Guppy Swimming Vertically

[rubiix]

I've noticed today that today one of my male guppies is swimming vertically, with his head up and tail down. I did a water change 3 or 4 days ago and tested the water a few days ago (everything was within normal range). Any ideas what might be causing this?

 

[snazy]

I've noticed today that today one of my male guppies is swimming vertically, with his head up and tail down. I did a water change 3 or 4 days ago and tested the water a few days ago (everything was within normal range). Any ideas what might be causing this?

Can you please post the exact readings you took for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte? Also, what brand of tests are you using?

 

[rubiix]

Im using the API master test kit, which returned a pH of 7.2, ammonia at 0.25, nitrite and nitrate both at zero.

 

[snazy]

Im using the API master test kit, which returned a pH of 7.2, ammonia at 0.25, nitrite and nitrate both at zero.

0.25 ammonia is not within safe range. The lack of nitrAtes means the tank is not cycled and you are yet to experience ammonia and nitrIte spikes until the tank is cycled. Cycled tank means ammonia and nitrItes at 0 and nitrAtes rising.

If you haven't read about the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank without killing fish, have a look at the beginner's resource center here:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

 

[saffholly]

Why do people always asume 'newbe=uncycled tank'?

Sounds to me like your guppy may have problems with its swim bladder, i had this with my male molly a few weeks ago (in my cycled tank), i found some information online which told me to turn the temp up a few deg and feed him a pea each day, i did this for a few days and he made a full recovery.

 

[snazy]

Why do people always asume 'newbe=uncycled tank'?

Sounds to me like your guppy may have problems with its swim bladder, i had this with my male molly a few weeks ago (in my cycled tank), i found some information online which told me to turn the temp up a few deg and feed him a pea each day, i did this for a few days and he made a full recovery.

Because a reading of 0.25 ammonia and no nitrItes and nitrAtes in 96% of cases means uncycled tank. The presence of ammonia can of course cause all types of secondary complications like fin rot or another disease as it weakens the immune system and stresses the hell out of the fish making them succeptable to anything.

If your tank is indeed cycled, then you may not be doing the nitrAte test right. Make sure you are shaking bottle two of the nitrAte test for at least 1 minute. Even if cycled, you shouldn't have an ammonia reading.

 

[saffholly]

'High ammonia levels are a normal and unavoidable occurrence in new tanks. Other common causes of high ammonia levels are overfeeding, adding too many fish, or medications that reduce the effectiveness of the tank's natural ability to break down waste (nitrifying bacteria). The best method of dealing with high ammonia levels in an aquarium is prevention'

So, not alway a uncycled tank, quite often it can be caused by over feeding.

Like you, i dont know if the op has fully cycled their tank (maybe they havn't), if they havn't then hey have probably been given poor advice from a pet shop.

 

[snazy]

High ammonia levels are a normal and unavoidable occurrence in new tanks.

So, not alway a uncycled tank, quite often it can be caused by over feeding

or medications that reduce the effectiveness of the tank's natural ability to break down waste

Ammonia should not be considered normal and it only occurs in uncycled tanks, whether new tanks or tanks in which medication was used that wiped out the entire colony of good bacteria. With a nitrAte level of 0, unless the OP did 100% water changes and his tap water has no nitrAtes or his tank is full of plants, then it means uncycled tank.

How could you overfeed and have 0 nitrAtes? the more food, the more ammonia, the more final product nitrAte at the end?
And really, you need to be dropping a pack of food in the tank to cause an ammonia spike. An adequate filtration will take care of any overfed tank but your nitrAtes will be shooting through the roof in this case, which is not the OP's case.

I am not presuming but just putting the facts together. There's nothing shameful about not getting it right the first time you buy a fish tank. We've all done it and most of us have had disastrous starts but we take it on from there and we learn.
Whether the fish has a swim bladder disease or not doesn't mean the ammonia issue should not be taken care of or the tank properly cycled. The ammonia will kill as fast as any disease, if not faster and more than likely after or during cycling a tank with fish in it people end up treating for something else, as "ammonia" and "disease" are the two inseparable best friends.

 

[rubiix]

Alright so my second with my other test kit shows a pH of 7 ammonia levels of 0 nitrite at 0 nitrate at 25 is this normal? Recently I had a blackout if this makes any difference.

 

[slimeneo]

Yes, that's normal. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0 always, nitrate is normally always present but is not harmful to fish unless it is very, very high.

 

[snazy]

Alright so my second with my other test kit shows a pH of 7 ammonia levels of 0 nitrite at 0 nitrate at 25 is this normal? Recently I had a blackout if this makes any difference.

From your previous posts I understand that you have two tanks, one several months old and one newly setup?

Which one is this and is it cycled?

A power blackout can cause some loss of bacteria so you may have had some ammonia/nitrite spikes going on because of that.
Is the fish still swimming vertically? Do a large water change if you haven't done already.

 

[rubiix]

The most recent test results are from the tank that this particular guppy is in. The previous results are from after the blackout and have done two large changes since then which seems to have rectified the ammonia spike and the nitrate as shown in the new tests. He's still swimming vertically and seems to be sinking whenever he tries to swim to the surface. It is possible that the tank wasn't cycled correctly the first time around, I was told to use API QuickStart as well as the stress coat and that was in theory supposed to cycle the tank.

 

[rubiix]

I know some people however don't really believe the chemical bacteria solutions work

 

[lolobunnz]

I agree with saffholly. First of all i would like to say that saffholly stated ammonia is unavoidable in NEW Ttanks which is true. If there was never ammonia present the cycle just could not start.

Now, i would try to do what saffholly recommended since they had a same experience. Turn up the temp a bit and feed a cooked squished pea a day . They do like peas its cute

 

[snazy]

I agree with saffholly. First of all i would like to say that saffholly stated ammonia is unavoidable in NEW Ttanks which is true. If there was never ammonia present the cycle just could not start.

Now, i would try to do what saffholly recommended since they had a same experience. Turn up the temp a bit and feed a cooked squished pea a day . They do like peas its cute

What is that supposed to mean? There's ammonia in every tank including cycled one, with that difference that a cycled tank converts the ammonia and nitrItes before they becomes toxic to fish. Feeding peas will do no harm and is worth a try but if you've seen a fish die, most of them start swimming vertically near death so you can't diagnose on this basis only for swim bladder.
The OP said that the last results show 0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes and 25ppm nitrAtes. If that's correct, then the tank is now cycled. The power black out may have caused some bacteria loss, ammonia spikes, etc..If that fish also previously went through a fish in cycle that was not closely monitored with large water changes, then secondary complications like this happen. The ammonia and nitrItes may not kill instantly, but do internal damage to fish and they can die in the following months or a disease outbreak kills the whole tank.

Are there any other fish affected? Is the fish eating? Are there any other symptoms? What have you tried so far?