Do guppies mourn?

[kitty falol]

Hi there

Such a sad day yesterday

We've only had our fish for less than a fortnight and yesterday, 2 of them died. I suppose as a beginner I didn't read the signs, but I've been on a steep learning curve this last couple of days. Anyway, by yesterday afternoon I realised that my 2 blue guppies had velvet disease, but by midnight they'd both died.

They'd been together at the pet shop, so I think that they must have had it when I bought them.

Anyway, my 60 litre tank is left with just 2 little guppies and they're just sitting, very subdued near the surface. They're not gasping for air or anything. They have a tiny bit of white spot, but I'm treating that with malachite green, salt, I've turned up the heat and I've been doing regular water changes. They're hardly moving though, just staring into space, less than an inch apart.

Do guppies mourn for each other, or do you think that they could also be ill? I don't want to put any more in until my water has cleared up. I'm really worried about them

Thank you for your help

Kathryn

 

[Vip]

From what i read up on, they tend to get depressed when alone or just two of them, so it means there a pack fish.

 

[Ben]

a whole bunch of my neons died cuz i never knew that could with stand a cycling tank but my guppys could. and half the pack of neons died and from then on my school of guppys just wait at the top. wen they usualy swim around. so maybe they do mourn

 

[balloon molly]

my male molly is depressed because the pregoo female is in a maternity tank and he has no one to chase so he just sits there

 

[jams.alaskan]

Hi Kathryn, take the time to read the pinned topic on tank cycling and it will give you some ideas of what may have happened - if you had them for such a short time it is possible that they came with the problem or that the stress of moving weakened them enough to catch it. With the meds in the tank they may very well be feeling outta sorts and the temp can do it too but the treatment comes first. Just hang in there and they'll perk up when they feel better.
What size tank have you got and are the two guppies all that is in there?

ALASKA

 

[kitty falol]

Hi

Thank you for all your replies.

Well, they've had a bit of a swim about this afternoon, but they've been settled in the same spot together now for the past hour. They fed a little, but they weren't overly interested. There's 2 or three white spots on each fish, but they don't seem overly bothered by them at the moment, they're just sticking very closely together for comfort (I think).

I realise now we should have done a fishless cycle. We left the tank for a week and the pet shop said that the water quality was fine but I suppose that's in their interests to say that. Our water readings aren't too bad for a new tank though. Should I be doing a partial water change every day now that there is/has been disease in the tank?

Alaska, it's a 60 litre tank. I think that's about 15 US gallons? Yes, there's just the 2 guppies in there now, looking very sorry for themselves.

 

[EX-AmP]

sorry for your loss. fish dont have enough room in their brain to mourn. honestly. they dont have as many chambers as we do or lobes

 

[kittybug]

i had two mollies that wer "dating" and one was lost in a bought of fin rot. after she was gone the male kept swimming around looking for her in her usual spots and when he couldnt find her just kind of went off in a corner by himself. took about a week for him to come out and play with his friends again.

 

[Sorrell]

I don't think that fish mourn in the same way that we do, like ex-amp said, they don't have the capacity, but I do believe that they can be unhappy without the tankmates they would prefer.

 

[Ben]

Hi

Thank you for all your replies.

Well, they've had a bit of a swim about this afternoon, but they've been settled in the same spot together now for the past hour. They fed a little, but they weren't overly interested. There's 2 or three white spots on each fish, but they don't seem overly bothered by them at the moment, they're just sticking very closely together for comfort (I think).

I realise now we should have done a fishless cycle. We left the tank for a week and the pet shop said that the water quality was fine but I suppose that's in their interests to say that. Our water readings aren't too bad for a new tank though. Should I be doing a partial water change every day now that there is/has been disease in the tank?

Alaska, it's a 60 litre tank. I think that's about 15 US gallons? Yes, there's just the 2 guppies in there now, looking very sorry for themselves.

maybe they got white spot(ich)

P.s kool pic sorell.....is he urs?

 

[kitty falol]

Yes, I think they have got white spot. Most of the spots have disappeared now, one of them has just got a couple on his tail. I've got malachite green in the water and I was going to continue doing daily 15% water changes, I'm just worried that I shouldn't be changing the water so much in a new tank that is still cycling??? What do you think?