Hello and help

[Anonymous Fox]

hello, I'm new (duh) um so I need help with some guppies and the tank sizes and stuff. my grandfather gave me about 20ish guppies yesterday (ages toddler to preteen, i think) and I was happy, but then I kind of panicked, because I don't really know there care. I will buy a 20 gallon tank for the one inch per fish=1 gallon rule, but it will take at least a month. But what food, hides, plants, tanks, filters, heaters, etc. do you guys (or girls) recommend? I currently have the Aqueon Betta falls kit, the tanks are 1/2 gallon tanks, and even as a newish owner ( I have owned bettas and about 3 guppies in the past, they did not live the best and longest life) I still find it really really small, and it is. but I have a few more questions. first, do they need a bubbler? or is just the filter fine? second, can I mix the babies and teens or will they fight? (they have been fine so far, but just in case, I don't wand anyone getting hurt) third, what breed are they? they are clear-ish, but not like glass fish clear, they have the body of fancy guppies, but with thinner tails, i was thinking they were Indian guppy fish? I can't post a picture because I'm on a PC and I don't have a iPhone (I can't afford one -I have many pets that matter more than a phone- and my mom won't let he have one till I CAN afford one) fourth, can you just give me any more info for me to know for them to thrive, I feel most people don't think fish need things to thrive, like they can just take Petco's care and buy a 1/3 gallon bowl and put 3 gold fish and 1 tiny little hide in and they will survive for there 10 year lifespand.



i know this was suposed to be my introductun and whatever, and i could just look this stuff up, but I trust you guys more than I trust a random articel I found on the internet



Thank you so much

I'mnotallowdtosharemyname lol

 

[nik_n]

First of welcome. Second and probably most important: the inch per gallon rule isn't true and you should not follow it. A 20 gallon tank with a lot of REAL plants and a good filter would work. However you will have more guppy babies and you will have them very very soon. This is why I would get the biggest tank possible. You don't need to worry about mixing guppies because, they will live like a big colony, and the adults might eat some of the fry but that works in your favour. Guppies are live bearers which means that they give birth to live young and thats why they reproduce so quickly. Guppies, like all live bearers prefer harder water so higher gh and kh (do some research on those) but they are really hardy so this isn't a big deal.

Where are you keeping your guppies now? You don't need to wait a month before putting guppies in their new home. Buy a tank, and put a layer of substrate in with a few plants, fill it with water and then dechlorinate it. You can buy beneficial bacteria in a bottle or get some filter media from an established tank (maybe your grandfathers of the fish store). Guppies will stay at the top of the aquarium so you don't need any fancy caves but some floating plants would be great for the fry and to clean the water.

If you want reliable source go to Aquarium Co Op page. They have everything you need to know they even have a you tube channel.

The only way we can help you identify the guppies is with a picture.

 

[OliveFish05]

Hello and welcome!



Your guppies are going to wayyyyyy overload your tank in no time. Do you have a plan for babies? You could see if your LFS (local fish store) would take them.

I feed my guppies TetraMin tropical flakes, and then about three days a week I offer a special treat like Tubifex worms or brine shrimp.

For decor, you can either go for a natural look with rocks, plants, or driftwood. You just have to be SOOO careful that anything you use is aquarium safe. Some good, safe kinds of wood are Mopani, Malaysian driftwood, Manzanita driftwood, and cholla wood. You want to stay away from Grape or grapevine, as it deteriorates too quickly
I love dragon stone to use to decorate my guppy tank, it just has to be cleaned really well!
For plants, some easy to grow things are Water Sprite, Anubias, Amazon Sword, Java Fern, and a few others. If you like, I can send you a pm of some really good places to buy plants online

If you wanted to go fake plants and decor, you could just look at what your LFS has

You will want some kind of substrate (which is just what you put in the bottom of the tank) you can use sand or gravel, but make sure any gravel or rocks you use are not too sharp or they can injure your guppies. I recommend sand, I find it easier to clean.

You will definitely want a filter, but a bubbler is not necessary unless you want one. An AquaClear 30 or 50 would be a good choice, as you could put a pre-filter sponge on the intake so it doesn't suck up any small or young guppies.

