The Guppy Ladies

[Socks' Mum]

Someone my cherry shrimps died sadly. The tank has been looking a bit bare, so I brought home six little female guppies! There is quite a good supply of algae grown on the glass and the tank has been going for several months now, so hopefully they will thrive. I am hopefully getting a bigger tank so I can start cycling that soon if all goes to plan. Fishy will upgrade and the four shrimps (two cherries and two Amano shrimps) and the six guppies will take over Fishy's old 25 litre tank. Guppies are often fin nippers, so they can't share the new 54 litre tank with Fishy as his trailing fins (Fishy Foo is a Siamese fighting fish) would be hard to resist. But I might try some White Mountain minnows as I think they might be lest predacious. I will need to think about it. I will take some pictures, but I want to take them in sunlight if possible as it should help to pick up the nice shiny, shimmery bits of colour on their scales and fins. I am glad to say that are eating really well. They get on very well with the shrimp, who are delighted to have extra food coming into the tank.

 

[Maz]

This sounds really interesting. I know nothing about fish so it's all fascinating and painting little images for me

 

[Socks' Mum]

Thank you. Guppies are sometimes overlooked, but they are fine little fish and great fun. There are some babies, which I thought might be the case when I chose them and I am very pleased. They are really tiny though, so it is too soon to know if they will survive. A bigger tank is on order!

 

[Socks' Mum]

The stress of moving will often make preggie fish give birth, but they seem fine, so hoping they will survive. The adults sometimes eat them but they seem quite quick and are hiding in the extra plastic plants and real plant I put in for them

 

[Socks' Mum]

It is better to breed once and then let the mom retire, rather like hamsters

 

[RainbowBrite]

Sorry to hear you lost your shrimp. Did you disinfect the tank before introducing the guppies in case of any disease? I think guppies are usually kept in 38 litre tanks as a minimum. You may want to join Fishlore forum. I learned a lot about fish from there.

Congratulations on your new little ones.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Yes, a 40 litre tank would be nice. Perhapsnext month, depending on how things turn out. We still need to cycle the new tank, so we will see. Fishy Foo has formally applied for the new tank, so it is most likely he will be ahead of the guppies on the housing list

 

[Socks' Mum]

I think the shrimp may have been affected by a new plant I brought in. I should have quarantined it for longer with water changes as some distributors use invertebrate pesticide to comply with import regs. The other possibility is aquatic fertiliser. No one can be entirely certain if it is safe in all conditions, although it should be OK for shrimp. It does have copper in it and most people know what copper does to snails... They may also have just been old though.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Fishlore forum, that sounds interesting, I'll take a look, thank you!

 

[Socks' Mum]

This sounds really interesting. I know nothing about fish so it's all fascinating and painting little images for me

Thank you. Cycling the tank is getting a system going that consumes ammonia (created by fish poop and other organic processes). Changing a portion of the water also helps, just like hamster bedding and growing aquatic plants

 

[Maz]

I think even fish do die of old age sometimes, but I don't know anything about all the rest above! Plants or copper etc. It's always difficult trying to work out what something could have been and sometimes there's just no real way of knowing. I'm sure it's nothing you've done though - maybe the plant had something on it as you say, or old age.

It sounds good the guppies are doing ok.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Thanks, so true. Yes, I've just fed them and there's a nice feeding frenzy going on. The tiny fry are getting bigger and a bit bolder!

 

[Socks' Mum]

Video on the way
(slow YouTube though)

 

[Socks' Mum]

Here's Fishy Foo in the meantime, resting his fins on the leaf of a water plant

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hello beautiful boy! I love your colouring.

 

[Socks' Mum]

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[Socks' Mum]

Hello beautiful boy! I love your colouring.

Thank you!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Aw, they are adorable!

I think the filter may be a bit strong for them. Have you tried a sponge filter? You can get them cheaply. I used them with my betta and the current is very slow. I hope you do not mind me mentioning that.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Aw, they are adorable!

I think the filter may be a bit strong for them. Have you tried a sponge filter? You can get them cheaply. I used them with my betta and the current is very slow. I hope you do not mind me mentioning that.

Thanks, no, not at all. I've got a sponge filter which I might add to their next tank.

 

[Maz]

Fishy foo is beautiful. So is the video of the guppies? I always thought they were black