Guppy Females Dying?

Question

I have a 20 gallon tank with heater and box filter. I conditioned the water as instructed and added aquarium salt as well. I bought 4 males and 6 females about a week ago. One by one, the females have been dying. I replaced two of them, but I am down to three. I did a 25% water change about a day and a half ago, but it seems that every day at least one female is dying. The males are healthy, too!!

Help!! I`m not new to aquariums... but this one has me stumped!

Answer 1

Your tank hasn't cycled and the females are the weaker group. If you don't get the tank cycled the males will die also. You can speed up the process if you have another older tank that is cycled,by adding some filter media from the old tank.

Answer 2

I believe it may be the males. In most of the fish I've kept and even in some turtles, agressive behavior can be shown to unreceptive females. Or the females are being territorial and fighting, but that usually only happens with males. In any case, I would think that if everything else is UTD and A-ok, then it could be the males. Good luck.

Answer 3

Get your water tested and I think that this is caused by the males causing stress or Maby it is dropsy or a parasite without a description of where you got them and what they looked like its hard to tell.

Answer 4

It sounds like your tank was not cycled before you added fish and they're dying due to high ammonia and nitrite levels

Get a master testkit, and check your ammmonia, nitrite and nitrates

if you don't have any nitrates present and high ammonia and nitrite levels, your tank is not cycled
ammonia and nitrites are suppose to be at '0', and nitrates should be below .20ppm


http://fishlesscycling.com/articles.html




Hope that helps
good luck


EB