Missing Guppy??

[MN_Aquarist]

So I just made a run to Petsmart yesterday to get two female and one male guppy. Last night when I shut the lights off all fish were accounted for and swimming aggressively.

This morning one of the females went missing. Literally It's been 6 hours since last accounting for them all. Now one is gone and nowhere to be found. Checked under the filter, in the filter, in the pump tube, behind the tank, under the substrate and structure, IN the driftwood, and every other conceivable place I could imagine. No signs of distress, and water params are all at 0ppm with no noticeable spikes. Tank has been established for well over a year, and I'm stocking two male white skirt tetras, two snails, and the other two guppies.

Just checked the tank again and now I can't find one of the snails I just bought

The tank is full to the top as it should be.

I'm really stumped here, because we have had everything besides just the tetra either go missing without a trace or end up dying mysteriously without explanation. I'm beginning to call this tank the twilight zone because I cannot find an explanation to any of the cases.

As it stands right now, I've managed to lose a snail and a female guppy over the course of a 6 hour night. Do I need to post armed guard at my tanks?? What gives?

 

[Delapool]

They just vanish unfortunately.

Underground filters were great because you could always hope.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

I think I'm still suffering from new tank syndrome. I've only been back in the aquarium world for about a year. Based on what I've been reading, small fish like guppies and tetra are supposed to be bought in bulk because they do tend to go missing. I guess the big culprit is they die and get eaten. I've read that this can happen very fast.

I'm also going to start ordering my fish online, as petsmart seems to have an average mortality rate of 30%

I'm guessing my snails are around but hidden. The other one went awol all day yesterday but I found him this morning cruising the crusty underside of the full hood getting all the yummy buildup My driftwood has holes drilled into each end to allow water to the roots of the plant that's in it. My guess is that's where the other snail is holed up.

I have two other tanks that have started their cycle but are being stubborn in finishing it. Nitrites are hanging high, and ammonia has stopped going down. Maybe another week? Should I use ammo-lock or will that screw with the cycle?

 

[CrimsonBlayde]

Are the drilled holes in your driftwood large enough the missing fish could have gotten in there? Maybe they got stuck in there?

 

[Delapool]

The ammo-lock will only slow down the cycle as my understanding is any ammonia is converted to ammonium. Which can still be used but at a slower rate. Is it a fishless or fish-in cycle? Are you doing water changes with town tap water?

Have you checked the ph?

I have had dead fish go over night so certainly possible.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

The driftwood has holes in it for fish to get into, but big enough that they can also get back out. I saw guppies swimming through the log at petco before I bought it a few months back.

I'm doing a fishless cycle on the other tanks. I did a couple water changes but then stopped because I didn't want to slow down the bacterial growth.

I use treated tap water which is on the city system. I treat it for chlorine/chloramine and heavy metals before I add it to the tank.

PH is stable at around 7.8 with a KH of 8 degrees.

I have never had 100% survival on corporate fish. I talked to the staff at petsmart and he didn't know how to tell the difference between a male or female guppy. That's one of the most commonly sold community fish for aquariums worldwide and this guy did not know how to tell the difference. Then he put 3 fish in a tiny bag when I asked him to give them each their own. No wonder why I have so many fish die during transit. Good thing they have a return policy.

Speaking of that, where is a good place to buy guppies online?

 

[Delapool]

I'm not sure on online shops. The distance here is too great for me to have considered it.

Ph sounds good, give it another week.

That's bad on the guppies Most people here in the lfs I go to keep fish so always willing to have a chat.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

The problem is our LFS shut down thanks to that blue plague called walmart. Seems like the little guys are being shut down left and right.

 

[Delapool]

Sounds bad, in the last few years I've seen more shops open but we're still a pretty small market. Kind of good and bad.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

Well this morning I got up to find both guppies dead from fin rot. Water params are perfect and temp is stable at 80 degrees. The tetras have been living in that tank problem free all year. I don't see why my petsmart guppies keep dying! I observe them for at least a couple days before buying, and they all seem healthy at the store. Get them home, drip acclimate them, and within a few days they're dead, only showing symptoms the last 24 hours or so.

What gives?? Are these fish sick from the start? I don't even know where there is a reliable source anymore. I thought guppies were supposed to be "hardy" The only thing I've seen is sick and dying guppies. The Walmart tetras are still hanging in there though. Bizarre.

 

[Brookster123]

What size tank? How old is the tank?? Fin rot and perfect water do not go together.. Fin Rot is usually a result of poor water quality.. Fin nipping would be a more likely candidate in a well maintained tank.. What fish are in the tank??

 

[Delapool]

My own experience has been that live bearers aren't all that hardy. I assume it is just my tank. Tetras I've found are hardy once they get established and settled in the tank. Just what I've found to date.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

If it's my water then why don't the Tetra's have fin rot?

Like I said before, The tank has been established for over a year with the Tetras. It is a 10 gallon tank.

I keep the original two white skirt tetras, and there were 3 feeder guppies, 2 female and 1 male that I added last week. All fish were observed to be doing fine at the store before I bought them. One of the females went missing within the first day and i was unable to recover her, I'm presuming one of my snails got her after she died. Then the other two went last night. I noticed fin rot like it had set in within 24 hours or something. How a fish can go from seemingly fine to dead like that without the original fish being affected is beyond me

Perhaps the water or stock quality at Petsmart isn't as good as they advertise?

I've read that Tetra's and Guppies are both community fish and should get along fine. I know I'm not overstocking because my ammonia never spikes, and my Nitrates stay below 10ppm.

I have a Whisper 20-40 pump that I have turned down to 25% power. It's a little overkill for a 10, but the person I bought it from mistook it for being a 30 gallon somehow. How someone can mistake a 10 for a 30 is also beyond me.

I know I should have a 100, a 50, a couple 30's, and like three 10 gallon tanks for a proper setup. But if I go that route I might as well setup a lab complete with microscopes so I can diagnose my own diseases as well.... I live in an 800 square foot apartment, so a couple 10's and a 5 is all I can manage right now. It's just annoying when I've crossed every T, dotted every I, and I still have a high mortality rate among pet store guppies. Petco and walmart are equal to Petsmart in their guppy mortality rate it seems.

I don't know what other information you require, but it seems like this issue is getting the same answers from all the forums. The problem is I'm not having any of the problems mentioned yet fish still keep dying.

Maybe I need to purchase a good initial stock from a reputable breeder?

Maybe fishkeeping is a hobby that's turning out to be more headache and expense than it's worth? I'm kind of at odds here. I don't like continuously flushing money down the drain with dead stock.

 

[jglover]

Take them back to Petsmart. They will honor their 14 day guarantee provided you bring back the dead ones.

 

[Delapool]

Sometimes I've found that fish that should do well just don't for some reason. Poor stock, differing TDS, etc, etc - who knows. Something in the water that they don't like is possible.

I would try a larger school if you can and if it doesn't work, move to a different fish type. I'm not seeing much in your water specs as a cause.

I do wonder if they were getting nipped - maybe try that armed guard just in case!

 

[keegster803]

I breed guppies, and have some extras if you want some guppies. And if you want guppies from stores like pets mart, I just buy a pregnant one that looks like its a bout ready, so I get babies, and then I hand raise them.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[mPhish]

Guppies aren't nearly as hardy anymore because of breeding to get traits without worrying about health. Also, your female guppy might be stuck in the filter, I'd check. The petsmart guppies most likely got sick from other fish at the store, I think a column of tanks share a filter + water (at least at my petsmart). Hope I helped.