# Guppy questions!



## neven (May 15, 2010)

My 29 gallon tank can handle a guppy no problem, its a very stable 7.0 high hardness tank. I do not need to add salts or anything.

My wifes 10 gallon tank though, meant for guppies, is having issues keeping them alive. She's now lost 3 fish, and 1 from the second wave of fishies isn't doing well.

i'll give tank params then ask my questions...

Planted tank
PH 7.5 (thx to pea gravel)
dKH 3
fully cycled
EI dosed
metricide (1 mL daily)
Medium Light

questions now:

Water change, how much PH shift can a guppy take? currently doing 50% water change, and it brings my PH down to 7.2-7.3. I may go 30% x2 a week to reduce fluctuations in parameters...

Salts? Do i need these salts if i drive my KH/GH up above 6 degrees?

What i've done so far to reduce stress to the survivors is added a few more stems, and a lot more glosso. I upped the crushed coral in the filter to a half cup rather than 3 tbsp (since i was so far off my mark), and set the aquaclear 30 to the lowest setting so it cycles in the media cartridge more. also placed filter floss down the outtake and upped the water level to reduce eddy currents caused by the waterfall (now a nice ripple on the surface)

I dont plan on upping the stock any time soon, if these last 3 die then it'll be a fishless tank for a while as the plants grow out and i get the water parameters locked down.


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## donjuan_corn (May 6, 2010)

doing 50% water changes is too much bud, what's the temperature?


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

i keep the temp at 25, and i check the new waters temp before goin in the tank. as for 50% w/c its the standard for EI so i do it out of habit. It looks like the deaths were sickness related now, judging by white flecks all over a female now


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## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

some of the fancy strains of guppies are not all that sturdy. You may want to go to endlers, which are smaller and hardier. Just don't keep guppies and endlers together, because they cross breed and nobody wants gupplers. 

aside from that, everyone has problems with disease once in a while and there may not be anything wrong with your tank.


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

AHAHAHA gupplers



pistolpete said:


> some of the fancy strains of guppies are not all that sturdy. You may want to go to endlers, which are smaller and hardier. Just don't keep guppies and endlers together, because they cross breed and nobody wants gupplers.
> 
> aside from that, everyone has problems with disease once in a while and there may not be anything wrong with your tank.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

My hardy endlers got sick from sick guppies and I lost a bunch already  And I am not sure how long it will take to get a clean tank again.
They were in contact with these guppies for only 3 days 
I personally don't see myself getting guppy any time soon.


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## Nini (Aug 21, 2010)

I've recently lost all my guppies too, they died one at a time until they were all gone. My parameters were fine so I have done a full clean up of my tank and I'm letting it cycle for a week before trying new fishes in it. I had bought them here in Coquitlam. Not sure if they were sick or something else since they all seemed fine.. so I know the pain!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your problems, Neven (and Nini). Is it possible that the guppies were sick when you added them? If so, then there may be an infection in the tank.

Otherwise, I'd recommend adding some Seachem Equilibrium or Replenish to your tank with every water change, to bring up the gh. Especially if you live in the Lower Mainland and have already had issues with your guppies. I think that fancy guppies can be a little sensitive in very soft water especially if they have been moved from harder water. I would add about 1 ml of liquid Replenish for each gallon of water you put into the tank (5 to 10 mls for 10 gallons). Or the equivalent with Equilibrium. 

Hope that everything works out.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Lost another female guppy. So the tank is down to 2 fish. It is sickness, thats confirmed. Looks to be ich, both females are mildly affected atm by the parasites.

Currently the water parameters are slowly adjusting the way i wanted them too, the GH has risen to 80ppm, and the KH is at 60ppm. I'll be moving around the media again to ensure the coral gets maximum flow through it so the process gets sped up. The PH has remained where its at, between the 7.4 and 7.8 reading on the kit, closer to the 7.4 colour. The tank temp was slowly increased to 29 C, and an airstone added to keep the fish happy. As its only guppies they are handling the new temp fine.

I've been dosing metricide a bit stronger as well hoping that the parasites will react to it like algae does 

as for medications and water additives. i believe in keeping it simple. buying products to save fish that cost a fraction of their cost is over kill in my books. if all my fish die, then i'll hike up the temp more so the parasite feeds on what it can, then dies quickly. I use dechlorinator, metricide 14, crushed coral and plant EI ferts, nothing more complicated than those dirt cheap products


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## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

What are you feeding them? I had to stop feeding mine blood worms as I would have dead females the next day after feeding. These are Moscow Blues but I have talked to a couple other people that have had the same problems with guppies and blood worms.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

I've been feeding them aquadine flakes crushed a bit.

Normally 2 flakes of their spirulina blend, and 1 flake alternating daily between their hipro flake (protein) and their tropical (mineral fortified)


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## reikidolls (Nov 1, 2010)

Can anyone tell me what a good Ph level for guppies is? And how to raise the Ph level a bit? Thanks! Terri


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

reikidolls said:


> Can anyone tell me what a good Ph level for guppies is? And how to raise the Ph level a bit? Thanks! Terri


Anything over 7 is sufficient, but they also prefer water with at least 5KH (although mine seem to breed like rabbits at 3KH). The trick I have found is temperature over 75 and a stable PH of 7 or higher is best. Many of the fancy guppies found in the retail pet trade are reared in Singapore that raise them in water with a fair bit of salt.

Best regards,

Stuart


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## brezilian (Apr 21, 2012)

this thread is from 2 years ago


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

I tried keeping guppies a few months ago. Five females to one male was the ratio. It was a large tank and I spent around $200.00 for fish. I have 4 small guppies left in a 10 gallon tank. I would say that i failed miserably. The PH was 6.8 and the temp 78*F. I'll never buy another guppy. 

I read about individuals having guppies that drop litter after litter. They use them as feeders.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

CRS Fan said:


> Anything over 7 is sufficient, but they also prefer water with at least 5KH (although mine seem to breed like rabbits at 3KH). The trick I have found is temperature over 75 and a stable PH of 7 or higher is best. Many of the fancy guppies found in the retail pet trade are reared in Singapore that raise them in water with a fair bit of salt.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Stuart


Hello. i agree. when i was keeping gups ph 7.2 was the number i used, also i used aquarium salt 1 tbls per 10g. temp 78, minimum 5 degrees hardness. and yes they bread like rabbits. also you could always ask guppygeorge, he knows his gups. Cheers


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