piggyvir Posted December 12, 2010 Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 I bought about 17 guppies from Bird Barn and 4of them start developing the symptoms of fraying, shredding tails... The pH of my tank is 7.6 and I just had a water change... any idea why? The albino guppies are the one suffering the most... what should I do to save them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 12, 2010 Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 Do they have finrot - ie is there white edging to the fraying? Are there any other symptoms they are showing? Did you buy them all from different tanks and then chuck them in the same one when you got home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted December 12, 2010 Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 As Ryan said, or are they all males and nibbling at each other? How long have you had them? How long has the tank been running for and are they the only fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 the tank has been running for a week with another 50 odd fish, rummy nose, cardinal, platties and a lot of guppies too the tail just start disappearing from the top and only a few hairline like fin left at the end.. it only happens to the prettiest guppies - the albino and those with super fancy tails.. all of other guppies are fine.. is it pH issue? i bought them all from a single tank from Bird Barn and loaded them all into a single tank... I isolated two of them into a small tank and both died this morning :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted December 12, 2010 Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 Are the guppies imports or NZ bred ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 i don't know.. probably NZ bred one, the shop keeper says they bred them in the pond.. like i mentioned before.. the tuxedo or other darker colour, or not so fancy guppies are fine... but the super fancy one with very lovely tails are dying :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Possilby could be the guppy virus/disease.. Some fish carry it some don't you will find out which ones are succeptable to it when you stick them in the same tank and one lot gets wiped out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I think that's the case - I went to HFF and they said to use melamix..... my poor guppies those are the very pretty one !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Try whatever you like but unless you determine if it is a virus or bacterial or just a random bug or whatever you wont have any luck treating it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Most drugs wont do any good if it is a virus. If it is finrot furan is the easiest to obtain antibiotic ( or acriflavine) without a visit to the vet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 the tank has been running for a week with another 50 odd fish, rummy nose, cardinal, platties and a lot of guppies too So you'r saying the tank is a week old and has 50+ fish in it? I'm amazed it's just a few guppies having problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 If it is that guppy virus then you wont want any of those guppies you were going to pick up on saturday. They'll all just end up dying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I think suphew is on to it. The tank has not cycled and the fish are being poisoned with ammonia and nitrite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 When I was a very beginning beginner my prettiest guppy died during cycling too. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Hi all - i have tested with the water and there's no nitrate nor ammonia !! I have tested it multiple times ! The filter is not new though.. i have been using that filter for a month already.... I have also gone to HFF and Bird Barn for water testing and both said there's no problem at all. Joshlikesfish - that's why I kinda want to delay picking up the guppy :( My dad said guppies like slightly more alkaline, like pH 8-ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I have heard all sorts of things related to guppies and different water but at the end of the day it is a guppy and should thrive in any water but the very extreme. Sounds like your tank is cycled also. I would put it down to some sort of virus or bacterial infection, do tons of research and see what you can come up with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I took a picture of the infected guppy - 5 guppies developed this fin shredding business within 2 hours hitting the tank but now all of my guppies are fine now......which is very odd ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 yikes. That needs furan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I never use Furan before and from what I read on the net, it's pretty strong stuff... so better to isolate the fish in a smaller tank before treatment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Never use furan? It's an antibiotic; and is not all that strong. It has a nitrogenous compound in it that has been linked by some tests to cancer in mice at high doses. these doses are not what we treat fish at, and human exposure at those levels are quite well unfeasible. but by all means, use gloves if you have to, but without a prescription, it's all you can use. Do not be afraid of it; just use it correctly, and like any other medication - handle it with care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 Thanks - the last infected fish RIP this morning and all of my guppies are looking fine at the moment.. it's just very, very weird ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 14, 2010 Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 Thanks - the last infected fish RIP this morning and all of my guppies are looking fine at the moment.. it's just very, very weird ! Which is why I suggested guppy virus, it is possible all the fish that are surviving are carriers of it and immune so they are fine, the ones that aren't carriers or immune are dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted December 14, 2010 Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 Which is why I suggested guppy virus, it is possible all the fish that are surviving are carriers of it and immune so they are fine, the ones that aren't carriers or immune are dead. if it's a virus I would be concerned about adding new guppies. That's one reason I always quarantine new livebearers for a MONTH. If I have any new fry I put a couple of them in with the newcomers to see of they catch anything. I give the tank a dose of salt at the same time . The only time I didn't quarantine some nice new fancy guppies.. I had problems.. one died in two days and the other a few weeks later and then almost all my males died soon after and I had to start again. i think it was columnaris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 14, 2010 Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 It is very hard to tell, and the guppy virus/disease thing is only a theory, but it does seem to fit an awful lot of cases so I am beginning to wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyvir Posted December 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2010 it's just really sad to see all the very fancy guppies died >.< I have set up a 20L tank and that will be my quarantine tank until everything settled down... how many guppies can I fit in a 20L tank, also, do i need a filter?? or can I get away with the sponge filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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