Interbreeding?

[crittermom]

I have a 20-gallon tank at school, which my kids just love to watch. However, my male guppy and the female high-fin tetra have both died...why, I have no idea. There are about 12 baby guppies in the tank now. Will the 2 fish interbreed? I know I need to get at least 2 more female tetras, but I won't buy any more guppies, the babies will take care of that...hahaha. No problems in the tank any more that I know of, all my numbers are good, don't know why those 2 fish died. (I think the male guppy may have killed the tetras...he was the most aggressive male guppy I've ever seen.) Thanks for any help you can give.

Long live the little fishies!!!

 

[Durbkat]

Well the reason most likely the guppy died is because tetras and guppies aren't compatible. So if you really want tetras in their get rid of the guppies or just don't get tetras.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Well the reason most likely the guppy died is because tetras and guppies aren't compatible.

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um, no. that's some of the most specious reasoning i've ever seen--at least offer evidence when you say things like that.

crittermom, exactly what do you mean when you say that "all my numbers are good"? can you provide us with your exact ammonia/nitrIte/nitrAte readings? also, just how many fish are in your tank and what kinds are they? how often do you perform water changes/gravel vacuums and about how much do you take out?

just to rule out disease, have you introduced any new additions to the tank? are any of your fish swimming erractically or appear to be scratching themselves on decorations?

fortunately, you don't have to worry about any guppy-tetra offspring; the two can't possibly hybridize. guppies give birth to live babies and tetras lay eggs.

 

[Durbkat]

Sorry just thought I use common sense with the size of a tetra mouth and the small size of the guppy and the tetra is bigger and could harrass it.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

what, the size of a tetra mouth? do you mean a Neon Tetra, a Buenos Aires Tetra or an Exodon paradoxus? tetras are a pretty varied bunch.

but you are correct in that there is a slight chance that the tetra bullied the guppy. on that note: crittermom, could you be a little more specific than "high fin tetra"? i can't seem to find a reference for that particular common name.

 

[Durbkat]

I thought the person said it was a female black tetra and hi fin means long fin Duh

 

[pica_nuttalli]

I have a 20-gallon tank at school, which my kids just love to watch. However, my male guppy and the female high-fin tetra have both died...why, I have no idea. There are about 12 baby guppies in the tank now. Will the 2 fish interbreed? I know I need to get at least 2 more female tetras, but I won't buy any more guppies, the babies will take care of that...hahaha. No problems in the tank any more that I know of, all my numbers are good, don't know why those 2 fish died. (I think the male guppy may have killed the tetras...he was the most aggressive male guppy I've ever seen.) Thanks for any help you can give.

Long live the little fishies!!!

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[Durbkat]

Sorry. )

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How many fish and what types do you have in the tank?
Do you have any recent stats for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites?
Did the fish that died show any odd behavior or symtoms before death?
How long has the tank been set up and how often do you do water changes(and how much water do you take out)?

 

[crittermom]

Oops, they're high-fin PLATYS, not tetras, duh...

 

[iron maiden fan]

your fish will still not hybidize

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Either way you have still lost fish and not answered my questions, you must have also lost a female guppy as well at some point because the fry did not come from no where unless you adopted them from somone.
You should not let your fry inbreed with each other when they mature as they will if you keep mixed sexes with each other and this has many bad side effects from poor health and lowered imune system to lowered life expectancy and poorer batchs of fry and mutations.
Platys and guppys are of the livebearer family and you should have at least 2-3females per male as male livebearers will often harrass the female, even to death, and having plenty of females per male helps avoid the male picking too much on a single female.

You should test your water for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites(you can buy test kits from your local fish store) and post us your water stats ASAP- how long has the tank been set up?
Do you use dechlorinator and how often do you do water changes and how much wtaer do you take out on average?

 

[crittermom]

Either way you have still lost fish and not answered my questions, you must have also lost a female guppy as well at some point because the fry did not come from no where unless you adopted them from somone.
You should not let your fry inbreed with each other when they mature as they will if you keep mixed sexes with each other and this has many bad side effects from poor health and lowered imune system to lowered life expectancy and poorer batchs of fry and mutations.
Platys and guppys are of the livebearer family and you should have at least 2-3females per male as male livebearers will often harrass the female, even to death, and having plenty of females per male helps avoid the male picking too much on a single female.

You should test your water for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites(you can buy test kits from your local fish store) and post us your water stats ASAP- how long has the tank been set up?
Do you use dechlorinator and how often do you do water changes and how much wtaer do you take out on average?

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[crittermom]

I'll have to check the water again on Monday and let you know. I use a dipstick there (use a kit at home, but at school, the dipsticks are safer) and everything has been in the "safe" range. At the moment, I have 3 high-fin platy males, 3 female guppies and the fry...and an overabundance of baby snails (I'm using Snail Rid, but have to do a 50% water change first). I don't change the water as often as I should because I don't have easy access to water, but in all the years I've kept fish, that has never been a problem. Guess the "olden days fish" were much hardier than today's fish!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You should preferably do a 30% water change with dechlorinator a week, ammonia and nitrites should be 0 and nitrates under 40 in a healthy mature tank. The dipstick test kits are not very accurate at all, i suggest you use a proper test kit with exact resaults since your fish have been dying recently. Water changes will lower stats like ammonia, nitrates and nitrites although you shouldn't take out more than 60% water a day and never wash your filter out in fresh tap water.