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Thinking about restarting a tank
By emilythestrange from the emilythestrange department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Tue Apr 04, 2006 at 12:01:51 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

Hello, My guppies are dropping like flies in the tank I have. 1-4 die every day. I was wondering if I start the tank over if it would help.

The fish first seem to have problems staying afloat then I find them on the bottom or on the filter. I just emptied half the water of the tank and refilled it but there are more dead fish on the bottom.

I don't think that my nearby vet treat's guppies so I don't know how to get medication to save my fish. Any suggestions?

Would taking the fry, they don't seem to be affected, and some adults and moving them to a new tank help? I really want to save as many fish as possible. Thank you for your time.

Emilythestrange

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Thinking about restarting a tank | 12 comments (6 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Thinking about restarting a tank (none / 0) (#6)
by emilythestrange on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 02:57:49 PM PST

Oh sorry I forgot to add the other symptons.

-First seem to have increased breathing and heart rate
- just acting strange, jumpy
- Show floating/swimming problems, go into a vertical position
- I have seen a few female squirming under fake plants and rocks, then dying

Re: Thinking about restarting a tank (none / 0) (#2)
by Jaymi on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 01:46:01 PM PST

This may seem like a really silly question, but do you dechlorinate your water?

What are your ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels?

How many fish do you have in your tank? What size is your tank?

Are they showing any other symptoms, such as clamped fins, or difficulty breathing?

Is your tank cycled?

Sorry, but I'll need a bit more information before I'm able to help.

Re: Thinking about restarting a tank (none / 0) (#3)
by Jaymi on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 01:47:47 PM PST

Left out a couple questions.

What temperature is your water? Was the water you added the same temperature, or really close (within 2 degrees)

[ Parent ]

Re: Thinking about restarting a tank (none / 0) (#11)
by angelhologram on Mon Apr 03, 2006 at 10:47:09 AM PST

Or you could just direct her to the 20 questions section (actually 40 questions)of IMMEDIATE HELP
*BEFORE you buy fish make sure you understand what "Cycling" a tank means <- quoted from miskaral* ~Trying to make a difference one fish at a time~
[ Parent ]

Re: Thinking about restarting a tank (none / 0) (#1)
by grizzly29 on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 11:50:49 AM PST

I think you'd realy benefit from sitting down and reading through the immediate help section. It'll help you identify what is wrong with your fish and also suggest treatments, and future precautions.

Emily, is there any sign of a disease on the dead (none / 0) (#12)
by unclescott on Mon Apr 03, 2006 at 12:15:06 PM PST

fish? I think Jaymi is onto something with her questions about what you are doing to make the water ready for partial weekly water changes. Do you put a treatment into it? If so, what are you treating for?

How many days do you let the water "season"? What temperature is the tank at? Do you have filtration and/or aeration? What would it be?

How long has the tank been set up? Has the nitrogen cycle (4-8 weeks) been completed? The number of fish may be ok for an established aquarium of a couple/three months, but not for a brand new one.

If the larger fish are dying and there is no sign of disease, they may be suffocating. This could be a household poison or something in the tank, but most likely your water has something in it or hasn't been given much chance to shed extra carbon dioxide and nitrogen and absorb oxygen.

I could be all wrong in this, but this sounds like what too often, sadly, happens with new aquariums. If you set up the tank again, all this would happen all over again, if you did things the way you have before.

Thank you for the info. Please consider the other questions others and I have asked. Please also read through that second section of Immediate Help. It may give you some insights into what has happened and what you need to do to make your fish more comfortable.

All the best!
uncle scott

[ Parent ]

Thinking about restarting a tank | 12 comments (6 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden)

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