New Guppy Help

I have a 5.5L tank that I had two guppies in that were living quite happily for some time now. I decided to add two more guppies to my tank about a week ago because the original two were a little scrappy and I wanted to split their attention a bit. Sadly, one of the original two guppies died about a week after the addition of the new fish. Things didn't seem to change much but now one of the new fish is always hiding, and today he's begun laying around various places in the tank (on leaves, plants and rocks etc.) Currently he's laying on the bottom of the tank and he has been for half the day. He also hasn't eaten the past two days now.

I'm not sure what, if anything, is wrong with him, I've checked water parameters and changed the filter, I clean the tank every week, and I have been making sure the ammonia level doesn't get out of hand because not only did I add fish but one of them died. I'm at wits end trying to figure out what could be causing him to act this way other than just stress. I notice he seems a little bigger than the other two and think it could be dropsy, but I'm not sure. He was very timid the first few days in the new tank and hid regularly, but seemed to warm up a bit until a few days ago.

If anyone has any thoughts or insight I would be happy to hear it.

How many gallons is your tank? He may be stressed, or the newer guppies may have brought disease into your tank. Is the tank heated or filtered? @Colin_T knows a lot about fish diseases. While you wait for more help, some photos of the tank may be helpful. What were the water parameters? Do you use a test kit or test strips? Sorry for all the questions, but the more information we have, the more we are able to help you. I hope your little guy is alright!

Is the tank really 5.5 litres? Or 5.5 gallons?

What do you mean by "changed the filter"? Is it one with cartridges, and you changed the cartridges?

What are your water test results for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?

When you say you try not to let the ammonia get out of hand, what does that mean? You have been getting some ammonia readings?

Do you do water changes? How much and how often?

Sorry if the questions seem a little blunt! Just need to know those things to get a solid idea of what's happening, or to confirm what I think might be happening anyway

Before answering any of these questions though, please do an emergency water change on the tank, since the fish are showing signs of stress. Clean fresh water should help them in the meantime while we puzzle out what's going on. Change 75% of the total volume of the tank water, making sure the new water has been treated with a declorinator, and is temperature matched to the same temp as the tank before adding it. A big change in temp by adding cold water can shock fish and kill them.

I use test strips and the ammonia drop tester kit by API. The strips are also API for other water parameters.

My readings are somewhere between 0 and 20 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 7.0 ph, 80 carbonate hardness and and 100ish general hardness. I know the water where I live tends to be a little on the hard side.

The tank 5.5 gallons sorry lol ?

I did check and change the filter cartridges that's what I meant.

I was reading no ammonia for weeks but with the addition of new fish I was wary of having an ammonia spike, and because one died I did read a bit afterwards. I'm currently reading just a tiny tiny bit over 0.

I have been doing 25% water changes every week since I cycled the tank about 6 months ago.

I'll do an emergency water change right now as you recommended AdoraBelle! ?

I'm not sure exactly what I should show in pictures but I just took one of the general aquarium and also the inside filter and you can see the heater in the back

Didnt read other messgaes, note.
Your hardness is too low. It should be around 200 for guppies and i guess your ph is fine? Maybe try to raise? Also dont CHANGE the filter, just wash and reuse becuase it will cause potential mini cycle amd ammonia spike

any pictures showing the whole fish from the side under normal white light?

coloured lights really don't help when it comes to identifying health issues in fish or other animals.

He passed away in the night I kind of thought he would but it still sucks.

I still don't understand what happened here though. My water parameters seem fine, could it just be excessive bullying causing stress? My other two fish seem absolutely fine and so did my third until he suddenly passed in the night. No strange behaviours, no marks or fin damage, no redness.

The photo I had with the red light was one that I so happened to take earlier as he was laying in the gravel mostly. I can send a picture of what he looks like now, although it could be moot.

I've had the same issue with a female guppy it couldn't swim then it would lie on the substrate so I moved her to a hospis tank the next morning I woke up to a missing guppy. so I did a substrate vacuum never found her.

Don’t change your filter sponges or cartridges. Squeeze the gunk out and rinse It in the old tank water and return it to the filter. Do not clean it in fresh water either.

Defektd said:

I still don't understand what happened here though. My water parameters seem fine, could it just be excessive bullying causing stress? My other two fish seem absolutely fine and so did my third until he suddenly passed in the night. No strange behaviours, no marks or fin damage, no redness.

Click to expand...

It could have been stress, from having 4 guppies in a 5 gallon tank

The new guppies probably introduced a disease, which can continue to kill the fish in the tank if it is a disease and left untreated.
Any chance of pictures of the remaining fish so we can check them for disease?

Okay so after about a half hour of trying these are the best shots I could get. I understand some are a little blurry or dark, but I think I got some at least presentable ones you can glean something from. These guys are very active, and they spend a lot of time poking each other and running around.

the ones that aren't blurry appear to be fine. just monitor them and if any rub on objects or get clamped fins or paly patches on their bodies, post pics immediately.

Will do. Thank you for your help, hopefully nothing more comes of this.