Sick Guppy?

[AshP1986]

Request Help for my classroom fish tank

Tank size: 10 gallons
pH: 8.0
ammonia: I have no clue... not sure how to test this
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5-10
kH: 180
gH: 200
tank temp: 78

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
I have a female guppy. I have had her for at least 2 months. When I first started a tank I purchased a 3 gallon tank and cycled it. I then introduced a male and female guppy and added them to the tank on a Wednesday. On Friday the female gave birth, pretty cool to see and my students got to see as well. The mom and fry were in a separate tank for a few hours. I then put mom back in with her male fish. Later in the day I added the babies back to the 3 gallon tank. The 3 gallon uses a bubble filter system and was not strong enough to suck the babies up. It also had a ton of foliage and rock/cave to hide. The babies and adults survived the weekend and I added 2 more female fish and a spiral snail the following Wednesday. Everyone was happy and giving birth. I quickly had 20+ fry and decided to upgrade to a 10 gallon tank. The day before Thanksgiving break I put the 4 adult fish in a 10 gallon tank and the fry in a fry net in the 10 gallon tank. The tank has a medium filter, a heater, an air stone, 4 plants, a rock cave, and gravel bottom. 4 days later I returned to find only 1 adult alive. Unfortunately the tank was missing a key part to keep the fish from being sucked up into the filter (oops).... I immediately did a search of the science room and found the missing piece. So now I only have 1 adult guppy and 33 fry (she gave birth right after I replaced the filter cover). Everything was running smoothly until this week. I came in Tuesday and momma fish was swimming at the top of the tank... she seemed very lonely. That night I purchased the flounder and frog for company, (None of the fish stores have any guppies in my town anymore)I placed them in the tank Wednesday and moved the fry to a 1 gallon tank(heater, bubble filter, and plant). Wednesday morning I came in and the guppy was at the top of the tank still... She was breathing heavy and randomly shakes her tail but goes nowhere it almost looks like she is having a seizure. I turned up the air stone in hopes that it was just an oxygen thing, but as of Friday(today) she isn't any better. The flounder and frog seem to be fine though. I have been testing the water and it seems normal. I am really confused as to what is causing her illness. I am pretty sure she isn't in labor because she delivered her last set right before New Years. She is VERY skinny and is eating but only what happens to float in front of her. She also hasn't pooped after eating like she normally does.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25% once a week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: tetra aqua safe, tetra easy balance, api aquarium salt, occasionally, but very rarely, I will add AP Crystal Clear. Yesterday I added Pimafix.

Tank inhabitants: Currently I have a spiral snail, female guppy, freshwater flounder, and a dwarf frog.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): flounder and dwarf frog

Exposure to chemicals:... not that I am aware of

 

[Tizer]

ammonia: I have no clue... not sure how to test this

with an ammonia test kit? similar to that of all the other test kits used?

 

[AshP1986]

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with an ammonia test kit? similar to that of all the other test kits used?
[/quote]

Right-O! Having a blonde moment.... Unfortunately I do not have access to one at the moment seeing as I am teaching today. Also, the tank is a good 30 min drive from my home and seeing as this is Friday I will not be back till Monday. I can put the ill guppy in a "sick tank" but there will be no filter I only have a bubble maker thingy left since my fry are in my other tank.

As for the ammonia... I am going to assume that it okay due to the Nitrite being 0. I also added aquarium salt wed.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I believe you're assuming wrong about the ammonia. Your guppy is showing the typical signs of ammonia poisoning, and since there's no filter in that tank and you're only doing a 25% water change a week, I doubt she'll make it until Monday. That tiny tank is much too small for a guppy, let alone other inhabitants. You should have a 10g for the adult fish AT LEAST and be doing a 50% water change every other day. The fish are swimming and breathing their own waste at this point.

You really need a Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, such as API, Nutrafin or Salifert. The strips are useless.

 

[AshP1986]

I believe you're assuming wrong about the ammonia. Your guppy is showing the typical signs of ammonia poisoning, and since there's no filter in that tank and you're only doing a 25% water change a week, I doubt she'll make it until Monday. That tiny tank is much too small for a guppy, let alone other inhabitants. You should have a 10g for the adult fish AT LEAST and be doing a 50% water change every other day. The fish are swimming and breathing their own waste at this point.