Cheap heaters can be found on Amazon, or you can go to your local pet store and see what they have. A good temp for guppies is about 72 to 78.

The guppies should not fight, especially not with the amount you have

I am not sure about what kind of guppies, I am sorry.

 

[OliveFish05]

So the guppies cannot stay in you betta falls thing for more than a day or two. They will veryyyyy quickly cause an ammonia spike from all their waste and they will likely all die. Are you able to setup a large plastic tote by any chance? They would be ok in a tote for a while without a heater if you did regular water changes.

 

[Anonymous Fox]

First of welcome. Second and probably most important: the inch per gallon rule isn't true and you should not follow it. A 20 gallon tank with a lot of REAL plants and a good filter would work. However you will have more guppy babies and you will have them very very soon. This is why I would get the biggest tank possible. You don't need to worry about mixing guppies because, they will live like a big colony, and the adults might eat some of the fry but that works in your favour. Guppies are live bearers which means that they give birth to live young and thats why they reproduce so quickly. Guppies, like all live bearers prefer harder water so higher gh and kh (do some research on those) but they are really hardy so this isn't a big deal.

Where are you keeping your guppies now? You don't need to wait a month before putting guppies in their new home. Buy a tank, and put a layer of substrate in with a few plants, fill it with water and then dechlorinate it. You can buy beneficial bacteria in a bottle or get some filter media from an established tank (maybe your grandfathers of the fish store). Guppies will stay at the top of the aquarium so you don't need any fancy caves but some floating plants would be great for the fry and to clean the water.

If you want reliable source go to Aquarium Co Op page. They have everything you need to know they even have a you tube channel.

The only way we can help you identify the guppies is with a picture.

hi sorry for responding so late. so i am sorry to say most of them died, we only have three left, i don't know exactly how they al died, but i think it was because i eathier diden't sanitize my stuff enough between fish (my guppies and past betta fish), or i used an unsafe moss, or tank cleaning was too stressful? to awnser your questons, i was keeping them in the betta falls tank, but i moved them to a bin tank i used for my betta. i thought i had to wait a month but probly not any more, probly because i don't have the tank yet, i need to order it and wait for it to ship, so, yah... but thank you soooo much for the info, i will try my best to give them a good life

 

[Anonymous Fox]

hi sorry for responding so late. so i am sorry to say most of them died, we only have three left, i don't know exactly how they al died, but i think it was because i eathier diden't sanitize my stuff enough between fish (my guppies and past betta fish), or i used an unsafe moss, or tank cleaning was too stressful? to awnser your questons, i was keeping them in the betta falls tank, but i moved them to a bin tank i used for my betta. i thought i had to wait a month but probly not any more, probly because i don't have the tank yet, i need to order it and wait for it to ship, so, yah... but thank you soooo much for the info, i will try my best to give them a good life

1 more died an one looks like it is gonna too, that leaves only one....after around seven pasted i moved them to a hospital tank with nothing in it and fresh water, but most of them died in there too. oh, i forgot to menton, my grandfather got them form a breeder rathier than a pet store. but i have had very bad luck with , no matter how guppies, no matter how many i get, every guppy exept one dyes within a week ):

 

[Back in the fold]

Welcome. The 20 gallon tank is perfect for your needs. Just the right size for the fish you have. Guppies are very forgiving of the little mistakes that new aquarists make. They are friendly, don’t fight, aren’t timid, eat anything, breed easily and in abundance and can take a wide range of temperatures and water conditions. Guppies are the perfect first fish for everyone. Don’t worry about the proper plants and decorations and stuff like that. Get a simple air driven filter, either a box type that you can use different media in or a plain sponge filter. Set your temperature to 75 degrees or even leave them at room temperature for awhile if buying a heater will stress your budget. This time of year you will be alright doing that. As time goes on you will fine tune your aquarium to the way you want it. There is no hurry. Ask your Grampa for help and enjoy your guppies.

 

[Back in the fold]

Got ahead of myself. I read that a lot of your guppies died. Don’t let that discourage you. Get some more and learn from them. Buy cheap feeder guppies at a pet shop and forego the expensive fancy breeds for now.

 

[Anonymous Fox]

thank you

 

[OliveFish05]

I am so sorry that so many did not make it!