Colder water for guppies?

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ella777

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I have 5 guppies and they are living in a 70l tank. I have a 200l already set up, with no fish in it.

I have done lots of tests and the water is exactly the same as the 70l (uk).

The guppies are currently living with 3 rosy barbs (rehoming them soon). I didn't realise rosys were so aggressive.

They have absolutely terrorised the life out of my guppies. I want to put them in a separate tank until I get rid of the barbs.

The only problem is, I have no idea how to control the new old heater. They would be in here over night until I get it sorted.
I have accidentally put the temperature up to 33°c and have no idea how to put it down again. The water is about 27°c, same as their current one.
I have turned the heater off so of course the water is cooling down. It will probably be around 18°c in the morning, and the rest of tomorrow until I get a new heater.
I have done some research and apparently guppies can survive in cold waters like 16°c, but I'm worried they might die.

I'm trying to work out how to work the heater but it's really frustrating.
Should I put the guppies in? Or wait until a few days to get a new heater. (It may be fixed tomorrow.)

Also from my last post 'guppies staying at the bottom?', I realised what's bothering them. It's not the water at all, it's the barbs. They rip their tails off and scare them horribly.

By the way, I have only set up the tank today. But the water is exactly the same and I've put a lot of the old tank water into the new tank for bacterias and stuff. There is a filter as well. I just feel really bad because I know it's my fault.
 

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Guppies can survive in colder temps, they're a sub-tropical fish rather than a fully tropical fish. I found my guppies shivering, stressed and unhappy one winter morning when their heater had broken and the temp had dropped from 76-77 F, to 63 F. I of course panicked and googled and ran out and got a new heater (I now always have a spare), but they all survived.

But something no fish likes is fluctuating temps. Yours have gone from being used to at 27 degrees, shot up to 33 which is incredibly hot for them, and if they then drop down to 18, all so soon, and especially if you switch them without a gradual acclimation, then you may have losses.

All of that causes stress, and when you add the additional stress of being torn apart by Rosy barbs... I wish you the best, but no one can guarantee that your guppies will survive all of this.

I would not move the guppies until you've sorted the heater and filter situation out. They've survived the barbs so far, another night with the rosys would be better than messing with their temp and putting them in an uncycled tank.

The beneficial bacteria *BB) that are the cycling bacteria we talk about, do not live in the water column, so switching water over doesn't cycle a tank. A filter is also only useful if it's a cycled filter, which is loaded with BB. The BB live in the filter media, once a tank is cycled, and on hard surfaces like the substrate, tank walls, decor etc, not in the water itself.
 
But something no fish likes is fluctuating temps. Yours have gone from being used to at 27 degrees, shot up to 33 which is incredibly hot for them, and if they then drop down to 18, all so soon, and especially if you switch them without a gradual acclimation, then you may have losses.
No no, they havent been in a tank at 33°, the 200l heater was set to 33 but never went up that high, its about the same temp as their current tank. The guppies have been in a 27° tank for ages including today. The temp in the 200l will slowly go down over night so they may not notice?
Also the filter is absolutely fine in both tanks.
I did another water change earlier today to try to help the guppies (before I knew the reason) and I cleaned the 70l filter in the 200l tank, so theres bacteria and algae from the filter in the new tank. There is also 2 very small cuttings of a plant that seem to be growing rather well.
 
No no, they havent been in a tank at 33°, the 200l heater was set to 33 but never went up that high, its about the same temp as their current tank. The guppies have been in a 27° tank for ages including today. Also the temp in the 200l will slowly go down so they may not notice?
Also the filter is absolutely fine in both tanks.
I did another water change earlier today to try to help the guppies (before I knew the reason) and I cleaned the 70l filter in the 200l tank, so theres bacteria and algae from the filter in the new tank. There is also 2 very small cuttings of a plant that seem to be growing rather well.
I'm really confused, and not really understanding what you're saying, which makes it very hard to offer advice.
 
I'm really confused, and not really understanding what you're saying, which makes it very hard to offer advice.
Okay basically, I have got two tanks. A 70l and 200l.
I have got 5 guppies in the 70l along with other fish, including 3 rosy barbs. I am rehoming the barbs soon so they will no longer scare them.
The filter in the 200l is working properly and is very good. The heater is not so good and I can't work it out. It's one of those digital ones I think.
I was messing around with the temp to work it out. Instead, I managed to make it 33°c. I let it heat some more and then turned it off. I turned the heater off at about 27°c. The same as the 70l which they are currently living in.
The rosys are scaring the guppies and making them hide, so I thought maybe I could put the guppies in the 200l. Obviously the water will drop to about ut 18° or less overnight, I was wondering if it would be better to keep them in the 70l with the guppies or put them in a separate tank with cooler water.
The water in both tanks is pretty similar but the 200l will cool down.
The guppies this whole time have been living in the 70l and their water has not got to 33°c.
 
The filter in the 200l is working properly and is very good.

Has that filter been running on a tank with fish in it? It's not about the quality of the filter, it's whether the filter is cycled or not. You mentioned moving the water over "for bacteria and stuff". I'm letting you know that the bacteria are not in the water, so if you're moving the guppies to a new tank with an uncycled filter and no heater, that moving some water over is not going to instantly cycle the tank.

