I bought today a female and a male guppy and i put them in a 1l tank...in the past hour my female keeps on swimming on the side..or vertically...im really worried about it..please help me before it's too late!
2007-05-13 07:00:15 · 9 answers · asked by elke 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Sounds like there was either a problem with the water they were put into or the fish was already sick.
Did you treat the water with dechlorinator or dechloraminator and let it sit for a minimum of a week with the filter running before adding the fish? I would ideally recommend letting it sit for 3 weeks with the filter running, but few people are patient enough to wait that long.
The filter has to build up a colony of beneficial bacteria that will "eat" the ammonia in the water before the fish can be added. And the chlorine or chloramine has to be gone before the fish can be added. These days many communities add chloramine to the water- this is chlorine with an ammonia molecule attached- it makes it take far longer to evaporate naturally. You really must use dechloramination treatment to start a tank if your community uses chloramine.
Take a sample of your water to the pet store and have them test it. My bet is they will find that it has a high level of ammonia and will need to be treated again. You may lose the two fish you have in it now but wait about 3 weeks, letting it run the whole time and add some more then- you may have better luck.
What kind of filter do you have? The filter should be allowed to run for a bare minimum of one week prior to adding fish, preferably 3 weeks.
Also, one liter is really, really small. You could keep a betta in that, but guppies multiply rapidly so you'll need more space.
2007-05-13 07:10:27 · answer #1 · answered by Behaviorist 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The problem could be with the fish's swim bladder. In this case, it was most likely from overfeeding or someone giving her the wrong foods where you bought her. Don't give any food for a few days, and when you do, don't feed them more than what they'll eat in 1-2 minute. Scoop out any left after thet time. And if you're giving them flakes or pellets to eat, soak them first.
A one liter tank isn't very big - especially since they'll be likely to have babies. Something around 35 liters (10 gallons) would be better for them.
You might also try adding some salt without iodine to their tank - just a pinch, though. One tablespoon for every 20 liters is the suggested dose.
If the fish has the scales sticking up, the problem is dropsy - see information on that (and swim bladder disorder) in the link below:
2007-05-14 01:33:11 · answer #2 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Behavior so far has the best advice in my opinion, but I'd like to add something on to this. In terms of the bacteria growth, it needs a source of ammonia to build up, and some people will tell you you can do it without fish. I don't really like doing it that way and I'm not into cruelty to fish either. Hardy fish can make it through a cycle just fine, my danios and plattys did. I have a feeling the guppy you got was just weak, and it sound more like a swim bladder problem. Guppies are fairly hardy fish, and used alot as feeders to predator fish. I am not sure a 1 liter home is the best home for them however. Why don't you try a 10 gallon tank but also remember that guppies do breed ALOT so what you will do with the spawn you'll want to consider also.
2007-05-13 15:44:20 · answer #3 · answered by I am Legend 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You need about 2-3 females for every male. Males pretty much just want to mate all the time so they will chase females over and over, stressing them out. Give them more females to chase and that way he won't be chasing the same one over and over. Either that or have a all-male or all-female guppy tank.
Also, you said 1L Tank, does it have a filter?
2007-05-13 14:04:50 · answer #4 · answered by totwvs 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
hi. it sounds like swim bladder. go 2 the pet shop/breeder you got them from. they might replace them, give you your money back or give you treatment. also, if you plan to breed them, you need another 1 or 2 females, or the male may chase the female to death. hope this helps.
p.s do not take it to the vet. the strees may kill her in this codition.
2007-05-14 08:01:58 · answer #5 · answered by kelly g 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check your water temp, it should be mid 70's also since you just put them in the tank today,Did you set the tank up beforehand and let the chlorine evaporate and the temp stabilize? If you added your fish to straight city water without doing that, then you will lose your fish.
2007-05-13 14:14:38 · answer #6 · answered by Rhea B 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Guppies are livebearers.
The males go after the female ( trying to mate ) if there are not enough females.
He will probably kill her if you don't either exchange that female for a male, or get another female...
2007-05-13 14:03:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
YOUR GUPPYS ARE FINE BUT WHENIT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD TAKE IT TO A VET.PLEASE
2007-05-13 14:05:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
try to mate them and it will be ok
2007-05-13 14:22:56 · answer #9 · answered by santosh5002003 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