please help me!

[cjmartin_72]

My female guppy is hanging around the top of the tank. She is still breathing and wagging her tail but she doesn't look good.
What ph is it to be at? and what should I do?

 

[Great Lakes]

What is your PH and Hardness?

Not the Guppy expert here, but I think they toloerate ph well, it is hardness or ammonia that does them in.

GL

 

[cjmartin_72]

for one, I only have the stuff to check the ph and it is 7.6.
Where would I get the stuff to check the hardness?

 

[mashimaro_0000]

guppies can live from 6.8 to 7.8 ph ( in my tanks) try to keep it above 7 would be good..... just get a mini master kit to test you water, it would help you much more..... is you tank new? did you smell anything from your tank.... if so it may be ammonia spike... do wtaer changes to daily......

here is what you need from your LFS:

General Hardness test kit for fresh water
Ammonia test kit for fresh water
Nitrite test for fresh water
Nitrate test for fresh water

actually these are all in a mini master kit.... around 30$ canadian.


good luck!

 

[cjmartin_72]

yes my tank is new and I try to clean the poo and old food out dayly and put new water in. I also do not smell anything in the tank.

 

[MRshouty]

You put new water in every day? IF you do it may be stress.

I have a bottle of little plastic things with tabs for everything but ammonia

 

[cjmartin_72]

I don't quite put new water in every day, but after cleaning every other day or so it gets low so I will add some every 4 to 5 days. Now I got the amonia kit and there is no amonia in the water. The ph was 7.8 so I am bringing it down a little. the temp is about 80 degrees. Now any thing else some one can do to help me?

 

[cjmartin_72]

My female guppy is still hanging around the top and she is breathing fast. Is there anything I can do?

 

[njnauticalnut]

How long has your tank been up and running? Or maybe I should ask how did you cycle the tank?

Also, what size tank do you have and what other fish are in there with the guppy?

 

[mashimaro_0000]

thats what i have been asking cjmartin_72...:

how old is your tank?
how often you do water change and how much?
do you vaccum gravel?
added water condtioner?
tank operating temperature?
ammonia level?
Nitrite level?
Nitrate level?

 

[cjmartin_72]

the tank in a week old, I clean the water every 2 to 3 days, when it get low, I add more declorinated water, I haven't vacuumed the gravel yet, the temp was around 72 so I put in a heater set at 80, no ammonia (I checked it), i don't know about the nitrite or nitrate, I don't have kits for that yet, also all that is in the tank is two male guppies and a net full of babies.

 

[cjmartin_72]

by the way she stopped eating and I put her in her own net for now.

 

[njnauticalnut]

Your tank is probably in a cycle if it is a week old. I am surprised that you do not have any amonia, you may have nitrites which are also not good for the fish. When you set up the tank, did you use a cycled filter and substrate or was everything new? You should get a test kit to check your water parameters, amonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH, etc. This will help to let you know if the water is stable for the fish to live in.

You stated that you added a heater, please do not take offense as none is meant, just trying to help--do you have a filter on the tank?

If the tank is cycling, which it probably is, that is probably the reason your guppy is having problems. The tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle where bacteria grows converting amonia (fish urine) to nitrite, and then other bacteria grows converting nitrite to nitrate. Fish can live with the nitrate in small amounts. Water changes keep the nitrate at a comfortable level.

I would suggest monitoring your water by getting the appropriate test kits and doing daily 20-25% water changes to keep the amonia and nitrites down. It will take longer for your tank to fully cycle, but it will help your fish.

Good luck.

 

[cjmartin_72]

yes I have a filter and it is new, everything but the rocks are new, I cleaned the rock really good before putting them in. Do I need the heater?

by the way, no offence taken, I appriciate the help.

 

[njnauticalnut]

Yes you do need the heater. As I stated previously, your tank is cycling so just continue to do water changes and monitor your water parameters (amonia, nitrite, nitrate). Hopefully your fish will make it through the cycle. I don't know a lot about guppies or how hardy they are so I cannot speak to that. Keep us posted.