Vengified
Fish Fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2018
- Messages
- 197
- Reaction score
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So, I have several questions/concerns, and also a few pics I would like some opinions/information on, so please livebear with me, on my livebearer inquiries! Sorry it's rather long winded.
Also, before anyone asks, I do know the nitrogen cycle, my tank is fully cycled, ph 8.0, hardness 300, always 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and nitrate fluctuates between 10-40, high levels most likely due to my son sneaking extra meals to his pals. It's a 20 gallon high, 4 male guppy, 8 female guppy, 3 otocinclus, and several RCS who have berries many times, and two ghost shrimp, one ghost actually just berried too! Tanks been up for 4 months, sort of, started a 2.5gallon with two guppies, upgraded to a 10gallon within a week (thanks to members on this site helping me to learn), then son learned on 10 gallon, cracked it, and got a 20 gallon high at petco dollar sale, the 20 gallon has been up for 10 weeks now. Aquaclear 50 I think it is, the 20-50 gallon one, as well as an undergravel filter with maxi-jet 600 powerhead. Have a sponge prefilter on the Aquaclear.
So, on to the meaty bits. I just had one of my female guppies drop some fry. Not 100% positive which of the 8 females dropped, but I have it narrowed to 2, and it's most likely the one which I've had 34 days, as the one I've had 30 is still ENORMOUS, and being pestered by all the boys. I have a few large bunches of hornwort, some floating plants, driftwood, a java fern, homemade pvc hideout, and various other decorations (pics of tank at bottom), to give the fry a chance. I didnt witness the birth, just noticed a couple dozen fry floating in the hornwort. My main question is, what is the best way to go about a water change? Today is my normal water change/vac day, but I fear by lowering the tank level, the fry may get stuck above water and suffocate, or scatter and be eaten, (although my fish are way overfed thanks to a 4 year old son). So, I need to get some of the leftover food off the gravel, how should I go about this? Any tips?
I will add, I do not intend to move the fry at all. I'm not heartless, and feel for them, but I am sure I have given them as much a chance, as they would have in nature, and dont have space for multiple tanks. I do have a few places to send the fry once they grow past an inch, but until that time, I dont wanna kill off everyone in an overcrowded tank. I do have two other tanks, if it is ABSOLUTELY necessary, and have filter floss seeded to use in them, but would prefer not to use the limited space I have for more tanks. So, the fry will live and grow, with the adult guppies, 3 otos, and who knows how many shrimp.
I have read through the sticky posts as well about livebearers, and will go get some fry food tomorrow, and crushed up some super fin flakes for them already. But any other tips on how to care for them, while leaving them in the tank, and performing normal maintenance, would be great! Also note, the adults have a pretty varied diet, of tetra flakes, tetra color crisps, omega one pellets, algae seaweed (cant remember brand), frozen "emerald entree" cubes, as well as fresh blanched spinach and kale. I also supplement the shrimp and otos foraging with hikari algae wafers and hikari crab cuisine pellets. All three otos are thriving, as well as shrimp, and have been told both are MUCH more sensitive than guppies. I have lost a few guppies, one probably to the stress of being in tank cycling, one to being picked on I think, and two for completely unknown reasons. But all in there now are doing well, and seem happy.
On top of being a new frydaddy, and having questions about that, I have a female I picked up last week, and she is the strangest female I've ever seen, (mind you, I'm still a total newb with fishkeeping and guppies in particular), and thought maybe someone had thoughts or information about if she is a particular type or breed of guppy? Pics below.
Lastly, I wanted to put pics of my tank up, now that it is MOSTLY finished. There is some floating wisteria, or sprite, cant remember which, as well as some bigger leafed plant, that has some red leaves, which I have no idea what it is. Point is, they are floating in the foreground, and I had planned on sticking them to the suspended driftwood, but fear disturbing the fry, or smashing them on accident. But kind of wanted to show off how I suspended driftwood from the top of the aquarium, as well as adding 12 feet of LED strip lights to the already existing t8 fluorescent. The led lights are mounted to the lid that you flip open to feed the fish, and with the floating plants, they aren't projecting a lot right now, but they definitely make a noticeable difference.
Anyways, thanks for stopping by especially if @Colin_T and @seangee make it by, appreciate all the help, tips, opinions, information, and anything else you got for me! I'll label the pics below if it will let me:
SIDE VIEW SUSPENDED DRIFTWOOD
FRONT VIEW NO LED
FRONT VIEW WITH LED
FRONT VIEW WITH BLUE LED
FRONT VIEW WITH RED LED
UNIQUE FEMALE?
