AARRGGHH! unexpected delivery of guppies!

[Joby]

Arrived back from the school run to be greeted on the drive by in-laws holding a very big bag of fish.

"I've brought the little one some guppies" she said

6 females and 3 males!!

As you can see from my sig, my quarantine tank is already occupied and they are halfway through finrot meds. Their tank isn't that big either so I don't think its an option of putting the new fish in there. Plus I don't want to risk putting unquarantined fish in my 20g community tank or in my fry tank.

So I smiled sweetly and accepted them and floated them in my main tank. When they left I raced into the garage and pulled out my old quarantine tank which is only 15litres and plastic. I also have a spare heater and filter which luckily the media is sitting in the quarantine tank filter just in case.

I've quickly set it up and plonked them all in there with some Aqualibrium I think it is called. There is going to be one massive ammonia spike with it but don't know what else I can do at such short notice.

Will popping some of the main tank gravel in with it help? and does it have to be put in something or can I just put it on top of the fresh gravel that I had spare too. Oh and I put one of the plants in from the main tank too so it isn't so bare.

Thanks for any help given. Am very very angry but can't say a word about it to them

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Adding gravel from the main tank should definitely help. Also add some of the filter media from the main tank, too, if possible. Frequent water changes should also help out.

Now Around 3.78 liters per gallon, so 15/3.78=4 gallons! Woah, they are really cramped in there!

Try returning the fish (if you happen to know where your m-in-l got them) or try to find a lfs that will give you credit for the fish. if you can do either of these and you would prefer to not keep guppies, then this would be the bets course to take.

Good luck.

 

[Joby]

Thanks Tempestuousfury!

Added the gravel on top and also already had the filter media which was in my cycled quarantine tank and a plant from the cycled main tank. Tested for ammonia this morning and it was 0 and nitrite was .1 just about in fact barely any colour at all in the test tube

So things are going ok so far but its only been since tea time yesterday. I haven't done a water change and am feeding very very sparingly. Do you think I need to do a change or hang on a bit longer and see if the bacteria catch up? Will .1 of nitrite put them at risk? Will test again tonight when its been 24 hours and see what the results are then

It does look a little crowded in there to say the least but they are all swimming round fine and the males have even been active if you know what I mean. I would like to quarantine them for 2 weeks to be safe, but do you think this is fair in that small space?

Think hubby is coming round to the idea that I need another tank so maybe its not all doom and gloom

 

[fishluver]

When u say filter media....what is that?

 

[Joby]

The filter media is the sponge that fits into the filter I'm using in the tank. when I dismantled this old quarantine tank to set up the new one I just popped the sponge media in with the new filter to keep it as spare just in case.

I'm hoping it hasn't caused any problems to the existing tank by taking it out, but readings taken this morning so far are all as they were

Hoping to go out today or tomorrow and pick up a new 28g tank and let them cycle it! Just as bad I guess they have to go through a cycle, but at least they will have lots more room than in the 15 litre plastic one

 

[Tempestuousfury]

You could transplant the media and gravel again.

Plus, guppies and danios seem to be the preferred tank cyclers on this forum.

 

[Joby]

I got a new tank and its quite a bit bigger than anything I've got so far. Hubby said if we're having another tank then its the last so lets get the biggest that will fit in the gap we had in the lounge

Got a Hagen Duo Deep 1200 which is 47.5 uk gallons or 216 litres (I think it said on the box) I've been washing gravel all evening and filling it up. The new guppies will be a little lost in there but hey ho they'll soon fill it up

Quarantine tank still running ok so will pop the same media and gravel in the new tank from the one they are in to help it on its way

Thanks for the thoughts on this one

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Length X Width X Height (in inches)
231
1000 cubic centimeters = 1 liter
1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram
1 cubic foot of water = 6.23 imperial gallons
1 imperial gallon of water weighs 10 lb
1 US gallon = .8 imperial gallon (approx)
1 US gallon weighs around 8 1/3 lb
1 imperial gallon = 4.55 liters
1 gallon = 3.64 liters

So that makes it 216.125 liters
Makes it 60 U.S. gallons, though going from the calculations on a gallon of milk, it's supposed to have 3.78 liters per U.S. gallon...

Oh well. Going by my milk gallon, , it's 57 U.S. gallons.

 

[willywonka099]

I hope you aren't adding the gravel and media into the 60 gallon already ...............the chlorine will kill it .......... congrats on the tank !~!!!!

 

[Joby]

No I filled it up and got the new fluval 4+ filter going and the 300 watt heater on overnight. I did use dechlorinator too as I do with all my water changes etc.

Have put the media and gravel in a well rinsed out stocking by the filter and also added the fish this morning.

I hope they don't get aggraphobia (sp?) with all that space! They look like they are having fun in there already and the tank looks fantastic, I love the different colours with the 2 bulbs in there. There is a special one for the plants which gives it a slightly green hue.

Off to take the coldwater fish to their new home in my Uncle's large pond now so I guess its going to be fun catching those guys

 

[willywonka099]

Congrats ............ too much space not for them for you !! LOL that filled up ready to go tank not anywhere NEAR its stocking limits !! lol .... Maybe this could be a live bearer tank and while your at it .. maybe 9-12 corys