Why are my new guppies keep dieing?

Question

I have two guppies (male and female) but I want to have more but for some reason when I put more in they die. Why is that? I make sure i keep them in the bag before i let them go into the regular water.

Answer 1

Do you have a heater? Check the water temp.

How long has your tank been set up? If it has been a short period of time, then you may be experiencing a cycle.

Ammonia and nitrites build up in your tank as fish waste decomposes. These substances are toxic to fish. Eventually, good bacteria grows in the filter to eat up the ammonia and nitrites.

I'd suggest you purchase a liquid test kit for ammonia and nitrites. If either gets too high, over .25ppm, then you will need to remove and replace a portion of the water in your tank to dillute the levels.

Also, you should slowly add water to the bag from your tank. Add 1/4cup every 10-15 mins. That would help the fish adjust to your water conditions. Don't try this until after you check the ammonia and nitrite leves. If they are too high, your fish will still die even if you try to acclimate them to your water.

Answer 2

How long ago did you set up your aquarium? Your aquarium could be in the cycling stage, whic occurs when you first set up an aquarium. If you put fish in and feed them, they'll p**p, but a bacteria colony hasn't developed yet to handle the waste to turn it into nitrate. There's two options to filter, which is to buy some hard fish, I've heard zebra danios work well, and fill the tank with a bunch, and continually feed them for a month or so while taking water tests to see when your nitrIte reaches 0, and your nitrAte begins to show up, and ammonia is down. The other is fishless cycling, a method which I use. I provided two links on cycling, which is a very important process in the aquarium.

If your aquarium has been established for a while, over 3 months, with other fish in it, you should look into other problems. Do you have a heater in there? Do you have it set to the right heat? It should be set to about 80-82 degrees, getting a temperature strip will help you determine if you have the right heat. If you have the heat running smoothly, then you should consider running some water tests. These can be purchased at the store for about 24 dollars, and, if you're serious about taking care of your fish, is very important. It should include nitrAte, nitrIte, ammonia, and ph testing. Test for all of these and read the instructions it comes with to determine if maybe you have too much ammonia or nirtrate, or if your ph is too soft. Guppies prefer hard aquarium water, which will be around 7.0 +. I'll give you some links about cycling an aquarium if you haven't done that yet, or don't know what it is, it's very useful to read up on, and about guppies.  If your water is good, your tank is mature, then it may just be a problem with the guppies, which could either be just an unlucky pick, or a problem with your local fish store, I suggest, if this is your case, looking around at other fish stores. Make sure to pick lively fish who don't show signs of disease, meaning full tails, clean and clear faces, and good, non blotchy skin, and no white spots. If your fish shows any of these symptoms, it's important to provide medical care immediately, and identify the illness. the last link I provided is a quick faq about fish diseases, also a very good thing to look up on if you want to be a a good fish keeper.

Answer 3

purchase a test kit and check the ph, ammonia, and nitrite level

Answer 4

I need more details, then i can help you

Answer 5

You might be using tap water, which contains a lot of properties toxic to fish like chloride. You need to buy a liquid in your pet store called de-clorinizer and add it to the tap water to get rid of the toxic elements. Tetra is a good brand for that liquid. Also, you might need to feed your fish a bit more. When they aren't being fed the proper amount, they tend to bite and nib off other fishes fins and tails, which kills the new fish. Dead fish also create ammonia in the aquarium which is again toxic for the live fish. Once a fish dies it needs to be removed immediately and the tank requires a water change. The other option is that the fish you are buying come sick from your local pet store, try a different one. Best.

Answer 6

I'd really need more information.  How big is the tank?  Has it been cycled?  What results are you getting on your water tests?  Does your tank have a heater?

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