Help Sick Guppies

[Lostfish]

I went to the pet store yesterday and go some fancy guppies 6 total 2 males and 4 females one of the males died last night some time last night the one male is swimming all over but the females are just sitting at the top of the tank not much movement my tank is cycled

 

[Lostfish]

I just got done doing a %50 water change no changes yet

 

[Mary765]

How many gallons in your tank?

Did you cycle your tank first?

 

[Lostfish]

Yes I cycled my tank ammonia 0 nitrites 0 pH 7.6 nitrates 5

 

[Lostfish]

Oh its 55gal

 

[Mary765]

Mmm did you acclimatised the guppies properly?

 

[Lostfish]

I let them float on top of water for 20mins and then put them in I think I should have did a drip instead

 

[Mary765]

Yeah always drip acclimatise in the future!

 

[Lostfish]

Anything I can do right now to help they aren't really eating I do have some frozen brine shrimp and some garlic guard think that might help

 

[Mary765]

Just keep water quality pristine and try not to disturb them too much with noise and light.

They may eat the plants and algae in your tank if you have either but you can try garlic. You could also leave a piece of lettuce in there if you don't have plants nor algae.

 

[Lostfish]

Will any kind of lettuce work I also tried the garlic and it didn't work just sunk to the bottom and my Cory had a feast I turned the light off on them and have seen a bit of movement and swimming from 2 of the females but they all have change spots in the tank and is under the water more

 

[Mary765]

Try iceberg lettuce..

 

[GuppyDazzle]

I know I go against the grain here, but I disagree with many of the posts dealing with problems in aquariums. It seems so often that the advice is immediately dump this in, dump that in, chemicals, cycle starters, food, greens, garlic, do massive water changes. I honestly believe that many of the things you're going to add to your aquarium, including flushing out the old water and replacing with new, aggravates the problem or causes new ones.

Until you're able to make an educated guess as to what's wrong, you're just making wild guesses and blindly treating the tank, which is likely to cause more harm than good. I'm a huge proponent of frequent partial water changes, and I think that solves and prevents lots of problems in aquariums. But I see lots of people in a state of what looks like panic, with massive water changes, expecting the fish to magically start jumping around like dolphins. If they're showing signs of illness, they're usually really sick. Nothing is going to get them to perk up right away, with few exceptions. Letting nature take its course is one of the most important parts of creating a healthy environment.

Depending on your water parameters compared to the store you bought them from, if you only acclimated them for 20 minutes, that could be the problem. I usually roll up the top of the bag like you'd roll up your sleeves, and that will make a little inflated ring around the top. I float them for a half hour, then start adding some tank water every five or ten minutes, then after an hour total pour the fish into a net (so not to put the store tank water into my aquarium). If acclimating is the problem, doing a bunch of water changes will make it worse.

Again, I'd try to peg some evidence of what is going wrong and at least have an educated guess before you start treating.

I'd also back way off on feeding, since overfeeding is a really common problem. That's something you can do that might help, and it absolutely cannot hurt. Otherwise, calm down, take a deep breath, observe, test your water, at least come up with a theory about what's wrong.

 

[Lostfish]

Would some pics help I really don't have any idea what it could be

 

[Lostfish]

Update 3 of my females are swimming around but I have one with very little to no movement I left the light off all day and did one big water change also not going to feed them tomorrow just to see if that will help too

 

[Brannor]

What else is in your tank? Just the 6 guppies? Plants? What type of filter? Is there a good disturbance of the water surface for aeration?

I've just moved 3 of my guppies to a new (smaller) tank, and I can tell they're stressed and terrified with the change because when I come past they sit there flapping their tales and side fins rapidly without moving - but they do move and eat when I'm not near. Even though there's tons of live plants and the water is ok...sometimes fish are unsettled and need time. Might be because they're used to seeing me eye-to-eye (me sitting) and now they're at my waste height.

-G

 

[mattgirl]

The very best thing you can do for them right now is give them time to get used to their new home. It can take a few days so don't panic and start changing things. They have been through a lot and I feel sure they are very stressed right now.

It is possible that they had just arrived at the pet store and if that is the case they were already stressed from being shipped, dumped in the tank at the store and then netted, stuck in a plastic bag, brought to your house and then put into another new environment. That was a lot of stress in a short period of time.

 

[Lostfish]

I think I am just over thinking it I am gonna wait and see if I see them moving more I think with the light off and just light from the room is helping out a lot I do have live plant a bunch of java moss Java fern and a new banana plant I do have a bamboo shrimp and 3 albino corydoras and 7 fry guppies idk what kind of fry they are but they are in a breeder box

 

[Lostfish]

My fancy guppies are acting way more better they ate a bit of flake food not talking them waiting for it to come to them they was all over it I did lose a female but I got 3 females and a male I am almost %100 sure it was acclimation and stress from now on I am going to drip acclimated
Wanted to thank everyone for helping me and walking me threw it help out a ton