Mutt guppies

[Guest14017]

I saw a BIG FAT girl in the cave yesterday I think probably having baby guppies (they never go in that cave) but the others were bothering her and I don't see any babies today so they likely were all eaten. I don't wish to breed them and have no where to put a billion guppies. There's ONE fry that survived from before that is doing okay. Those ratios I can deal with. The tank is currently nearly bare so any babies would have no where to hide etc.

Upon trying to count, my ratios of male and female are like 50/50. MAYBE 60/40 with more girls. I got them all as tiny unsexed fry so that kinda makes sense.

 

[jonny-5]

The amount of fry they have amazes me.
I had 4 females in a 30G originally. My smaller 10G tank was used as a grow out for the fry. As 1 females fry was in the grow out, Another female was giving birth in the other tank. Every water change the gravel vac was picking them all up until i collected near 300 youngsters at different ages

 

[Guest14017]

I decided to test the water today - and there's a nitrite spike. Bump from the tank switchover. I snatched some more media from the larger tank and they already have plenty of salt to protect from the nitrite, so I'll just cease feeding and test again. I did a water change as well. But the nitrite will be back. It should come around in a few days. Annoying. But I'm glad they had salt because those nitrite levels were dangerous.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I decided to test the water today - and there's a nitrite spike. Bump from the tank switchover. I snatched some more media from the larger tank and they already have plenty of salt to protect from the nitrite, so I'll just cease feeding and test again. I did a water change as well. But the nitrite will be back. It should come around in a few days. Annoying. But I'm glad they had salt because those nitrite levels were dangerous.

Salt affects nitrite levels?

Never heard that one before....

 

[Essjay]

Salt, or to be precise chloride, blocks nitrite from entering the fish's gills. Salt can be used to mitigate the effects of nitrite poisoning during fish-in cycling. There is a complicated calculation for working out how much salt is needed, it's in here

Rescuing A Fish In Cycle Gone Wild - Part Il

Part II SO YOU STILL WANT TO KEEP CYCLING WITH FISH? If you are determined to ignore the above advice in Part I and still think you want to proceed with a fish in cycle, then you need to be aware of the information presented below. SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT AMMONIA Ammonia in water exists...

www.fishforums.net

It is sometimes said that the reason you still read to add salt routinely to fish tanks comes from before the nitrogen cycle was understood and fish keepers found their fish lived longer with salt in the water probably because of it's effect on nitrite absorption.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Salt, or to be precise chloride, blocks nitrite from entering the fish's gills. Salt can be used to mitigate the effects of nitrite poisoning during fish-in cycling. There is a complicated calculation for working out how much salt is needed, it's in here

Rescuing A Fish In Cycle Gone Wild - Part Il

Part II SO YOU STILL WANT TO KEEP CYCLING WITH FISH? If you are determined to ignore the above advice in Part I and still think you want to proceed with a fish in cycle, then you need to be aware of the information presented below. SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT AMMONIA Ammonia in water exists...

www.fishforums.net

It is sometimes said that the reason you still read to add salt routinely to fish tanks comes from before the nitrogen cycle was understood and fish keepers found their fish lived longer with salt in the water probably because of it's effect on nitrite absorption.

Thanks....seems to me WC's and Prime would be easier, and wouldn't affect inverts

 

[Essjay]

I agree. Water changes would be the way I'd do it.

 

[jonny-5]

Agree with the water change thing.
As i always have fry in at least 1 tank I have to water change every 3 days otherwise i get lots of rusty coloured Diatoms on the rocks & glass. Which worries me that the Nitrites are out of control causing Diatoms

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I have just let my week old fry out of the breeder box into the tank with the parents.
The fry seem a little fatter than my last 5/6 batches, So im not too worried about them being eaten. The parents are juveniles so i doubt the fry will fit in their mouths

They'll likely be fine in with the parents either way I never bother separating fry from the parent tank until they'll large enough that the tank would be overstocked if I left them there, and plenty survive. Guppies don't eat their fry nearly as often as people often suggest- at least, not in a tank that's well-fed, with a decent amount of hiding spots!

The tank is currently nearly bare so any babies would have no where to hide etc.

While it's good that you're not likely to over overwhelmed with fry, also bear in mind that a bare, open tank is stressful on the adult fish. Fish have a lot of predators in the wild; most species we keep don't like to feel exposed out in the open with no where to hide, since in the wild, that would mean death.

They also pester each other more when the tank is really open and bare. There's no break in lines of sight, and nowhere for a chased fish to hide and catch a break. For the adults at least, it's worth adding some plants, whether real or fake, a background, and if possible - some floating plant cover so they don't feel as vulnerable to predation and can escape each other when they need to!

 

[Guest14017]

The fish seem unaffected though nitrite levels are deep purple off the charts. Nitrite never belongs in a tank and doesn't contribute to diatoms - that would be nitrate. I think they'll be okay. A nitrite spike doesn't tend to take long to resolve if you have some mature media that can help it. I'll keep testing and doing water changes.

 

[jonny-5]

Sorry i read your original post wrong & i read NitrAtes not NitrItes & even put in my own post NitrItes ?? but yes i meant NitrAtes & you meant NitrItes.......Easy mistake

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

Holy gucamoly those are some good looking fish

 

[sERG]

Gotten as tiny fry off eBay in December. First time ever owning guppies They now look like this. Super cute. The boys have BIG colorful tails splotched with orange and blue. They're fun to watch.

Holy cow, who'd you get these from? I want some guppies that look like that dang.

 

[Guest14017]

Holy cow, who'd you get these from? I want some guppies that look like that dang.

Hi. It was just a random eBay seller. I'll see if I can find them through my old purchases.