You really need a Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, such as API, Nutrafin or Salifert. The strips are useless.

I think you misunderstood. She is in a 10 gallon tank with a filter and plants and rock cave and gravel and an air stone... wouldn't the Nitrite test positive if there was ammonia present?

Her babies are in the 1 gallon

 

[the_lock_man]

I believe you're assuming wrong about the ammonia. Your guppy is showing the typical signs of ammonia poisoning, and since there's no filter in that tank and you're only doing a 25% water change a week, I doubt she'll make it until Monday. That tiny tank is much too small for a guppy, let alone other inhabitants. You should have a 10g for the adult fish AT LEAST and be doing a 50% water change every other day. The fish are swimming and breathing their own waste at this point.

You really need a Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, such as API, Nutrafin or Salifert. The strips are useless.

I think you misunderstood. She is in a 10 gallon tank with a filter and plants and rock cave and gravel and an air stone... wouldn't the Nitrite test positive if there was ammonia present?

Her babies are in the 1 gallon

If there are no bacteria present in the filter, which would convert the ammonia into nitrite, then no, nitrite would test at 0ppm, and ammonia would test sky-high.

 

[AshP1986]

I believe you're assuming wrong about the ammonia. Your guppy is showing the typical signs of ammonia poisoning, and since there's no filter in that tank and you're only doing a 25% water change a week, I doubt she'll make it until Monday. That tiny tank is much too small for a guppy, let alone other inhabitants. You should have a 10g for the adult fish AT LEAST and be doing a 50% water change every other day. The fish are swimming and breathing their own waste at this point.

You really need a Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, such as API, Nutrafin or Salifert. The strips are useless.

I think you misunderstood. She is in a 10 gallon tank with a filter and plants and rock cave and gravel and an air stone... wouldn't the Nitrite test positive if there was ammonia present?

Her babies are in the 1 gallon

If there are no bacteria present in the filter, which would convert the ammonia into nitrite, then no, nitrite would test at 0ppm, and ammonia would test sky-high.

Okay I understand... man this is so difficult. Okay... So recommendations? 50% water change?

 

[AshP1986]

So I am sitting here trying to think of what could have gone wrong and I remember that I used my class bucket to change water recently. Now.. this is not your normal bucket... Unfortunately a student had to um... use it... it was then completely sanitized with who even knows what.... I will see if the science room has a clean not sanitized bucket... if this could be the problem.

Also, the filter is almost 1 month old...

 

[This Old Spouse]

You're right, I misunderstood which fish were where. Sounds like they were moved around a lot, and that, by the way, would cause a lot of stress. Anyway, yes, start off with a large water change. I'd say in this case start off with about 80-90%, leaving just enough water for the fish to swim upright. Then do 50% water changes every week until your filter media is cycled.

 

[AshP1986]

on a side note... why aren't the babies showing any symptoms of ammonia poisoning?

And any thoughts on removing the gravel from the 10 gallon tank? I was thinking about doing this and what better time then when there is very little water present?

 

[This Old Spouse]

First, just go buy a new bucket from the hardware store. They're not expensive, and you can then be sure it's safe. If any bleach was left over in the bucket you were using, that could be harmful. But that aside, the babies were borne into that environment so it's possible they're adapting more quickly.

I'm not saying it's positively ammonia poisoning, but that's the symptoms that are showing. The best cure is nice, clean water, using dechlorinator and temperature-matched water to replace the old. The best dechlorinator is Seachem Prime, followed by API Stresscoat +.

 

[AshP1986]

Okay I will see if the school will let me leave real quick for lunch lol.

 

[AshP1986]

Here are a couple shots...

 

[This Old Spouse]

She looks stressed. She could use some company once you get the water fixed up.

I just re-read your initial post, and you said she isn't pooping right after eating like she normally does. Could be she's constipated, and for that you just need to feed some cooked and deshelled peas. Squish them into tiny pieces. Not very much as it tends to foul the water.

Guppies are very social fish, so she may be freaked out that she's the only one there.

I'm curious about the flounder as well. Please look here to see if that's what you have, and if so you need to take it back to the LFS or rehome it quickly.

 

[AshP1986]

I'm curious about the flounder as well. Please look here to see if that's what you have, and if so you need to take it back to the LFS or rehome it quickly.

HMMM it might be. Why do I need to take him back