Advice Please. Think A Guppy Is Going To Peg It

[bullgoose]

one of my guppies looks like he is on his way out. He is lying on the bottom panting with a hugely bloated stomach ?
 
I have been thinking he is sick as a result of over eating. 
 
 
I have been thinking he might have eaten my missing cherry shrimp.  Is this too far fetched ?
 
what else could a swollen stomach be a result of ? and is there anything i can do ?
 
The other three are swimming about fine.

 

[the_lock_man]

What are your vital stats (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph)?
How often do you feed them and how much?
How long has the tank been set up?
How did you cycle it?
What is your maintenance schedule?
Have you added anything to the tank recently?
What are the other tank inhabitants?
Is it just the belly that's swollen?

 

[bullgoose]

Sadly there will be no happy ending here. Pip is no longer with us   just found him bloated and upside down.
 
I feed them once a day, and only what they can eat up in a couple of minutes
 
Tank has been set up around 1 month
 
I am doing a fish in cycle (for the first and last time)
 
Nothing has been added
 
Tank contained 4 male guppies and 4 cherry shrimp
 
It was just the belly swollen

 

[the_lock_man]

Since you haven't given me ammonia, nitrite, etc., readings, I suspect that you don't have test kits, and therefore aren't able to tell how much water needs changing every day. Therefore I suspect that it was poor water quality that led to the death of the fish.

 

[bullgoose]

yes i do not currently have the kit. I was somewhat rail roaded into the fish in cycle and foolishly thought with such light stocking i would be ok.
 
I have leared my lesson and will never attempt a fish in cycle again.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I don't know where your other thread about missing shrimp is... but you hadn't mentioned in that one that you were doing fish in cycling... that could explain where your shrimp went... cherry shrimp do not handle ammonia or cycling well at all.  They probably died and were then eaten before you could see.
 
I doubt eating a shrimp is what killed your guppy. It was likely related to your cycling process.

 

[the_lock_man]

yes i do not currently have the kit. I was somewhat rail roaded into the fish in cycle and foolishly thought with such light stocking i would be ok.
 
I have leared my lesson and will never attempt a fish in cycle again.

 
So, we need to help you get through the position you're in now.
 
First thing is to get hold of a test kit, to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Have a read of the green link in my signature area, which will tell you all the details of how to successfully accomplish a fish-in cycle. It'll be a lot of work, but it is doable.

 

[bullgoose]

Thanks for the advice. I feel a damned fool.  Problem is i live in the sticks so it will be the end of the week before i can get the kit. Until then is there anything i can do.
 
change water ?? how many %  ? and how often ??
 
any other advice ?

 

[the_lock_man]

Yes, water changes are the key. Since you don't have the test kit yet, then work on changing around 75% of the water each day.
 
When you get the test kit, test your water for ammonia and nitrite. If you see anything up to 0.5ppm for either of those, then do a 50% change. If you see anything over 0.5ppm for either, then do a 90% change. If you see 0ppm for both, then don't bother changing water. Initially, you will be doing water changes daily - if your test show particularly high levels, then it would be worth testing and changing twice per day. As time goes on, and the bacteria colonies grow, you will start to be able to miss a day, but on the 2nd day you'll have to change. Then you'll go 3 days, then 4 and so on. Once you can go 7 days without having to change water, that is considered cycled.
 
Remember, though, that this means you have enough bacteria to cope with that current bioload. If you then add more fish, you will go through a mini-cycle, as the bacteria play catch-up, so further testing and changes will probably be necessary, but usually only for a few days.