Worried about Guppies

[laingdda]

I have a fully cycled tank with the appropriate number of fish. Nitrites, nitrates and ammonia is 0. Ph is 6. Co2 is 35 and therefore ok. Hardness is too low but my tap water is soft and it is hard to increase my aquarium water hardness. Advice on how to increase my hardness would be helpful. My guppies are breathing at the top of the tank for a few days. I have changed water numerous times over the last few days. They first started breathing from the top after a nitrite spike which I resolved in a day. I have Cory and they are acting normal. Now everything but hardness is ok. My guppies have started to eat again but still at top. What could cause this? Also my water has now just got a slight green tint.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Your nitrate should be above zero, being at zero suggests that the tank is not cycled.

@Byron can suggest a water hardening method
@Colin_T is our disease guy

How long have you had the fish?
Have you added anything new to the tank recently?

 

[laingdda]

I have taken a second test and the nitrates are at 10. The first reading was using an app which isn’t always the most accurate.

 

[Byron]

Guppies are livebearers and all livebearers must be housed in water that is moderately hard or harder. Cories are soft water fish, and while they can manage in harder water, it can weaken them depending upon the level of the hardness.

GH is the general hardness which is the measureement of primarily calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water. The pH is related but a different parameter, and of less significance to fish than the GH, though it can also cause issues depending upon the number.

Guppies must have water with a GH above 10 dGH, and a basic pH which means above 7. However, your cories are well suited to softer water and an acidic pH. If the pH is 6, this is ideal for the cories but obviously not the guppies long-term. Fish can manage in parameters that are not what they require, but they slowly weaken and are stressed which weakens them even further until they will just die, often from disease and other things which normally (in suitable water) they would be able to easily handle and overcome.

You/we need to know the GH before deciding the best course of action. Hardening the water if it is going to impact the cories is not the way to go. Re-homing the guppies and selecting soft water fish might be easier for you and the fish. But first we need to know the GH which is where we start.

 

[laingdda]

Guppies are livebearers and all livebearers must be housed in water that is moderately hard or harder. Cories are soft water fish, and while they can manage in harder water, it can weaken them depending upon the level of the hardness.

GH is the general hardness which is the measureement of primarily calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water. The pH is related but a different parameter, and of less significance to fish than the GH, though it can also cause issues depending upon the number.

Guppies must have water with a GH above 10 dGH, and a basic pH which means above 7. However, your cories are well suited to softer water and an acidic pH. If the pH is 6, this is ideal for the cories but obviously not the guppies long-term. Fish can manage in parameters that are not what they require, but they slowly weaken and are stressed which weakens them even further until they will just die, often from disease and other things which normally (in suitable water) they would be able to easily handle and overcome.

You/we need to know the GH before deciding the best course of action. Hardening the water if it is going to impact the cories is not the way to go. Re-homing the guppies and selecting soft water fish might be easier for you and the fish. But first we need to know the GH which is where we start.

GH is 3. It was much higher before and both Cory and guppies were happy.

 

[Byron]

GH is 3. It was much higher before and both Cory and guppies were happy.

GH does not change much if at all in an aquarium, unless it is being targeted. The guppies though willnot be happy because they cannot be happy when their physiology is unable to function properly because of the GH (and pH too). They survive and manage but it wears them down and they die. As for the cories, they are happy now because the parameters (GH and pH) are what they "expect." Raising it will affect them, though they will manage and survive. But to be kind to the fish, separation into suitable water would be more humane. I'm always willing to explain things further if asked.