Inactivity sitting on bottem very dead looking

[izzie]

Im not sure if u consider guppies tropical but i think they are. I baught some new fish today that i was going to try and start breeding. However my male guppie looks almost dead. He saw straight to the bottem and has stayed there the whole time. It looks like he cant swim. All the other fish i got are swimming fine except for that one male. Is there something wrong with him or is he just stressed from being transported. Thanks for all the help. Izzie

 

[sylvia]

Yes, there is something wrong. It could be a number of things but you should start by listing your water parameters - ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and pH and also tell us what size tank this is, the other inhabitants and whether it has cycled or not. If you don't know about cycling you should read through the link in my signature ASAP.
Honestly, the guppy will probably die but you can try to keep him alive anyway. Make sure your water is clean and the temperature is ok (yes, guppies are tropical!).

 

[izzie]

Ive had this tank running now for about 3 months or maybe a little longer. It had healthy fish in it befor that i have now moved to a bigger tank, dwarf african butterfly cichlids. I have a spong filter and a corner filter in it. It is a 15 gallon tank. I also had a biowheel on it for awhile but took it off being scared the filter would suck up the baby fry. The cichlids befor layed eggs and the fry hatched but later died because i had no knoledge on fish breeding. My ph was running a little high at around 7.4 but i lowered it today. The temp is at 78F and im not sure of my amonia levels i didnt think i would have to test for mollies and guppies. Also the 5 other fish i bought today with it are doing fine its just that one fish and one mollie does it at times but i think this is because it is spooked. It has times when it comes to the top but when it seems movement it heads back to a corner or a hiding spot. The guppie however doesnt do this its just on the bottem in the open all the time.

 

[The-Wolf]

resting on the bottom and looking lethargic is a sign of a swim bladder problem.
Is it eating? if so feed a cooked de-shelled mashed pea.

 

[Fish Fingers]

My platy was doing this the other day. I just did a water change and now he is fine. I think it was because of high nitrates. Try doing 10% water changes everyday.

 

[Angel Lady]

Hi izzie when you buy new fish it is a good ideal to but them in a tank by their selves for a while. I always do this so the new comers don't pass any diseases to my tanks. It does sound like they are something the matter with your guppy.

 

[sylvia]

You will need to test for ammonia and nitrItes, as well as nitrAtes. ammonia and nitrItes, even in small ammounts, can and are deadly to fish - regardless of species.
I would also advise against trying to lower your pH as the fluctuations are more dangerous than the constant high pH itself. Guppies, mollies and other livebearers don't do too bad in a high pH anyway and 7.4 is not that high so you can leave this alone.
I agree that you should try feeding the fish a shelled pea and see if what it has is swim bladder disorder.
How long ago did you take the bio-wheel out? This contained a lot of beneficial bacteria and taking it out could be very detrimental to your biological filtration and, thus, water quality. Testing your water is the only way to ensure it is safe for your fish.
Also keep in mind that adding 5 fish to a small, 15 gallon tank can result in a temporary ammonia and nitrIte spike that can be quite dangerous for your fish. Adding fewer at a time will help.
Quarantining, as mentioned, in a seperate tank for at least 2 weeks can be very beneficial and means you can treat any sick fish without worrying about the spread of disease or the effect medications will have on your biological filter.
I would start by doing a large water change to correct any problems with water quality. Make sure you are using de-chlorinated water and don't try to control pH. Then try feeding the shelled pea and buy a test kit and post your results for ammonia/nitrIte and nitrAte.
Good luck