This Is Embarrassing

[kribensis12]

Well, I can keep angels, labs, you name it, I can keep it. Except, guppies. I have never had a guppy last for more than 2 months. Ever. They always die. Well, at a donation auction in my fish club, I bought 4 for 1 dollar. I got 1 male, and 3 females. I do not remember the breed at the moment. Well, apparently they are the fry of a pair of guppies from a well known guppy breeder. I was told he is one of the most respectable in the business, he has awards from all over the U.S. Well, I don't want to kill them. How do I avoid it? I feel silly asking, but I always kill them. Any idea's?

 

[OldMan47]

Put them into their own tank with some plants in it, feed them regularly with a food that is high in vegetable content and do regular small water changes (maybe 15% per week). Do not run the temperature as high as some people would have you do, instead run around 75F. In 2 months you do not have any dead fish, you have lots of babies instead. This very simple care regime gives me pictures like this, and I am sure our water is much alike.

 

[MOW4T]

off topic but i have a few of the same males in that picture oldman what are they? as in name? or just common guppies?

 

[kribensis12]

Thanks oldman. I would love to put them in their own tank, but I do not have a spare. I put them in my lab fry tank last night, as the fry haven't shown any aggression at this point. Well, they wouldn't leave them alone. So they are residing in my angel tank. At first the angels gave chase, but now they aren't even paying attention to the guppies. I have always fed my fish a diet high in plant matter. They are right now being fed Sprinula Flakes(with garlic) and earthworm flakes. I do weekly water changes of 20-25 percent. My tanks temp is at about 79.

 

[OldMan47]

For a guppies only tank, I would drop that temperature a few degrees. Angels are ambush predators. they will go along day after day acting like they don't even see the fish around them, then when everything lines up right, they will make a rapid single move that puts their prey in their mouth. I keep angels and really like them, but I would not put a small and vulnerable fish in with them.

 

[kribensis12]

I do not want to have them in there. But, I have no where else to put them.

 

[catxx]

Time to buy a new tank then!

 

[fish48]

or get shot of the angels and labs,

 

[kribensis12]

Haha, I wish MI could get a new tank. My mom has put a ban on anymore tanks. She wouldn't even let me have a 2 G tank for my female labs to spit in! The angels are still not bothering the guppies. The guppies fins are not nipped, and they actually seem healthy. The females look perfect. I am worried about the male. He just doesnt seem right. I don't know how to explain it, but I can tell something is wrong with him. I hope it's nothing serious.

 

[kribensis12]

Here is a picture I grabbed. It's not the best quality. But it's not bad, I guess. It shows the male and two of the three females.

 

[kribensis12]

They really seem to be doing well. Maybe all my problems with guppies was due to genetics! If so, I'm happy! (not that they had poor breeding, but that my troubles are over!)

 

[fish48]

Your problems with guppies is down to you not all due to genetics!

 

[nosoup4you]

I just don't get the problems folks have with guppies. It has to be down to the water conditions where you live or something. I have hundreds of guppies all started from a few run-of-the-mill LFS pairs and I haven't lost a single guppy in forever. Of course mine are kept in a heavily planted, guppy-only tank.

 

[kribensis12]

If it's me, then tell me what is wrong. This is how I care for guppies:

Buy them. Usually 1m/2f, sometimes more females. Acclimate them slowly (I have lost so many I acclimate them over an hour now). I introduce them into the tank, and don't feed for the first day. Then I start feeding. I feed a variety of foods, and do weekly 25 to 35 percent water changes. Depending if I am off on my schedule. The tank is usually at 78 degrees. The water has a pH of 8.4 , no ammonia or nitrIte, nitrAtes are almost always under 40, and the kH and gH wont turn out on my test kit. I see nothing wrong with their care. If you notice something, please tell me.

 

[OldMan47]

The only differences I can see between your care and mine are simple. I feed almost exclusively spirulina flake with an occasional, treat only, admixture of frozen foods. The tank temperature in my tanks is lower than most would advocate, mine is only about 75F. Your water changes are huge compared to mine since mine are more like 10% per week. My pH is only about 7.8 instead of 8.4 but that should not matter. These are all small differences except for one, I think important, factor. I always have tons of java moss or similar plant in my livebearer tanks. It is to the point that in some tanks the adults have to swim around the perimeter because the whole center is taken up by greenery, see my picture above. In that tank, the cories never get to the bottom of the tank because of the java moss. I happen to think that a part of my success is to avoid a sterile environment and substitute a heavy plant presence instead.