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Guppy Health and Ammonia???
By guppy1111 from the Guppy1111 department, Section Diaries Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 01:27:50 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

HI everyone, I have one fish Finny and he was doing great but now he lost his spunk and is not very active and looks almost like he is having trouble swimming but can still swim very well when he wants to. His tail also is normaly orange(very cute) but the edge is turning red. My ammoina is at like one. Does anyone have any ideas on what is going on with him and suggestions and how to get my ammonia down???

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Guppy Health and Ammonia??? | 13 comments (13 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#6)
by guppy1111 on Tue May 23, 2006 at 06:06:41 PM PST

Finny just sadly died. Buried him under the maple tree in the back yard where my other two fish were layed to rest. I am now going to leave my tank for about 4 more weeks for the good bacteria to grow. Then get more fish.

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#1)
by ballerina on Mon May 22, 2006 at 05:56:13 PM PST

Why not try some water changes?

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#3)
by guppy1111 on Tue May 23, 2006 at 02:36:27 PM PST

i have been doing water changes but the ammonia level never goes down only up. I have only had my tank wiht fish in it for about 2 and a half weeks and did not cycle it. and my fish is dying right this second

[ Parent ]

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#4)
by lomelindi on Tue May 23, 2006 at 04:24:53 PM PST

Have you started vacuuming the gravel like we talked about, or are you still dipping it out? Most of the ammonia-causing matter is in the gravel, and changing the water without touching the gravel will just temporarily dilute it.

[ Parent ]

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#5)
by guppy1111 on Tue May 23, 2006 at 04:30:28 PM PST

I have not had time to go out and bye a vacum but will try to get my parents to take me out to buy one...

[ Parent ]

As a gravel vac substitute, try starting the (none / 0) (#7)
by unclescott on Tue May 23, 2006 at 10:08:57 PM PST

siphon. Put your finger over it to stop the water. Gently stir a little bit of the bottom. Start the siphon and draw out the debris you stirred up. Stop the siohon and stir another spot...

That isn't as efficient as a gravel vacuum, but maybe it will help a little. And it is probably a temporary thing. :)

All the best!
unc

[ Parent ]

Re: As a gravel vac substitute, try starting the (none / 0) (#8)
by miskairal on Wed May 24, 2006 at 01:46:57 AM PST

I think unc means use a piece of clean tubing as a syphon here, sort of like a gravel vacc without the hard plastic tube on the end. Gravel vaccs aren't that expensive either in case anyone is wondering.
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help
[ Parent ]

Yep. Thank you M. for the clarification. (none / 0) (#9)
by unclescott on Wed May 24, 2006 at 03:05:11 AM PST

Wow! Clarevoyancy around the world! :)

ATB!
unc

[ Parent ]

Re: Yep. Thank you M. for the clarification. (none / 0) (#10)
by miskairal on Wed May 24, 2006 at 02:30:24 PM PST

Glad I got that right. I was wondering if there was some other item I knew nothing about :)
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help
[ Parent ]

Home made gravel vacs (none / 0) (#11)
by unclescott on Wed May 24, 2006 at 03:40:24 PM PST

GuppyGirl made a couple of homemade gravel vacs. She used a small diameter siphon tube and a small, but slightly larger hard plastic tube as the vac. One can tape (shipping tape?) the exit tube of an UG filter or sponge filter. Also one could connect the right sized flexible tube to the small part of a turkey baster. (The bulbs on basters wear out after so many years.) There are a couple of those tubes around here awaiting either use in the fishroom or recycling of the usual sort.

GG made me an even cleverer mini-vac and it is still with some stuff, moved when we had new windows put in the fishroom. I've got to find that, use it and maybe post a photo.

Those small-scale vacs require more patience of one because less water flows at a time. But Betta bowls & vases - if I don't get swatted around for suggesting that ;) could actually be cleaned that way, as could graveled 2.5-gallon tanks. Just think, a fish bowl vac. And with the lower volume, it is safer for fry too. :)

I can just see people lugging the plastic ends of turkey basters into pet shops or that rack of tubing on a pipe at the hardware stores, looking for a fit. :0

All the best!
unc

[ Parent ]

Re: Home made gravel vacs (none / 0) (#12)
by miskairal on Thu May 25, 2006 at 02:35:51 PM PST

I might have to get you to post me over a turkey baster yet ;) I've been looking for one for months and had friends going out of town looking but to no avail. I want it to feed my coral and anemone.
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help
[ Parent ]

Re: Home made gravel vacs (none / 0) (#13)
by guppy1111 on Thu May 25, 2006 at 05:08:27 PM PST

Oh well I hope you find one;)

[ Parent ]

Re: Guppy Health and Ammonia??? (none / 0) (#2)
by lomelindi on Mon May 22, 2006 at 11:53:22 PM PST

chuckles

We at guppylog can be quite the ranters from time to time, but I'd say that this is definitely a short-but-sweet, wonderfully accurate answer here.

[ Parent ]

Guppy Health and Ammonia??? | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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