Hopefully someone else can tag in and explain this more clearly.
 
Dropping from 27° to 18° in 12 hours or so is too drastic. Leave them tonight and sort the heater tomorrow.
You'll need to add cycled filter media so that the new filter can process the ammonia and nitrite.
 
Dropping from 27° to 18° in 12 hours or so is too drastic.

I mean, mine did, that time my heater broke over a winter night, and they survived it. But they were visibly unhappy about it - fin clamped and huddling behind decor, really, really obviously unhappy about it. They were also in good condition at the time, while fish that have been under severe stress for a long while, like being attacked by other fish, and the temps going up and down, will take it much harder. Stress is the biggest fish killer, and drastic temp changes done way too fast can easily cause a lot of stress, or even shock, then fatalities.
 
Has that filter been running on a tank with fish in it? It's not about the quality of the filter, it's whether the filter is cycled or not. You mentioned moving the water over "for bacteria and stuff". I'm letting you know that the bacteria are not in the water, so if you're moving the guppies to a new tank with an uncycled filter and no heater, that moving some water over is not going to instantly cycle the tank.

Hopefully someone else can tag in and explain this more clearly.
But I put some of the old fish tank water in the new one so there is bacteria. Also the man in the shop I got the filter from said it's fine to put it in and an hour after you can add fish. Usually its about 6 weeks. I know it may sound fake but he has owned fish for over 30 years, the filter was quite expensive and it's a bacteria and the other type mixed together.
And no it hasnt been running with fish because I set it up today, this would be the first time trying it.
 
I mean, mine did, that time my heater broke over a winter night, and they survived it. But they were visibly unhappy about it - fin clamped and huddling behind decor, really, really obviously unhappy about it. They were also in good condition at the time, while fish that have been under severe stress for a long while, like being attacked by other fish, and the temps going up and down, will take it much harder. Stress is the biggest fish killer, and drastic temp changes done way too fast can easily cause a lot of stress, or even shock, then fatalities.
Would it be better to keep the heater on until I go to sleep? With the guppies in?
I've kept the heater off for about an hour and a bit and it hasnt dropped in temp at all.

If I did do it, would I have to put them in a bag like when you bring them home? Or do I just put them straight in
 
But I put some of the old fish tank water in the new one so there is bacteria. Also the man in the shop I got the filter from said it's fine to put it in and an hour after you can add fish. Usually its about 6 weeks. I know it may sound fake but he has owned fish for over 30 years, the filter was quite expensive and it's a bacteria and the other type mixed together.
And no it hasnt been running with fish because I set it up today, this would be the first time trying it.

None of that is true, and I've already tried to explain why, and also linked a video to you in an earlier thread that explains the nitrogen cycle.

The guy in the shop is there to sell you products, not teach you fishkeeping, and the advice he gave you is bad, and will get your fish killed if you follow it.

I can't keep explaining the same things, I'm sorry, I'm too shattered tonight. I hope someone else can explain it you better than I've been able to. Hopefully @WhistlingBadger or @Slaphppy7 perhaps can see this and have a chance to help.

In the short term, keep the guppies where they are until you have another heater, and have a better grasp of the cycle. If you can add more hiding places for them to escape the barbs, that would be helpful in the meantime.
 
None of that is true, and I've already tried to explain why, and also linked a video to you in an earlier thread that explains the nitrogen cycle.

The guy in the shop is there to sell you products, not teach you fishkeeping, and the advice he gave you is bad, and will get your fish killed if you follow it.

I can't keep explaining the same things, I'm sorry, I'm too shattered tonight. I hope someone else can explain it you better than I've been able to. Hopefully @WhistlingBadger or @Slaphppy7 perhaps can see this and have a chance to help.

In the short term, keep the guppies where they are until you have another heater, and have a better grasp of the cycle. If you can add more hiding places for them to escape the barbs, that would be helpful in the meantime.
The man has owned fish for over 30 years and him and the other man have that filter. There was also a tank in the shop where the filter was being used.
 
The man has owned fish for over 30 years and him and the other man have that filter. There was also a tank in the shop where the filter was being used.
That doesn't change the science.

Seeing the filter working in the store doesn't mean a brand new uncycled filter works on day one. Those filters will be cycled already.

There are threads here about cycling you can read. You can watch the video I linked. You can read the many, many threads here about how beneficial bacteria work, and you can ignore my advice and decide that he's right all you want, but I'm warning you now that either he's not giving you good advice, or you're not understanding him right, and doing it the way you plan to do it will lead to dead fish.

If you still don't want to listen to me, then listen to others.
 
That doesn't change the science.

Seeing the filter working in the store doesn't mean a brand new uncycled filter works on day one. Those filters will be cycled already.

There are threads here about cycling you can read. You can watch the video I linked. You can read the many, many threads here about how beneficial bacteria work, and you can ignore my advice and decide that he's right all you want, but I'm warning you now that either he's not giving you good advice, or you're not understanding him right, and doing it the way you plan to do it will lead to dead fish.

If you still don't want to listen to me, then listen to others.
Okay, well I put another place for them to hide in the tank.
They are very stupid though because they dont seem to understand if they hide, they wont be attacked. Also they keep going close to the barbs and then get chased.

Also, do guppies have feelings in their tails?
 

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