TheKayman

Hello fish lovers,

I've been looking through the forum for this question, but I just could not find exact ones to get an answer for mine. So here is my question.

I have a 20 gallon tank with 4 guppies, a small sunset gourami and 10 ghost shrimps with enough(i think) hiding places using mimic woods and some real rocks. I also have a few plants but I am planning to get some more java mosses. My fish seem happy in the tank.

However, whenever I turn on the light during the day(I mean the light dedicated to the tank), two of my larger female guppies seem very stressed as they just stay on top of the water without moving much.

So is it better to turn off the light and let the sunlight indirectly but naturally brighten the tank or do I still need a light of my tank's own? At this point, I kind of get a feeling that the purpose of lighting is to allow selfish humans to look better at their pets

Or could it be that they are actually not being stressed by the light and it's normal for them to stay on top?

ps. I'm using a fluorescent light that was included in my 20 gallon starter kit and the temps stay near 76 degrees Farenheit every day since that's what my room stays at every day.

bolivianbaby

Welcome to Fishlore!

Do you know your readings for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? With your tank being so new, your water parameters may have something to do with your guppies behavior.

TheKayman

I used a strip to test my water and it seemed that nitrate and nitrite are very close to 0 as it seems the color of the strip does not change, but I could not check ammonia with the one I have.

Funny thing is when I turned the light on today, that hovering on top did not happen... I am making guesses to figure out what was going on, but could it be the possibility that I've overfed them? Because I tried to give them freeze dried brine shrimps for two days, and even if I took a smallest pinch I could take, it seemed too much when they were in the tank.

Also, I'd like to know if the hovering is a normal behavior for guppies.

bolivianbaby

A lot of us recommend the API freshwater master test kit because it's much more accurate than the strips. With the tank being new, they could be suffering from ammonia poisoning.

The hovering is not normal behavior for guppies. Ours are all over the tank, very active and flashy.

iloveengl

Hi there, Kayman. Welcome to the forum.

Sorry your fishies are feeling poorly. I agree that this behavior is not normal and likely a symptom of water quality rather than the light. Check out this link to learn more about proper water conditions: nitrogen cycle. Frequent partial water changes will more than likely get your guppies acting normal and healthy. I agree that strips are pretty much useless; they just don't give an accurate enough reading to tell what's going on in the tank. If you can find liquid test kits, those are much more accurate. Liquid tests for Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrAte are the key tests to look for.

In regard to the light, most people recommend about ten-twelve hours per day. That gives your fish a natural day and night exposure.

Freeze dried foods often cause constipation; have you seen your gups poo at all or frequently? Quality flakes, frozen foods, and live (if possible) are much better for fish's digestive track. Try thawing a frozen pea, taking off the shell, and then feeding them a tiny bit of the pea a couple times a day without any other food (for a few days). If they are constipated, the pea will help them poo.

TheKayman

Thank you all for your kind replies
I will get the API master test kit soon.
Also, I did partial water change and skipped their meal today. My guppies lost their fat bellies except the largest over 1 inch female. I hope its filled with babies.

My one other worry is that my larger females are not as active as smaller ones. They seem to swim slower and tend to move less than the smaller ones. Why is this happening?

I got my larger females the next day I got the smaller ones, and when I went to the store to get them, they were the most active ones among other guppies which were staying at the top without moving much just as mine did before. I really want to find out what is going on with not moving guppies.

Beth1965

Sorry to add another issue to mix Kayman but what is the ratio of guppies/male/female do you have in the tank? This could be an issue as well. Certainly get the best water readings you can from the API master test kit though.
I don;t remember saying Welcome to Fishlore, so here it is:

TheKayman

Thanks Beth

I have in my tank 1 male and 3 female. but the male is only about little over 1 inch including its tale and one of the female is the same size. For other two females they are roughly about 2 inches. I did water changes but one of my larger one still has a bloated belly. Could she be pregnant or is it a constipation? I got my guppies from Petsmart where they separated males and females but not so sure if the separation was from very young, so is there a possibility or not?

Meenu

I think it is definately possible.

Beth1965

The female that is bloated, do you see a gravid spot?