Guppy at the Bottom of Tank

[AnimeGeek]

Hello, I have a female blue Fancy Guppy that has been staying at the bottom of the right side of the tank for most of the day. I understand that this is not normal behavior for a Guppy. She isn’t breathing heavily or have a bulged stomach. She does swim up to eat (like normal). And every now and then, she will swim a little bit elsewhere in the tank, but it bothers me that she’s not nearly as active as the others.
I have 3 other female Guppies (2 Fancy and one Leopard) that have yet to have any problems, and one male Guarami that seems pretty healthy as well. The Guarami doesn't bother my Guppies, he grew up with them. I also have a Loach and a Fiddler Crab that also haven’t seemed to have any problems. I’ve had these fish for about a year now, and my blue Guppy has been acting this way for a couple months, with no other behavioral changes aside from what I stated. Should I be worried, or do you think she will be ok?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Is your nitrate higher than normal? I have one single guppy that acts out of whack as soon as my nitrate goes up some.

 

[AnimeGeek]

Not sure, i’ll have to check. If it is, how do you suggest I treat it?

 

[AnimeGeek]

Is your nitrate higher than normal? I have one single guppy that acts out of whack as soon as my nitrate goes up some.

Not sure, i’ll have to check. If it is, how do you suggest I treat it?

 

[Colin_T]

You should check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH levels of the water.

You can buy test kits from the pet shop or take a glass full of tank water to the pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. If the shop says the water is fine, ask them what the results are in numbers.

The pH and GH can also be found on your water company's website or by telephoning them. The GH will be in ppm, dGH or something else. Make sure you find out what it is in because they have different meanings.

----------------------------
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?
What's the temperature of the tank water?

Did you add anything to the tank just before this problem started?

----------------------------
Any chance of a picture and short 20 second video of the fish?

If the pictures are too big for the website, set the camera's resolution to its lowest setting and take some more. The lower resolution will make the images smaller and they should fit on this website. Check the pictures on your pc and find a couple that are clear and show the problem, and post them here. Make sure you turn the camera's resolution back up after you have taken the pics otherwise all your pictures will be small.

If the video is too big for this website, post it on YouTube and copy & paste the link here. We can view it at YouTube. If you are using a mobile phone to take the video, have the phone horizontal so the video takes up the entire screen. If you have the phone vertical, you get video in the middle and black on either side.

 

[AnimeGeek]

You should check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH levels of the water.

You can buy test kits from the pet shop or take a glass full of tank water to the pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. If the shop says the water is fine, ask them what the results are in numbers.

The pH and GH can also be found on your water company's website or by telephoning them. The GH will be in ppm, dGH or something else. Make sure you find out what it is in because they have different meanings.

----------------------------
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?
What's the temperature of the tank water?

Did you add anything to the tank just before this problem started?

----------------------------
Any chance of a picture and short 20 second video of the fish?

If the pictures are too big for the website, set the camera's resolution to its lowest setting and take some more. The lower resolution will make the images smaller and they should fit on this website. Check the pictures on your pc and find a couple that are clear and show the problem, and post them here. Make sure you turn the camera's resolution back up after you have taken the pics otherwise all your pictures will be small.

If the video is too big for this website, post it on YouTube and copy & paste the link here. We can view it at YouTube. If you are using a mobile phone to take the video, have the phone horizontal so the video takes up the entire screen. If you have the phone vertical, you get video in the middle and black on either side.

I don’t think I can change those settings on my camera for some reaso

You should check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH levels of the water.

You can buy test kits from the pet shop or take a glass full of tank water to the pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. If the shop says the water is fine, ask them what the results are in numbers.

The pH and GH can also be found on your water company's website or by telephoning them. The GH will be in ppm, dGH or something else. Make sure you find out what it is in because they have different meanings.

----------------------------
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?
What's the temperature of the tank water?

Did you add anything to the tank just before this problem started?

----------------------------
Any chance of a picture and short 20 second video of the fish?

If the pictures are too big for the website, set the camera's resolution to its lowest setting and take some more. The lower resolution will make the images smaller and they should fit on this website. Check the pictures on your pc and find a couple that are clear and show the problem, and post them here. Make sure you turn the camera's resolution back up after you have taken the pics otherwise all your pictures will be small.

If the video is too big for this website, post it on YouTube and copy & paste the link here. We can view it at YouTube. If you are using a mobile phone to take the video, have the phone horizontal so the video takes up the entire screen. If you have the phone vertical, you get video in the middle and black on either side.

Can’t post a video or put in on YuTube or take a pic. But to describe her movements, she still swims around in that area, she just hardly ever goes anywhere else. She may swim out to the others for a second, but then goes back where she was, low to the ground. I hadn’t added anything to the tank when this started. Aside from her strange attachment to being near the ground, she doesn't seem to have anything else unusual going on. She deosn't exactly sit on the ground, just hovers over it.
I do regular 20% water changes every week. Last time I did a test, there wasn’t anything unusual. But it would be a good idea to do one again. I clean the filter every time I do a water change, and change out it’s cartridges once every month.

 

[AnimeGeek]

There is a small live plant where she sits. I’m wondering if she’s just hiding there underneath it. Like I said, she comes out every now and then, but then she just goes back shortly after.

 

[Colin_T]

I really need some video of the fish to be able to try and work out what is going on.

She might be getting bullied by another fish in the tank.

If you don't have many plants in the tank, try adding more. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is a floating plant but can also be planted in the substrate. It grows rapidly on the surface and one plant becomes many after a short time. Surplus plants can be grown in the gravel.

 

[AnimeGeek]

I really need some video of the fish to be able to try and work out what is going on.

She might be getting bullied by another fish in the tank.

If you don't have many plants in the tank, try adding more. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is a floating plant but can also be planted in the substrate. It grows rapidly on the surface and one plant becomes many after a short time. Surplus plants can be grown in the gravel.

No, she gets along with the other fish just fine. I did do a water test, and the Nitrate was a little high, but I treated it, and will continue to do so. Hopefully that was the problem, and she’ll start feeling a little better.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Do you have a test kit.? If so, test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Do a large water change and see how she does. If starts improving then we know it’s high nitrates, more than likely. Water changes lower ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. You need to get an API master test kit to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate if you don’t already have one. Until then, if he/she improves, do large water changes every day to keep toxic levels down. Are you aware of the nitrogen cycle? Is your tank cycled?

 

[AnimeGeek]

Do you have a test kit.? If so, test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Do a large water change and see how she does. If starts improving then we know it’s high nitrates, more than likely. Water changes lower ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. You need to get an API master test kit to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate if you don’t already have one. Until then, if he/she improves, do large water changes every day to keep toxic levels down. Are you aware of the nitrogen cycle? Is your tank cycled?

I did the test, the nitrate was a little high. I’m treating it, but haven’t seen much of a change yet

 

[FishGuest5123]

How high was it?

 

[Colin_T]

I did the test, the nitrate was a little high. I’m treating it, but haven’t seen much of a change yet

How are you treating it?

The easiest way to deal with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, is with big daily water changes. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week and it will drop the levels really fast.

 

[AnimeGeek]

How high was it?

Hey, I have some good news! I treated the high Nitrate levels in the tank, and now my guppy seems to be feeling much better! Thank you for all the help!

 

[AnimeGeek]

How are you treating it?

The easiest way to deal with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, is with big daily water changes. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week and it will drop the levels really fast.

Hey, I have some good news! I treated the high Nitrate levels in the tank, and now my guppy seems to be feeling much better! Thank you for all the help!