Hello - new to fish keeping (and not having a good start)

[Alexter]

Hello, I found this forum while searching for help with my new aquarium, which sadly has not gone well. Three of the five guppies have died within the first week, despite it being a planted tank that had been cycling for over a month (water parameters also look fine to me). Another guppy looks like he might be going the same way.

I'm going to make a thread in the emergencies section as I don't know what to do now, but the instructions said to post here first. This seems like a brilliant forum, so I'm looking forward to learning from you all!

 

[Ellie Potts]

Hi! welcome to the forum, it truly is an amazing community.
To start, every time you post people are probably going to ask (and insist on getting) the following:
water parameters (what numbers are your tests showing, what is "fine")
The size of your tank
Your pH and gH
The temperature of your tank
The full inhabitants of it
AND your water change schedule (how often and what percentage of the tank)

Once we have that, it should be easier to address the problems. Sorry you lost some little guys.

 

[Essjay]

Your test kit should give your pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, but it is a lot cheaper to search for 'hardness' on your water company's website. Ignore any words and look for numbers and the unit of measurement as there are several units they could use.


The 'wrong' hardness (GH) won't kill fish quickly, it's a long term thing, but ammonia and/or nitrite can kill quickly which is why Ellie asked for numbers.
Another possibility is unhealthy fish. You could try contacting/visiting the shop to see if any fish from their tank have died. Guppies are notoriously weak fish nowadays.

 

[sharkweek178]

Hello, I found this forum while searching for help with my new aquarium, which sadly has not gone well. Three of the five guppies have died within the first week, despite it being a planted tank that had been cycling for over a month (water parameters also look fine to me). Another guppy looks like he might be going the same way.

I'm going to make a thread in the emergencies section as I don't know what to do now, but the instructions said to post here first. This seems like a brilliant forum, so I'm looking forward to learning from you all!

Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose fish. That trip from the store is very stressful and does a number on them.

 

[Essjay]

Alexter has started a new thread with more detail than this one.
Please post replies in the new thread

Guppies dying in a newly planted tank - trying to save the remaining two

Hello, I'm having major issues with my first tank. Since adding male 5 guppies and 2 cherry shrimp around one week ago, three of the guppies have died. A fourth looks like he might pass away soon. I'm hoping I can at least save the fifth guppy, even if the fourth is too far gone, but I've got...

www.fishforums.net

 

[emeraldking]

Well, welcome to TFF...
Sorry for the loss of your guppies. Yes, if you give a better description of how they looked and how they've behaved before dying in a post in the emergency section, we can be of a better help.

 

[Alexter]

Well, welcome to TFF...
Sorry for the loss of your guppies. Yes, if you give a better description of how they looked and how they've behaved before dying in a post in the emergency section, we can be of a better help.

Thanks for your kind words! I've got a thread going here with more details about the tank and steps I've taken - I just added an update too