Likewise if the weather is really good or nasty in much of your world, it may be that way for others too and your potential correspondents have other priorities.

Do a little reading on guppies so that your questions can be a bit well informed. (No "what is a guppy" or "what is the difference between a male and a female" questions.)

Observe your fish. Be able to relate how they are different from "normal".

Read up on how to set up a tank before you ever buy one. Be able to tell us a little bit about what you have done in setting up.

Know what the nitrogen cycle is and be able to describe some of the characteristics of your water.

I know that for some readers of this, a very legitimate response is going to be, "Hey! I'm a beginner! I don't have a graduate degree in biology or chemistry."

Neither do most of us.

But you should have learned something before taking on the responsibility of caring for living things. (Some time back my daughter really wanted a rabbit. I stopped by a pet shop and bought the Barron's book  on rabbits. Probably it was one of those "Complete Owner's Manuals" or guides. I handed her the book with the admonition, "Read it. Then if you still want a rabbit. I'll get your one and all that is needed to go with it. You will be the caregiver though." She read half the book and began a campaign for a dog.)

By way of helping questioners help themselves, maybe we should mention that there are some great guppy books available, via one's public library if not the bookstores. Maybe no one should even buy a tank before reading DeVito and Skomal's THE EVERYTHING TROPICAL FISH BOOK with their check lists of things one should do before setting up an aquarium, before buying any fish and so on. (That is a book I wish I had written.)

Maybe we can get another stalwart forum member out of retirement (her initials are Guppygirl) to assemble a recommended reading list.

Also, we have a very thoughtful and hardworking member of Guppylog culling a checklist of things to look for (her initials happen to be Miskairal) for the benefit of questioners. Maybe in a week or two these could be available as a work in progress.

Lastly, be careful writing your questions. Don't tell me you can't do it. I am one of the world's worst spellers and typists. (Those two fingers get weary.) This is plunked out on a word processing program (Word) so that it can be spell and grammar checked. (I used to think grammar was that elderly lady we visited on the holidays "over the river and through the woods".)

(If need be, talk to a tape recorder or record to your computer. Then play it back and write it down.)

When you are done proof reading and checking, high light your blurb, right click and copy. Then go to the Guppylog page and paste your comments in. Preview and proof read several times. Punctuation will be obliterated. Paragraphs may be lost or miss-represented when formats are changed. Clean those things up.

Then jump back, get a note pad and expect some answers. Respond with further questions or ask for clarifications or even bother to say thanks. That should really get a response if people think you are actually reading answers to your questions.

Thank you. Merci. Muchas gracias. Danke schön. Dhanyabad, Sas efharisto. Shukriya, Ua tsaug. Yauwa, Xie xie. Arigato. Matur nuwun. Siyabonga.
 :)