Since 2 Hours All My Guppies Are Twirling, Darting And Sometimes Floating Upside Down.

Hello all,

Since two hours all my guppies are acting strange.

Here is a video I just took of their behavior:
The symptoms are that they are ALL at the surface rapidly breathing, most of the time they are also twirling and darting around the surface. A few I have even seen upside down for a few seconds.

The guppies are about 3 weeks and 10 days old (2batches) and I have been feeding them 4x a day brine shrimp. They go absolutely crazy for it. Just now I fed them and not a single fish seemed interested they all keep acting strange at the surface.

I just tested my water, for my tank of 250L / 66gallon.
NO3 0
NO2 0
GH 10
KH 15
pH 7.0

I did do a water change 30 hours ago and I added a little more then usual hydrogen perioxide 3% because I had some algae that I wanted to get rid off. I have used hydrogen perioxide 3% before though.I did add 3ml 50% Glutaraldeyde for the first time, but that should not be enough to cause any symptoms.

I have already added a lot of airation, so many oxygen bubbles but it did not seem to help.
Right now I am performing another water change because the water is a little cloudy, which I guess is because of the algae dying.

What could the problem/disease be? Should I move the guppies to another tank ? What do you guys think?

 

Did you add any old kind of water? What kind of filter? That is a lot of feeding everyday. Keep down to once a day. You have no ammonia readings?

 

Usual water as always, the filter is a chinese motor machine with sponge of 1000 L/Hour. I will keep it down the next days. No ammonia readings.

 

What are you using to test your water parameters?

 

JBL EasyTest 6in1 Strips.

Besides water quality, you have any idea what those specific symptoms indicate?

 

JBL EasyTest 6in1 Strips.

Besides water quality, you have any idea what those specific symptoms indicate?

There is the reason why. Test strips are very inaccurate. Look at a apI master test kit. What's your tempature. Gasping for air at the surface means lack of oxygen, ammonia poisoning, or bad water quality.

 

Okay, I will try to purchase a more accurate test kit.

My temperature is 26C - 78F..

Lack of oxygen I doubt, I got a big airstone.
Ammonia poisoning I also doubt because its cycled and the readings even though its a test strip are negative. (when I first started my aquarium and I actually did have an ammonia spike it did show up on the test strip.)
Bad water quality seems most plausible, right now I am doing a 50% water change.

Besides gasping for air the guppies had no appetite and some guppies were even floating upside down for about a second or two. On the video you could also see that they were twirling. Does that lead to anything?

By the way thank for your quick help and quick replies Sarah!!

 

Swim bladder disease is what it sounds like. Have you ever fed them un shelled peas? Having no appetite especially for guppies means there is something wrong. When did they start to have no appetite. Something could also be attacking there insides. Parasite but I'm not sure.
Edit:that could be why they are flipping around.

 

I did add 3ml 50% Glutaraldeyde for the first time,

I think you answered your question. Hopefully the water changes will dilute it enough to save your fry. One water change might not be enough though.

Something designed to kill algae might not be the best thing to add to a fry tank.

 

I think you answered your question. Hopefully the water changes will dilute it enough to save your fry. One water change might not be enough though.

Something designed to kill algae might not be the best thing to add to a fry tank.

I would do a 100% water change if you did add that. Like said above algae kill chemicals are only to kill algae, not to protect the fry. Meaning what they put in to the chemicals to kill the algae could kill the fry.

 

Thanks Matt and Sarah for your help.

I will proceed doing daily 50%-75% water changes. I just finished my 50% water change and they seem to be doing a little better.

Will keep you guys updated.

 

It sounds like some kind of chemical poisoning to me. Fish will act like that when they are being poisoned by chlorine. I would suspect one of the chemicals you added or maybe an interaction between chemicals.

 

Thanks Matt and Sarah for your help
I will proceed doing daily 50%-75% water changes. I just finished my 50% water change and they seem to be doing a little better.

Will keep you guys updated.

If it were me I would do another one today and try to dilute it as much as possible. Sooner is better than later if it is in fact what is affecting these little guys.

 

Woke up today, all guppies back to normal. Must have been poisoning from the 3ml 50% Glutaraldeyde and the hydrogen perioxide 3%.