GUPSTERS

Well I went and did it. On my emergency trip to the lfs for a new filter I saw some lovely multi coloured male guppies.

Their colouration and the fact I had a sick 9yr old with me pleading to get them ended up with me coming home with 10 of them! I have 5 pairs, a pair of mainly apricot, a pair of black with orange tails, a pair of blue/light blue, asort of beige/green and a pair of yellow/black

Now safe and sound in the q tank up in the bedroom and swimming round fit as fiddles. Canrt wait to add them to the main tank, it will be nice to have a few new fish

fingers and fins crossed they are ok

Ive gotta say that they do look even better when there are females to show off too - even if they cant get at them (eg a neighbouring tank)

sound like very nice pick ups diana hope they do well for you


dekker

Well I am not having a good time with my fishy electrics

Checked on the guppies this morning and their filter has completely packed up! Have done an emergency transfer of them into the big tank where they are all now swimming round happily but now I have to keep an eye on them as they havent been q'd.

Wouldnt mind but the filter isnt that old - just a small fluval that I have had for about 18months.

ho dear hope the guppy's are ok

dekker

How big is the tank you need the filter for ?

I have spare filters (I could also provide seeded media too) so id be happy to put one inthe post on monday for ya

let me know - in the meantime - I have to fess - I dont Q new fish anymore - dint believe the stress of multiple captures n moves does em any good so I just 'assume' they have whitespot and beginbtreatment of the tank for it the day after introduction.

How lovely...I do like my Neon Blue Guppies. I hope they survive for you longterm, Diana as I've only had about a 25% survival rate with mine...

Thats one of the reasons I got 10 Mary, I thought if I lose some it gives me a bit of a chance of still having a bit of a shoal of them.

We will see

Funny, I was really tempted by some lovely red and blue guppies the other day when I went into my P@H, they looked really great, healthy too.

Came to my senses though and just bought some fish food

Diana wrote:

Thats one of the reasons I got 10 Mary, I thought if I lose some it gives me a bit of a chance of still having a bit of a shoal of them

Good thinking. I bought a total of 12 in two different batches and 3 have survived longterm, 2 of whom I've had for over a year so practically geriatric in guppy terms!

Well a quickcount thismorning shows that I have lost 50% of the stock I bought - just 5 left now.

Havent found any bodies, they literally have just disappoeared,although I am doing the water change today so I will give the tank a good clear out just in case there are any.

Just shows how weak these fish are though. I bought the 10 because I expected to have a high loss rate,just didnt expect it to happen so quickly!

I have gupster fry if you want them - cant guarantee the sex just yet (and more fry on the way)

offer is there anyway

Thanks Rich, I will see how these go for now just in case they have anything nasty going on. I dont think they have but best to be safe.

Well my disappearing Guppies were found trapped behind one of the filters so I know where they went now, and the death toll has risen again today by a cherry barb and a harlequin.

It could just be coincidence - the harlies are probably getting near the end of their lifespan as I have had then about 3yrs now, and all water stats are spot on but I will keep a close eye on things for now just in case!

I would say the guppies died and were sucked behind the filter, Diana as healthy specimens would've been able to swim out again. I just lost another one of my guppies too so just the two left now.

Yep. I think thats exactly what happened Mary.

I dont think I will be replacing them, although they did make a good show in the tank - just a bit too hit and miss.

sorry to hear you lost your guppys diana


dekker

not wanting to state the obvious - but maybe its OTS - old tank syndrome

Three years is about the time one can expect this - so maybe what you need to do is take out all the decor and give the qwhole tank a damned good gravel vac or two along with a bigger than usual water change.

Just an idea - but as you said - some of the fish are 'getting on' a bit although im told cherry barbs should live to 5 years on average - anyway - least you know where the bodies were and they wont pollute the water.

Mmmm, not a bad suggestion Rich. About once every 4 months or so I do do a bit of a Spring clean - take out the ornaments and plants, and give the gravel a decent vac all over rather than the 50% a week I usually do, and change about 50% of the water.

I feel better doing this as the gravel gets so mucky it needs a decent clean quite regularly. I think I must have VERY mucky fish!

also - and this is just an observation with my own gupsters - they are really greedy - I have found they do alot better with 2 or 3 small meals a day raather than a large one a day feed.

Also - a small amount of dried tubifex seems to do em a world of good too

How are the guppies doig now DIana, did thry all die or have some survived.

Its a shame they are such a weak species because they really can be a lovely little fish, very colourful.

Well Ive only got 3 left now, the others have all died.

Annoying thing is that they all seem fit and well and then the next day some have just disappeared - so annoying!

Par for the course with guppies I'm afraid. They're the fishy equivalent of beautiful flowers that bloom for a day and then just die...

Well - this is just my observation(s)

Home aquarium bred guppy seem stronger (generally)

Females seem less delicate too - ok not as 'pretty' (unless like me your fussy and select nice one)

Im wittling down mine to only the versy strongest but here too is another observattion - the fancier the colours - the more fragile the fish - all my really long lived and strong guppys are grey/silver females

It is a shame - but I have the same luck your having with guppy with fighters

If you look online - you can find some lovely guppys to order - maybe worth a crack rather than the 'bulk' LFS stock?