Guppy help please!

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Chicohombre39

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 11, 2021
30
9
8
43
Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
20ppm
If I did not test my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
21-30%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week
If I do not change my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
Ok what is it about my female guppies? They get this fungus and die. My males have lived through two rounds of treatments. They never show any signs of infection. All the babies get a certain size and get mouth/finrot and die. I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of aquarium salt. I treated with fungus cure twice. Both times it went away but lost most females. Only females and babies and only the guppies. My platys and mollies are exploding with young and are healthy in the same water! WTF! Any ideas?
 
Could be fungal. I’d keep the temps round 80 degrees and dose some malachite green to the tank.
 
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Seems like you’re doing a lot of things right. Guppies nowadays just aren’t as hardy as the ones we grew up with...especially the super fancy strains. I have albino blue topaz and they are the the most sensitive fish i own and need constant care and pristine water like it’s life support. The minute the water quality slips, they start wobbling and shimmying, etc. All other fish are fine. Spoke with other hobbyists who’ve experienced the same. I’m just trying to save some fry but they are weak as well and the females give birth to an unusually high percentage of stillborn and deformed fry and often die in childbirth. Maybe they’re too inbred and have lost vigor?
 
Last edited:
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I also went through a faze where I was losing only females. I ended up treating my tank a few times and it took almost 6 months to treat them and eventually lost almost all of my females. I think I lost close to 30 guppies. That was 10-15 adults females and a few babies.

I think I used fenbenzadol as it was one of the only meds Available in my area. I may have also tried prazipro for two rounds of treatment as well.
 
Yes, I’ve heard and experienced the same. The meds I got the best results was from levamisole. However, they are still extremely sensitive to water quality.

I have another tank with brackish conditions and they seem to do better so the farms are probably keeping them that way.

Niki_up said:
I also went through a faze where I was losing only females. I ended up treating my tank a few times and it took almost 6 months to treat them and eventually lost almost all of my females. I think I lost close to 30 guppies. That was 10-15 adults females and a few babies.

I think I used fenbenzadol as it was one of the only meds Available in my area. I may have also tried prazipro for two rounds of treatment as well.
Click to expand...
 
phreeflow said:
Yes, I’ve heard and experienced the same. The meds I got the best results was from levamisole. However, they are still extremely sensitive to water quality.

I have another tank with brackish conditions and they seem to do better so the farms are probably keeping them that way.
Click to expand...
Yes I have also heard the farms they come from keep them in brackish water and that is a contributing factor to the high death rates.

just an FYI for you the fenbenz is a more gentle med on fish than the levamisole.
I haven’t had any problems since my last 6 months of the females.

The males def seem to be unaffected. I do hope you get your tank under control
 
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Chicohombre39 said:
Ok what is it about my female guppies? They get this fungus and die. My males have lived through two rounds of treatments. They never show any signs of infection. All the babies get a certain size and get mouth/finrot and die. I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of aquarium salt. I treated with fungus cure twice. Both times it went away but lost most females. Only females and babies and only the guppies. My platys and mollies are exploding with young and are healthy in the same water! WTF! Any ideas?
Click to expand...
For your explanation, presumably is Tetrahymena spp. or guppy killer.
 
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Niki_up said:
Yes I have also heard the farms they come from keep them in brackish water and that is a contributing factor to the high death rates.

just an FYI for you the fenbenz is a more gentle med on fish than the levamisole.
I haven’t had any problems since my last 6 months of the females.

The males def seem to be unaffected. I do hope you get your tank under control
Click to expand...
Thats the thing. Ive gotten it under control once before. No new fish or additives at all and its back. Also all babies pretty much get a certain size and die. Really sucks. Decided to stick with mollies and platys they do great.
 
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Chicohombre39 said:
Thats the thing. Ive gotten it under control once before. No new fish or additives at all and its back. Also all babies pretty much get a certain size and die. Really sucks. Decided to stick with mollies and platys they do great.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got my tank under control as well but it was with levamisole. It was harsh but they responded well. I’m also working with some Cauliflower swordtails and find them a lot easier to work with. Have no clue what’s up with guppies but they are no longer hardy and the LFS never sell matched pairs anymore. Good luck
 
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