Guppy help,1st time having one(pictures/video included)...

Question

One of my guppy is really fat and there is a dark spot on it that changes color(sometimes dark/light). How long do you think it has been like that(the fat guppy). I don't know which one is a male or female. The little guppy keeps chasing the big one. Could you please help me....this is like my first time. And how can I reduce the ammonia problem in my tank. I would really appreciated it if you help. Thanks!!!

Video:

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

Pictures:

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm161...

Or should I separated them until the problem is fixed?

Can I put the big guppy in a 655 millilitres tank just for a while, then put it back in my 10 gallon fish tank after its over?

Or a 1 gallon fish bucket (I keep my fishes in there when I clean my 10 gallon fish tank once a month)?

How long do I have to keep the fat guppy in a separate place.

Answer 1

Look at the fin under their belly. If the fin is very small and pin like its a male if its wider its a female. The one with a big belly is probably a female and the dot that you speak of signifies she is probably pregnant.

Answer 2

well the fat one with dark spot is mos likely pregnant so expect lots of little babies in a week or two.

Answer 3

Ok, here goes.  

The fat guppy with the dark spot behind the curve of her belly is the female.  That dark spot is called a "gravid spot".  That's how you tell she is the female.  She's so fat because she's pregnant.  The littler guppy is the male.  Males are usually a little smaller, slimmer and have a pointy anal fin called a gonopodium.  He's chasing her all the time because he wants to mate with her.  Male guppies always want to mate with the female guppies.  They are very persistent that way.  They don't care if the female is already pregnant or not.  In fact, they can chase a female guppy so much that they can stress her out and make her sick or even kill her with their unwanted attention!  You should always keep 2 females for every male guppy.  That way one female can get a break every now and then while the male is off chasing the other female.

Female guppies give birth to their fry (they are livebearers and don't lay eggs) about every 28-30 days.  You can tell when your female guppy is going to give birth soon when her belly starts to look a little less rounded and a bit squarish at the bottom.  It will look particularly angular towards the back.  At that point, she will give birth in a day or two.  At that point you might want to move the male so she can have some peace.  I suggest moving the male, because if you move the female it will just stress her out more and giving birth is stressful enough.

You shouldn't have to move your guppies when you clean your tank.  You should use some kind of suction device (a piece of air hose, a turkey baster, a gravel vacuum, etc.) and just suck up the gunk from the bottom of the tank along with 20-30 percent of the water every week or 2 and replace it with clean, conditioned water of the same temperature.  That way you won't have to move your fish and stress them out.  

Changing all the water and scrubbing your tank kills the beneficial bacteria that changes ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrates.  That's why you have ammonia problems.  The beneficial bacteria lives on your gravel and decorations and in your filter media, but it needs air and water to survive.  In the meantime, more frequent water changes will help with your ammonia problems.  Also, adding live plants will help reduce your ammonia problems, as live plants use ammonia and nitrite as fertilizer.  Faster growing plants use more ammonia and slower growing plants use less.  As your tank cycles, the ammonia levels will rise to a spike, then fall to 0.   Then your nitrite levels will rise to a spike and fall to 0.  Then you will get nitrates, but nitrates are much less toxic to fish and you can keep them at a safe level by doing regular water changes and keeping your filter clean.

Below are some sites to help you.