NEWBORN FRY
Also, before anyone asks, I do know the nitrogen cycle, my tank is fully cycled, ph 8.0, hardness 300, always 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and nitrate fluctuates between 10-40, high levels most likely due to my son sneaking extra meals to his pals. It's a 20 gallon high, 4 male guppy, 8 female guppy, 3 otocinclus, and several RCS who have berries many times, and two ghost shrimp, one ghost actually just berried too! Tanks been up for 4 months, sort of, started a 2.5gallon with two guppies, upgraded to a 10gallon within a week (thanks to members on this site helping me to learn), then son learned on 10 gallon, cracked it, and got a 20 gallon high at petco dollar sale, the 20 gallon has been up for 10 weeks now. Aquaclear 50 I think it is, the 20-50 gallon one, as well as an undergravel filter with maxi-jet 600 powerhead. Have a sponge prefilter on the Aquaclear.
So, on to the meaty bits. I just had one of my female guppies drop some fry. Not 100% positive which of the 8 females dropped, but I have it narrowed to 2, and it's most likely the one which I've had 34 days, as the one I've had 30 is still ENORMOUS, and being pestered by all the boys. I have a few large bunches of hornwort, some floating plants, driftwood, a java fern, homemade pvc hideout, and various other decorations (pics of tank at bottom), to give the fry a chance. I didnt witness the birth, just noticed a couple dozen fry floating in the hornwort. My main question is, what is the best way to go about a water change? Today is my normal water change/vac day, but I fear by lowering the tank level, the fry may get stuck above water and suffocate, or scatter and be eaten, (although my fish are way overfed thanks to a 4 year old son). So, I need to get some of the leftover food off the gravel, how should I go about this? Any tips?
I will add, I do not intend to move the fry at all. I'm not heartless, and feel for them, but I am sure I have given them as much a chance, as they would have in nature, and dont have space for multiple tanks. I do have a few places to send the fry once they grow past an inch, but until that time, I dont wanna kill off everyone in an overcrowded tank. I do have two other tanks, if it is ABSOLUTELY necessary, and have filter floss seeded to use in them, but would prefer not to use the limited space I have for more tanks. So, the fry will live and grow, with the adult guppies, 3 otos, and who knows how many shrimp.
I have read through the sticky posts as well about livebearers, and will go get some fry food tomorrow, and crushed up some super fin flakes for them already. But any other tips on how to care for them, while leaving them in the tank, and performing normal maintenance, would be great! Also note, the adults have a pretty varied diet, of tetra flakes, tetra color crisps, omega one pellets, algae seaweed (cant remember brand), frozen "emerald entree" cubes, as well as fresh blanched spinach and kale. I also supplement the shrimp and otos foraging with hikari algae wafers and hikari crab cuisine pellets. All three otos are thriving, as well as shrimp, and have been told both are MUCH more sensitive than guppies. I have lost a few guppies, one probably to the stress of being in tank cycling, one to being picked on I think, and two for completely unknown reasons. But all in there now are doing well, and seem happy.
On top of being a new frydaddy, and having questions about that, I have a female I picked up last week, and she is the strangest female I've ever seen, (mind you, I'm still a total newb with fishkeeping and guppies in particular), and thought maybe someone had thoughts or information about if she is a particular type or breed of guppy? Pics below.
Lastly, I wanted to put pics of my tank up, now that it is MOSTLY finished. There is some floating wisteria, or sprite, cant remember which, as well as some bigger leafed plant, that has some red leaves, which I have no idea what it is. Point is, they are floating in the foreground, and I had planned on sticking them to the suspended driftwood, but fear disturbing the fry, or smashing them on accident. But kind of wanted to show off how I suspended driftwood from the top of the aquarium, as well as adding 12 feet of LED strip lights to the already existing t8 fluorescent. The led lights are mounted to the lid that you flip open to feed the fish, and with the floating plants, they aren't projecting a lot right now, but they definitely make a noticeable difference.
Anyways, thanks for stopping by especially if @Colin_T and @seangee make it by, appreciate all the help, tips, opinions, information, and anything else you got for me! I'll label the pics below if it will let me:
SIDE VIEW SUSPENDED DRIFTWOOD
FRONT VIEW NO LED
FRONT VIEW WITH LED
FRONT VIEW WITH BLUE LED
FRONT VIEW WITH RED LED
UNIQUE FEMALE?
NEWBORN FRY