Got 3 electric blue guppies yesterday

[OrkyBetta]

Ok, so I picked up 3 of the nicest looking guppies in the heavily overstocked tank...(so hard to tell with all those fish) And brought them home, set them up in a quarantine tank. One I noticed had a split fin, and was breathing really heavy, mouth open and all. I put a tad of doc. wellfish salt in, but he went belly up that same night. So I have yet to replace him, I might do that tomorrow...

The other two are beautiful though. These ones really are delta tails, and quite handsome ones. Too bad I'm afraid they both might keel over on me, none of the guppies looked 100% ok.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Yeah deltas and other types of fancy guppys have a habit of dying suddenly for no real apparrent reason, most of its down to bad genes and imune system so don't blame it on yourself when it does happen as it happens to everyone at some point.

 

[Lil]

Do you have any pictures of them

 

[OrkyBetta]

Well, I plan on taking a picture of Zeus today, when I have access to the camera. Unfortunately the other two have died. Well, it is to be expected with suc imbred fish I guess. Zeus must be a very hardy fish to make it here unscathed. The other two were not as big as him, and had some split fins.

 

[OrkyBetta]

Ok all here's Zeus! Looking proud, (And huge )

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Poor things. Maybe I really have just been terribly fortunate. I have only lost two harlequins. One my fault for not doing a fishless cycle and t'other was a weakling, but cute and got caught on the filter. He died of the shock, bless.
Hugs,
P.

 

[OrkyBetta]

sounds like you have been fortunate. I have bought 7 guppies total in my fishkeeping, and only have 3 survive. But that is what you get for buying them from less-than-reputable lfs's. They are all probably horribly imbred and weakened. Well, at least they got to have a few days out of the lfs.

 

[fatguppy]

I've just added a similar note to an different thread.

I have tried with guppies over a period of 3 -4 months and lost about 8 - 9. All water parameters were fine. No stress from other fish etc etc. We have just given up on guppies. Which is a damned shame because I do love them. But they don't seem to be robust enough at present - maybe too much interbreeding? Hear's hoping it gets solved becuase they really are a lovely fish but I don't want to keep something that keeps dying - can't do with the stress

 

[mlee0332]

I had 3 guppies for the longest time, i believe about 5 months. I started with 4 then 1 died from moving stress b/c there was no disease signs. So I replaced it. Then a diff one died of columnaris. So then I had the three for the 5 month period. I decided to get a 3rd girl, so I did. Well she was in there for about 4 days, and when i found her she looked like the others had eaten her. Which is what I thought, only b.c she was very small compared to the others. So I got another one to replae her. Then one day all 4 of my gupps were sick. only hrs after I noticed they were sick ALL 4 DIED!!! Then the diseases went on to the other fish in the tank. I lost all 4 gupps, my neon, and 2 of my white clouds. After a while (of course my gupps reproduced while I had them) the fry became sick and one died (i only had 2, AND they are in a diff tank...). So thats my horror story about guppies, I believe I'll go with Fatguppy and give up on them 2. They killed a whole tank!

 

[OrkyBetta]

yeah, I'm throwing in the towel. *waves white flag* I just don't have the patience, and it's a real heartbreaker. Shame too, such lovely fish.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Because of the huge tail of the dalta tailed guppy, it was bred so fast in them in small tanks for so long they do not have very much muscle in their tails and their tails will constantly rip in tanks that are too large for them or have too stronger current- that said the best tank for a delta tail is a 10gal with weak current, like the kind of current you get from a fluval 1 filter, and you will find they die alot less in such conditions.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Can I jump in here and ask Tokis for advice? After the summer hols I'll be getting a replacement male guppy- basically, I want something sturdy and healthy rather than pretty. My females which are big grey things with patterned tails seem pretty indestructible, while my poor male (red, small body, large red tail) was clearly not that.
How do you get hold of sturdy males? I'll obviously be looking for the biggest body and smallest tail I can find, but is there any colour or breed (?name) that I should be looking out for? Or alternatively, any colours/types I should definitely avoid?
Sorry for thread-hogging. I just can't see myself giving up on guppies, because I love their personalities. I could see myself just doing females, but my daughter would like a male.

 

[Annastasia]

I'm not Toxis, but I'll give you my thoughts.

Look for the smallest dullest colored one you can find. I like smaller ones better, just because they are closer looking to their ancestors. Of course, they have to have a small tail too. As for color, I find Yellows to be quite hardy. Silver with a little colors on the body and fins are okay too. Solid color tails and bodies are good as well.

Colors to avoid....Blue, Bright red, fancy patterned.... The ones that look very over-done.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Its not just the coloring you have to look out for, but when choosing any male guppy, go for the largest and most "masculine" looking ones in the tank; i've noticed with alot of very inbred males they don't grow very large at all and have more the body shape you'd asociate with a female guppy like oval shaped body with thin base at the tail and round tummy. For a good male you have to find a "real" one; good straight rectangular long body with strong fleshy base at the tail indicating good muscle in it and very lively active and attentive behavior. If he's in with some females, see if he trys to mate with them as in comparsion inbred delta tailed guppys, delta tailed guppys tend to be quite sleepy in the bedroom department to short tailed guppys.

This example in the link is of a very inbred long tailed delta male guppy;

http/www.guppies.com/PAGES/guppixpages/gp58.html

And this is a more masculine better bred male(although tail would be more disirable a bit shorter);

http/www.bikediablo.it/acquariofilia/foto/batigol.jpg

Note the obvious difference in tail length between the two, the more bland and less patterned/fancy coloring in the second male and the much sturdier thicker tail base set .

 

[dwarfgourami]

"i've noticed with alot of very inbred males they don't grow very large at all and have more the body shape you'd asociate with a female guppy like oval shaped body with thin base at the tail and round tummy."

That is an exact description of my defunct male! Tiny rounded body, enormous tail.

"delta tailed guppys tend to be quite sleepy in the bedroom department "

well, he tried but he was really too little to get anywhere, they just looked at him in bemusement

"strong fleshy base at the tail indicating good muscle in it"

right, that was certainly lacking (and I think that's why he died)

Thank you, I shall know what to look for. Basically, everything to be directly the opposite of my poor Prince. Thanks to both of you.