Male Guppies Sat On Tank Floor

[Schmill]

Hi,

I recently moved my male guppies over to my 60L tank as the first step in trying to keep my guppy sexes seperate, however I've noticed they are now spending quite a bit of time sitting on the bottom of the tank. Their bodies are upright, but their tails lay flat on the gravel.
The tank they came from has an external filter with a spray bar outlet so has little circular current, whereas the 60L tank they are now in has an internal filter that circulates the water at quite a rate.

Is it normal for guppies to rest like this?

These males seem to have tiny bodies compared to their tails, so I'm wondering if they are just tired. I have turned the internal filter flowrate right down now to see if that helps but I'm not sure what else it could be. All water stats are fine, the shrimp in the tank seem fine, but the guppies are seemingly listless.
I also did a water change at the weekend, and I think it may have been too cold for them, (20L of cold water into a 60L tank. It dropped the temp from about 22 down to about 18 deg. C when I did it, and I noticed then that the guppies seemed to decend to the floor and 'shiver'. As quickly as the kettle would boil I removed 10L of tank water, and replaced it with 10L of boiled water mixed with cold to recover the tank temperature, and the guppies did seem to improve.

I've attached a picture of the guppies, (appologies for the blurriness, my camera doesn't do well with movement & no flash), you can see one laid on the gravel bottom left of the picture, (ok you may need to squint a bit!)

 

[razer121]

ive noticed my breading tank has this problem? main tank there fine but in the breader tank alot of my guppys tend to "lay" and rest on the bottom, i think maybe its just normal? idk it could be worse are yours still eating?? do they come to the top of the tank when you go to feed them? still acting normal other then the laying on the floor??? heck if that is the case i think they will be fine

 

[ny2oz]

ive noticed my breading tank has this problem? main tank there fine but in the breader tank alot of my guppys tend to "lay" and rest on the bottom, i think maybe its just normal? idk it could be worse are yours still eating?? do they come to the top of the tank when you go to feed them? still acting normal other then the laying on the floor??? heck if that is the case i think they will be fine

I may not add any useful knowledge, but I am battling Ich, and even though my guppy showed no white spots, they few hours before he died he just kinda hung out on the bottom like that...then was dead by morning.

 

[WILDER]

It sounds bacterial.
Have you lost any fish to looking skinny or bloated.
What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.
Check there anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any guppys have sunken in bellys.

When I guppy lays on the bottom alot during the day there something wrong.
Guppys will sleep on the bottom of the tank at night and thats normal.


The third type of infection produced by Aeromonas is by no means the least. This form is often the most virulent (potent) and can be rapidly fatal. This insidious form does not produce any noticeable external ulcers. The most notable feature is a behavioral change in which the infected fish generally become listless and lethargic. Some fish may lose color or appear darker. The fish do not feed, frequently seem off balance and may sink to the bottom laying on their sides. The course of the disease is rapid, and by the time the behavioral changes are noticed, the entire population of a tank may succumb, sometimes in a day or so. This is an internal infection, with the bacteria being found in the kidneys and blood of these fish. The bacteria produce potent toxins that account for the severity of the disease.


Shimmies



Symptoms:

This disease is named for the curious behavior seen in afflicted fish. Fish will swim with an odd, shimmying movement of the body. If left untreated, the afflicted fish will become unable to swim and will sit on the bottom, listlessly shimmying. This disease affects mostly livebearers, and particularly Mollies.



Cause:

Cause unkown but may be due to a variety of numerous pathogens, including protozoan, bacterial, and fungal.



Treatment:

Isolate the fish in a hospital tank and increase the temperature to 85°F (27°C). Treat with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Also ensure that the water chemistry is within acceptable ranges. Livebearers' should always be kept in water that has a pH of 7.8 - 8.3 and a hardness of 15°DH+.

 

[Schmill]

So to play it safe;

I am already treating with eSHa 2000, which I believe covers the 'bacterial' broad range med requirement.
So an increase in temperature is recommended as well?
Presumably also extra aireation will be needed due to the increased temp & meds in the water?

As for sizes, my male guppies grew from fry and ALWAYS seems to have had very small thin bodies, and yet large flowing fins.

 

[WILDER]

Temp raise is for the shimmies. But bacteria can mulitply at higher temps.