Guppie Tank Quick Style

[lock77]

My wife is allowing to stick a 60lt in the kitchen, she's apparently fed up of me droppin hints for a guppie tank. Question is if I use tank water and filter media from another tank does this mean I will have enough bacteria in the 60lt to add fish without them dying? Another question is how many males to females should I put in?

 

[This Old Spouse]

How big is your other tank? If it's 180lt or larger, you could take up to 1/3 of its media and put it in the 60lt and cycle it immediately.
 
I think the ratio is 1 male to 3 females.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

The minimum ratio of male to female is 1:2.  Of course, the more females you have, the less harassment each female will get.  Harassment from males is stressful especially when the females get close to giving birth.
 
Also keep in mind that with males and females in a tank, you'll be getting fry very often (gestation period roughly 28 days for guppies).  Provided your fry survive, you'll be running out of room very quickly.

 

[the_lock_man]

First, please can you make your wife be friends with my wife.
 
Second, don't bother taking the water, there are very few bacteria in the water column.
 
Third, the bacteria live in various areas, not least the filter, but also the substrate and and decor. Because of this, there's no way to be sure that you can instantly cycle your new filter, but even if it doesn't, you'll have a huge head start in the cycling process.
 
The accepted wisdom is that you can take up to a third of the mature filter media, and put it in the new filter. You need to top the media in your old filter back up with new media, in order to provide somewhere for the existing filter bacteria to recolonise onto.
 
I would suggest doing a week of fishless cycling at 1ppm ammonia, just to check that you've got a reasonable bacteria colony in the new filter, and monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels daily when you put the guppies in.
 
The best ratio is 2 or 3 females per male.

 

[sadguppy]

I would just get males personally. Females are drab in comparison and baby making machines which will soon overstock your tank.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I am the opposite. I rehomed all my males because they were fragile and I have kept my females (all of whom are either "empty" or virgins). I find the females so full of character and interactive, whereas the males were thinking only about doing the deed...

 

[This Old Spouse]

I had some very colorful females. And as far as their personalities, they were all colorful! 
 
And old_man ... I honestly have "instantly" cycled all my tanks using mature media. 

 

[the_lock_man]

 old_man ...

 

You're getting your moderators confused! I wish I had his experience, though.
 

I honestly have "instantly" cycled all my tanks using mature media. 

 
Not saying it isn't done, I've done it myself. What I'm saying is that you can't just assume it's done, when you can't be certain where in the tank the bacteria live - or even which particular parts of the filter.

 

[lock77]

First, please can you make your wife be friends with my wife.
 
Second, don't bother taking the water, there are very few bacteria in the water column.
 
Third, the bacteria live in various areas, not least the filter, but also the substrate and and decor. Because of this, there's no way to be sure that you can instantly cycle your new filter, but even if it doesn't, you'll have a huge head start in the cycling process.
 
The accepted wisdom is that you can take up to a third of the mature filter media, and put it in the new filter. You need to top the media in your old filter back up with new media, in order to provide somewhere for the existing filter bacteria to recolonise onto.
 
I would suggest doing a week of fishless cycling at 1ppm ammonia, just to check that you've got a reasonable bacteria colony in the new filter, and monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels daily when you put the guppies in.
 
The best ratio is 2 or 3 females per male.

Thanks to everyone but the lock man has my attention. Definately like the idea of a headstart on cycling and definately don't want to kill any guppies.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

First, please can you make your wife be friends with my wife.
 
Second, don't bother taking the water, there are very few bacteria in the water column.
 
Third, the bacteria live in various areas, not least the filter, but also the substrate and and decor. Because of this, there's no way to be sure that you can instantly cycle your new filter, but even if it doesn't, you'll have a huge head start in the cycling process.
 
The accepted wisdom is that you can take up to a third of the mature filter media, and put it in the new filter. You need to top the media in your old filter back up with new media, in order to provide somewhere for the existing filter bacteria to recolonise onto.
 
I would suggest doing a week of fishless cycling at 1ppm ammonia, just to check that you've got a reasonable bacteria colony in the new filter, and monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels daily when you put the guppies in.
 
The best ratio is 2 or 3 females per male.

Thanks to everyone but the lock man has my attention. Definately like the idea of a headstart on cycling and definately don't want to kill any guppies.

I've taken a mere handful of gravel from a well matured tank and had it fully cycled in a few days.  People doubted whether or not it was fully cycled but I assure you it was.  Instant cycle is probably not possible, but once a colony of bacteria find a fresh new tank, they will multiply.
 

I am the opposite. I rehomed all my males because they were fragile and I have kept my females (all of whom are either "empty" or virgins). I find the females so full of character and interactive, whereas the males were thinking only about doing the deed...

This I feel like is very, very true.  I have separated my males and females recently and I have observed this behavior as well.  The males are prettier, but man those females guppies have all the personality!

 

[the_lock_man]

 

First, please can you make your wife be friends with my wife.
 
Second, don't bother taking the water, there are very few bacteria in the water column.
 
Third, the bacteria live in various areas, not least the filter, but also the substrate and and decor. Because of this, there's no way to be sure that you can instantly cycle your new filter, but even if it doesn't, you'll have a huge head start in the cycling process.
 
The accepted wisdom is that you can take up to a third of the mature filter media, and put it in the new filter. You need to top the media in your old filter back up with new media, in order to provide somewhere for the existing filter bacteria to recolonise onto.
 
I would suggest doing a week of fishless cycling at 1ppm ammonia, just to check that you've got a reasonable bacteria colony in the new filter, and monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels daily when you put the guppies in.
 
The best ratio is 2 or 3 females per male.

Thanks to everyone but the lock man has my attention. Definately like the idea of a headstart on cycling and definately don't want to kill any guppies.

I've taken a mere handful of gravel from a well matured tank and had it fully cycled in a few days.  People doubted whether or not it was fully cycled but I assure you it was.  Instant cycle is probably not possible, but once a colony of bacteria find a fresh new tank, they will multiply.

 
That's the thing, two years ago I'd have dismissed that, saying that bacteria only live in significant quantities in the filter. I now believe that to be misleading - they can also live in significant quantities in the gravel.
 
The thing is, you only need a certain level of bacteria for your tank as a whole - you just don't know where they are, gravel or filter, so that's why I advise to do a qualifying week of ammonia dosing, just to check where things are.
 
Instant cycling certainly is possible, I don't disbelieve TOS at all. Particularly if your mature tank is big, (therefore lots of bacteria all over the place) and you are taking small quantities of the bacteria for a small tank.