neon tetras had that issue, and they were fine - I put them in personal confinement, salted the water, dosed it with a all purpose fixer, and let it sit for a few days. For your aquarium, I would try emptying it (if possible) and giving it a super dose of salt and fixer. If not possible, I have no idea what you can do.

 

[amyb_70]

well in 2 days I have lost 2 more guppies the same way. I give up on guppies. I suppose we are not compatable. no other fish are having problems, knock on wood. Gibberwatt, thats a great idea except when this starts to happen death is within a half hour most. i learned on here how to put them to sleep so i did that with the last instead of watching him suffer... anyone feel free to jump in, i was really hoping to breed these pretty fish.

 

[guttedsquid]

I have had my tank set up since January with guppies as the majority of my population with few troubles. When i did have death, it started with females after giving birth. By isolating the ones acting strange and treating them with maracyn, i was able to prevent further loss. The only other time i lost fish was after a dangerous drop in ph overnight, and even with a ph of 6.2, only two guppies died. I would like to know your water parameters, maintenance schedule, feeding habits, ect.

 

[guppygourami]

well in 2 days I have lost 2 more guppies the same way. I give up on guppies. I suppose we are not compatable. no other fish are having problems, knock on wood. Gibberwatt, thats a great idea except when this starts to happen death is within a half hour most. i learned on here how to put them to sleep so i did that with the last instead of watching him suffer... anyone feel free to jump in, i was really hoping to breed these pretty fish.

I lost four guppies in three days, I understand how it feels. Some guppies are weak, others are very lively and strong. I had a guppy that lasted a very long time. We got him almost full grown in March 2013 and he only recently died in June 2014. He would've lived even longer of the other guppies were not so aggressive. I was heartbroken when he died. One day, you'll get good guppies who'll live long years but other days you'll get weak ones who don't last. It's not even your fault most of the time either, just keep faith


Namirah?Canadian, Eh??

 

[guppygourami]

How did you put them to sleep?


Namirah?Canadian, Eh??

 

[amyb_70]

I followed what I read here got a cup filled it with ice and just enough cold water to make sure he stayed wet and didn't stick to the net. I pulled him out of the tank with my net and placed in iced water immediately. I literally had cup ready. And as soon as he touched that he was gone. I feel I did right. He was slowly dying in the tank and he was at peace right after I took him out. Note if I had any question that he might not die I wouldn't have done that. But it was the same as what I've already seen at least 5 times. It was hard and I was nervous but honestly felt better after.


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[bloodlucky]

If you're a newbie you probably don't know about some rather advanced preparations you need for fish which is completely normal. Fish need food and new water, but those are probably the most basic elements of fish keeping. Factors like tank size, water quality (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) temperature, acidity, tank mates, and sickness all contribute to why your fish may be acting strange. Unfortunately by looking at your photos he looks to be in that stage of "no return" for fish, unless he has swim bladder disease, which is very curable. But first things first. Can you provide information regarding how large your tank is, maybe your water quality if you can? On the contrary your tank looks a to be the smaller ones, and I never needed to cycle tanks under 5 gal for keeping guppies from my experience. IMO desktop aquariums are too small to really "cycle"


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[bloodlucky]

Also fish have this point of "no return" as I say, basically when they're doing flips, eyes buggin out and look bent, it's pretty much over. Symptoms like bottom sitting and sluggish swimming usually relate back to water problems which are completely fixable. Don't give up yet my friend!


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[guppygourami]

I followed what I read here got a cup filled it with ice and just enough cold water to make sure he stayed wet and didn't stick to the net. I pulled him out of the tank with my net and placed in iced water immediately. I literally had cup ready. And as soon as he touched that he was gone. I feel I did right. He was slowly dying in the tank and he was at peace right after I took him out. Note if I had any question that he might not die I wouldn't have done that. But it was the same as what I've already seen at least 5 times. It was hard and I was nervous but honestly felt better after.


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Oh I'm sorry to hear that but I know the need to put down dying fish.


Namirah?Canadian, Eh??

 

[amyb_70]

I tested my water, I don't recall the numbers, but everything was right where it should be. Other fish have not died this way just my guppy friends. Oh tank is a 20 gal long they live with differant tetras. I am pretty sure it wasn't a space matter.


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[amyb_70]

the water has been tested and all in normal range. i dont recall numbers but all perfect.. i dont even want to touch the water for fear it may change.. i have done great its been 3 days and no guppies have died... i know i said i give up on them but i am tossing around the idea of ordering Endlers.. what do you all think??? i would have to order online i have called the local stores and they dont have any... should i go for it? should i wait.. opinions and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

 

[MICEY]

bring a sample of your water to a lfs and have them test it
guppies need completely different water conditions than tetras , tetras like acid water guppies and most live bearers like more neckline, most come from brackish water
what kind of filter do you have , air stone , what are the water temps
do you treat your water when you do water changes , do you do the weekly
is your food fresh , old food will get your fish sick some fish are more sensitive than others , are you over feeding them ?

 

[Fishfur]

Fwiw,I think Endlers are a better bet. Personally have had very good success with them, as have a number of others I know who also have them.

 

[amyb_70]

i brought my water to my lfs and tested perfect. was hard before but got that straightened out.. very interesting about guppies and tetras not being together as i have been advise and read they make great tank mates. my tank is small but the largest i can get its a 20 gallon long tank. i do not over crowd w/ ornaments and plants. i just got my first 2 plants java moss and anachris, also have banana plant. i must also add today when i was watching my fish i found a bully... he was chasing after allot of the fish with nice flowing fins. i am now wondering if this is my culprit. I did move the fish to another tank.

 

[amyb_70]

i think i found the culprit... A bully... is this possible?

 

[Fishfur]

Bullies can be a problem, it is one reason why it's usually helpful to have reasonably balanced groups of fish in many instances rather than singles or pairs. For most live bearers, 3 females to a male is pretty good. Too many males can lead to either females being constantly harassed to mate, or bullying in general.
Some fish just naturally are pushy, some are not, as with most animals, they all have their quirks. Sometimes it can be best to trade a bully in for another fish, if that's possible. Some stores allow it, some don't. You won't ever get retail for a trade in, but you should get something, if not a straight trade for a similar fish.