Guppies having a fit!

[Gloria]

Hi,

I am in need of urgent help. My fish keep dying, i've already had 2 guppies die since the weekend.

The remaining 3 guppies are swimming very fast, vertically up and down the tank. I cannot understand what is wrong with them?

2 of the guppies have already died and 1 of the remaining ones has half of it's tail missing! Yet its with guppies that I bought with it and 1 tetra that doesn't get aggresive with any of them. But it could have been sucked in the pump... i don't know.

The most significant thing is that they're all swimming upwards and flinging themselves vertically up and down. Are they lacking oxygen? All the levels are fine they are as follows:

pH 8.5 - 9 (i realise this is slightly higher but this shouldn't be a problem)
Nitrate 12.5 mg/l
Nitrite 0.0 mg/l
Ammonia 0.0 - 0.1 mg/l

If anyone can help whatsoever I would be really really grateful. I don't like seeing them die when I'm doing all that I think is right.

Do ornaments, gravel, plants any other things cause problems in fish like the ones ive identified???

Thanks
G

 

[sandyd]

G,
Sorry to hear about your problem, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about your tank. Have you added anything new lately? What temp is your tank at? What type of filter are you using and when was the last time you changed its cartridge? When was the last time you did a water change and how much? Was the water treated? What size tank are we talking about. Sorry for all of the questions, but if your water peramiters are all fine, there must be another cause.
Sandy

 

[Gloria]

Hi Sandy,

Have you added anything new lately?
Only 1 plant and they had new gravel (much washed) about 4 weeks ago.

What temp is your tank at?
23 degrees

What type of filter are you using and when was the last time you changed its cartridge?
The tank has a filter which doesn't have a cartridge. Its a 20 gallon tank with 2 smaller filters but I got it from a friend who'd had it for 6 years previously without problems. She had the 2 filters because 1 is only just enough for that sized tank.

When was the last time you did a water change and how much?
I do 10-15% per week water change with a bigger one every 6 weeks at 50%.

Was the water treated?
I never treat the water before I add it, but my friend who had the tank 6 years never did either. Is the pH something to worry about you think?

What size tank are we talking about.
It's 20 gallons.

I hope this helps as I'm at my wits end! I don't want to give up the fish but I can't handle them dying when I'm doing all I can for them. Also I got home and 1 fish had part of it's fin missing and can't swim properly? Does the vertical swimming sound familiar? I've searched the forums but can't find anything?

Thanks
G

 

[sandyd]

It sounds like there is something, but i am not positive as to what it could be. I could be many things. You said one of them has part of its fin missing, are there any other signs of illness, like red gills, being skinny? Take a good look at them and let us know.
Sandy

 

[Gloria]

Yes one of them has red gills and one of the dead ones I remember had red gills. Well it was red in the bit under his chin when he breathes.

I've checked them thoroughly and I don't see anything else. No raised scales, no white spots, nothing else out of the ordinary. I think the fin missing thing was an accident or was bitten or something because it's happened overnight. Its not rot.

What's the red gill thing? Sounds very familiar now that I think of it, I had a neon that had red gills when it died.

Thanks
G

 

[Gloria]

Sandy,

1 other thing to mention is that I had an Egeria Densa plant which died very quickly in my tank, but i've got a Vallisneria plant which has lived throughout. But I bought a plant which i don't know the name of but it's like a bottle brush, very much like the Egeria Densa plant and it's already starting to die from the bottom up. It's going yellowy brown already.

Why could this happen? The plants are sold to me in little tiny pots which I dig into the gravel??

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks
G

 

[colin5861]

Egeria densa grows like a weed in my tank so you have something way wrong there. Sorry for all the questions but do you add a dechlorinator like aquasafe ? I know that sometimes the water board can up the chlorine and chloramines without notice.

Colin

 

[Sea_Monster87]

Don't know about the fish but the plant may be Camoba. I have some in my tank. If it is Camoba there is something wrong because it is a very hardy plant.

 

[snowyangel]

I had the same problem you had. I had guppies dying quickly too and showing signs of red gills. Now the ones i have swim up and down the tank also. I found out later it was my nitrite problem and they were lacking in oxygen. Before I new about this, the more often i did water the changes I noticed the longer they lived. I now have one guppy for, still going strong. But i know u said your levels are stable except for the pH, guppies prefer slightly acidic water to my understanding.
Here's a site on water guppies prefer.

http/www.guppies.com/PAGES/water.html

Good luck!

 

[phishphood]

Was the water treated?
I never treat the water before I add it, but my friend who had the tank 6 years never did either. Is the pH something to worry about you think?

You need to treat the water before you add it to get rid of chlorine and chloramines etc. these chemicals could be responsible for damaging your fishes gills, hence the redness