I know this tank is too small and that I have made errors. Learning backwards. Ugh.
Will act on the advice I receive this evening. Need to know what's best.
History:
5 gallon tank that was never properly REcycled after Quick Cure killed off the cycle back in April/May. Fish were actually stressed, not diseased. Moved all fish to my larger tank and everything sorted itself out with the fish. 5 gallon Tank left running, but empty from May til July when I was ready to try just 2-3 guppies. (previously 2 glo fish danios and 1 guppy -- lots of aggression and misery with that group)
API Freshwater Master Test Kit used for all tests described below
Always add stress coat with water changes.
Water temp generally 76-80F
5 gallon fishless - Tested water 7/17 -- ph 7.6, Amm 0.25, Nitrate/Nitrites both 0. I interpreted this as cycled (oops!), did a 20% water change as it had been running fishless for 2 months. Tested water 7/23 before adding fish. Same levels as 7/17. Again interpreted this is good. Duckweed and Frogbit also in tank.
Added 1 male/1 female guppy (oops!) plus large cambomba plant for potential fry cover on 7/23.
Feeding rotation of dried bloodworms, flake, pellet. Once daily in the morning.
After a few days, noted caudal fin damage and what I know now was shimmies in the male. Began to wonder if disease or aggression, added stress coat. Never observed aggression. Fish eating well. Didn't understand shimmies. Kept all the same.
20% Water change around 7/30. Uneventful. Male guppy caudal fin still ragged, but all else same.
By 8/8 noting overt aggression by female toward male at meal times. 20% Water change. Male looking more ragged.
8/9 - found ONE guppy fry hiding in tank. Observed carefully - no sign of cannibal intentions from either adult, so kept all in same tank. Started feeding finely crumbled flake 2-4x/day. NO idea if there were ever other fry.
8/15 - 20% water change. Amm 0.25, Nitrate/Nitrite both 0. Finally clicked that fish stressed due to lack of proper nitrogen cycle.
Male looking much worse by this point. Female looking stressed/hiding. Obvious gravid spot, but no new fry. 1 existing fry growing and seems fine.
Also -
Began gearing up the 5 gallon QT tank (50% water change, turned heater on). Filter for QT tank had been living in 55g well established tank for 2 months and QT tank cycled from previous use 2 months before. Unsure which of guppies to put in the QT tank, but figured someone needed to move. Added a bit of filter floss from established tank to guppy filter to see if it would kick start the nitrogen cycle. Figured I would give the QT tank 18-24 hours of running with the filter before adding any guppies.
8/16 - Guppy tank - Found 3 planaria in tank. Also cloudy water progressing over last 8 hours. Fish looking LESS stressed (more active, but staying near top of water).
ph 7.6, Amm 0.25 (barely), Nitrites 0.5, Nitrates approx 3 (less than 5).
Obviously I have kick started the cycle.
The QT tank is cycled and ready as of this evening's test (Amm and Nitrites both 0, Nitrates 10-20).....
My questions - with all going on in the guppy tank, should I move all 3 guppies to the QT? Put the female in a breeder net to stop her attacks on the male? Add a 2nd female to the mix now? Better to leave them in their current tank and do daily water changes?
Add salt?
I just don't know what's best. I know they are all miserably stressed and I feel badly that I am learning at their expense.
I know a bigger tank is better --- just wanted a small "project" tank for my 6 year old. What a disaster! Moving up to 10-20 asap, but for now, need advice. My kid has named all 3 fish now. Ugh.
Will act on advice tonite, so waiting for replies!!!
Thank you!

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/urgent-advice-guppies-1-fry-2-a-444690/#ixzz3AcBDthGJ
Will act on the advice I receive this evening. Need to know what's best.
History:
5 gallon tank that was never properly REcycled after Quick Cure killed off the cycle back in April/May. Fish were actually stressed, not diseased. Moved all fish to my larger tank and everything sorted itself out with the fish. 5 gallon Tank left running, but empty from May til July when I was ready to try just 2-3 guppies. (previously 2 glo fish danios and 1 guppy -- lots of aggression and misery with that group)
API Freshwater Master Test Kit used for all tests described below
Always add stress coat with water changes.
Water temp generally 76-80F
5 gallon fishless - Tested water 7/17 -- ph 7.6, Amm 0.25, Nitrate/Nitrites both 0. I interpreted this as cycled (oops!), did a 20% water change as it had been running fishless for 2 months. Tested water 7/23 before adding fish. Same levels as 7/17. Again interpreted this is good. Duckweed and Frogbit also in tank.
Added 1 male/1 female guppy (oops!) plus large cambomba plant for potential fry cover on 7/23.
Feeding rotation of dried bloodworms, flake, pellet. Once daily in the morning.
After a few days, noted caudal fin damage and what I know now was shimmies in the male. Began to wonder if disease or aggression, added stress coat. Never observed aggression. Fish eating well. Didn't understand shimmies. Kept all the same.
20% Water change around 7/30. Uneventful. Male guppy caudal fin still ragged, but all else same.
By 8/8 noting overt aggression by female toward male at meal times. 20% Water change. Male looking more ragged.
8/9 - found ONE guppy fry hiding in tank. Observed carefully - no sign of cannibal intentions from either adult, so kept all in same tank. Started feeding finely crumbled flake 2-4x/day. NO idea if there were ever other fry.
8/15 - 20% water change. Amm 0.25, Nitrate/Nitrite both 0. Finally clicked that fish stressed due to lack of proper nitrogen cycle.

Also -
Began gearing up the 5 gallon QT tank (50% water change, turned heater on). Filter for QT tank had been living in 55g well established tank for 2 months and QT tank cycled from previous use 2 months before. Unsure which of guppies to put in the QT tank, but figured someone needed to move. Added a bit of filter floss from established tank to guppy filter to see if it would kick start the nitrogen cycle. Figured I would give the QT tank 18-24 hours of running with the filter before adding any guppies.
8/16 - Guppy tank - Found 3 planaria in tank. Also cloudy water progressing over last 8 hours. Fish looking LESS stressed (more active, but staying near top of water).
ph 7.6, Amm 0.25 (barely), Nitrites 0.5, Nitrates approx 3 (less than 5).
Obviously I have kick started the cycle.

The QT tank is cycled and ready as of this evening's test (Amm and Nitrites both 0, Nitrates 10-20).....
My questions - with all going on in the guppy tank, should I move all 3 guppies to the QT? Put the female in a breeder net to stop her attacks on the male? Add a 2nd female to the mix now? Better to leave them in their current tank and do daily water changes?
Add salt?
I just don't know what's best. I know they are all miserably stressed and I feel badly that I am learning at their expense.

Will act on advice tonite, so waiting for replies!!!
Thank you!



Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/urgent-advice-guppies-1-fry-2-a-444690/#ixzz3AcBDthGJ