Guppies Died In Fluval Edge 12 Gallon, A Bit Puzzled

[Mrrippey]

Hey all,

I finished my cycling of my 12 gallon Edge and started small with three guppies. There are two plants and a moss ball in there too. About a week later I added two more guppies and a catfish (from another place)

About a week into having all six fish, one of my original guppies died. A couple of days later, another original guppy and the catfish died.

Checking the water, everything is at 0 ppm (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), ph is 7.6, temp is 78 degrees.

Guppies for some reason seem to hand out near the hole where the water comes in (oxygen deprived)? I feed them a pinch twice a day and they eat that super quick (the catfish usually hung out at the bottom). Don't know if I have to feed them more (at each serving).

I'm pretty puzzled but I am going to get another 3 guppies and a couple of shrimp to clean algea.

Any thoughs? Should I add a small air stone for aeration?

Rippey

 

[Paradise3]

How long did you cycle the tank for?
What catfish was it?
What food are you feeding them?
How much is "a pinch"?
What gender are your guppies?
This last question is more because female guppies can give birth to 100 babies every month and ideally you need 3 female per male. In your size tank, it was very easily become overstocked with babies.
 
I wouldn't get any more fish till you know what caused the last ones to die as you'd most likely end up with the same situation at this point in time. Once you figure out what killed the others and sort it out, then you can add some more fish.

 

[Mrrippey]

Cycled the tank for a little more than two weeks. I made sure that the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph were all ok before I added fish. I waited a few days and checked water (added ammonia, checked consumption, etc). Water seems aok

Guppies are all male (fancy guppies). Catfish I don't recall but it hid a lot, maybe it died of loneliness. I think it was recommended to have three or more of them. I learned after the fact.

A pinch is literally how much I can pinch between my index finger and thumb. When I feed them, they go nuts, eat it like piranha do it seems. The remaining guppies swim all over but when they are up top they stay near the water fall of the filter. I feed and they chase the food and go at it.

Rippey

 

[ncguppy830]

well did your guppies show signs of disease?

 

[Paradise3]

Cycled the tank for a little more than two weeks. I made sure that the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph were all ok before I added fish. I waited a few days and checked water (added ammonia, checked consumption, etc). Water seems aok

Guppies are all male (fancy guppies). Catfish I don't recall but it hid a lot, maybe it died of loneliness. I think it was recommended to have three or more of them. I learned after the fact.

A pinch is literally how much I can pinch between my index finger and thumb. When I feed them, they go nuts, eat it like piranha do it seems. The remaining guppies swim all over but when they are up top they stay near the water fall of the filter. I feed and they chase the food and go at it.

Rippey

 
Hmm... The tank isn't cycled... Tanks take a few months to cycle and you need to add ammonia to mature the filter

 
The catfish was most likely too big for the tank unfortunately which will have stressed it out and could have killed it.
 
A pinch sounds good but I'd only feed once in a morning or evening. Like I do with mine and you have less fish than me.

 

[Mrrippey]

It looks like I figured out what killed my fish........
 
SUFFOCATION......
 
I took my water to the Petco where they tested it and said everything tested ok.  I then purchased 5 Ghost shrimp and another two guppies.  I got another plant as well.
 
Acclimated the fish and just to make sure, I did a 25% water change.  After I did all of this I added the new fish into the tank. I filled the water all they way up to the neck.  With the filter on high flow, I really didnt get much of a ripple nor bubbles.
 
Two days later, I see two guppies dead and one shrimp dead.  The telling thing however is that one of the guppies was on his last breath and it seemed like he was gasping for air (the other two specimen were done).  The other shrimp were MIA, I couldnt find them.  The other guppies hung out at the opening of the Edge.
 
I have no airstone as I did not think I needed one.  I then took aout about 1.5 gallons of water so I have about 1/4 inch of surface space.  I feed them and patienctly watched.
 
It now seems that the guppies are having loads of fun.  They are swimming all over the tank chasing each other.  I saw a couple of shrimp fighting it looked like and now it seems like everyone is having a bit of fun.
 
I am sure my tank (12 gallon version) can handle more than 4 guppies and 4 shrimp but I am not going to add anything else for about a month.  
 
I am not sure if I added an airstone and filled to the top (how it is supposed to be) will be the same (for some reason I do not think so) so the main reason I got the Edge is not 100% what I wanted but I am still very happy with it.
 
Does anyone have an air stone in their Edge and have you stocked it more than 4 fish (I know the shrimp have little bio load so I dont count them as for more like 1-2)?
 
Rippey

 

[daizeUK]

Gasping at the surface is a sign of ammonia poisoning.  As Paradise said, you can't cycle a tank in 2 weeks (without mature media or a decent bacterial starter).

 

[Paradise3]

Gasping at the surface is a sign of ammonia poisoning.  As Paradise said, you can't cycle a tank in 2 weeks (without mature media or a decent bacterial starter).

 
Yup, gasping is a sign of Ammonia poisoning. Did the shop tell you what the exact parameters were? I'd suggest getting your own test kit(Preferably the Nutrafin Master Test Kit) and doing your own tests as you are in the middle of a Fish-In Cycle now.

 

[Mrrippey]

The shop didn't tell me the parameters but I have a liquid test at home. The last couple of times, my ammonia was zero, nitrite was zero and nitrate was very low, like 10ppm.

I can check again tonight to see the latest reading.

Rippey

 

[Mrrippey]

I just checked the water using the API Master Test Kit and for Ammonia it was yellow, 0 ppm.  Currently I have four guppies, four ghost shrimp, a snail and a loach of some kind.  The latter two were attached to the driftwood I purchased the other day, I didnt know either was there.  Everything seems peaceful in the tank (although I have lowered the water about 1/2 as I mentioned before).
 
I am not intending on adding any more fish for a month or so and I will continue to do 20% water changes weekly.
 
Rippey

 

[Mrrippey]

I feel like Daria from "Finding Nemo"

 
Since I last checked in, all but one guppy, the loach and three shrimp have died.  The death tally stands at 7 guppies and two shrimp.
 
I keep testing the water and everything is coming up zero.  Now that I already have fish, I guess I have to continue with a Fish In cycle but now I am totally defeated.
 
Right now I do not know what to do....I do not want to be the fish killer....
 
HELP PLEASE!!!
 
Rippey