Fish Disappearing Rapidly

A couple of weeks ago I had probably close to 30 guppy fry, now there is only one lone survivor. The strange thing is, I have yet to see a body of a dead fish... all have disappeared without a trace. Most were killed in an algae bloom which happened pretty much overnight, and since then the survivors have been dwindling one by one. I don’t think the water is the issue, since the water I’ve been keeping them in (at least since the bloom) is from a fully cycled tank that I’ve had tested numerous times and never had a problem. Said tank (the only tank which was immune to the algae bloom) has four older fry in it, who are all healthy and happy. I want to move the one surviving fry in with the older ones so I have just one healthy tank to take care of, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea (the younger fry isn’t quite small enough to fit in the older ones’ mouths, but is still MUCH smaller than the other fry). I’m really determined to save this last little guy, any idea what I should do? I’ve lost so many fish, I don’t want to lose any more...

I also have a HUGE snail problem, any ideas on how to get rid of them? Maybe the snails have been eating the dead fish and that’s why I didn’t realize they were disappearing at first???

 

What kind of filter are you using in the fry tank?

 

If the fry had died it's most probably eaten by the snails afterwards.

 

What kind of filter are you using in the fry tank?

No filter with the fry, I was too afraid it would hurt them. I just did smaller, more frequent water changes instead.

 

If I were you I would at least run a sponge filter in the fry tank and would have them in a bare bottom tank with no snails in it. Snails, 'specially pest snails can foul the water pretty quickly. That could be why you are losing your fry. They really need pristine water. Using the water from your main tank isn't helping them. As long as you are using the same source water you should use fresh water for the fry.

You can run an extra sponge filter in your main cycled tank and when you get more fry you can put fresh water in the fry tank and move that seeded sponge filter over to it. The well seeded sponge should instantly cycle the fry tank. It will make for a healthier environment for them and hopefully more of them will survive.

If I understand correctly you are taking your water somewhere to be tested. I highly recommend you get an API Master Freshwater Test Kit. With it you can know exactly what is going on in your tanks and can take action quickly if you see a problem. The test kit can be bought for about $25.00 and will be one of the best investments you can make to help you keep your fish healthy.