How many guppies recommended for 10 gallon fish tank

[Guppylover3x]

Live foods are nice as treats, but unless you can provide an array of different live foods, they should not be considered as staple. The prepared foods available today by some manufacturers are more nutritious than anything else, unless one could provide a complete natural diet. And some would say the fish fed on prepared foods would be healthier even then.

Bloodworms should be fed no more often than once a week, as they do have issues for fish. And soak them first before adding them to the tank so the fish do not eat "dried" bloodworms which then expand in the fish's body and can cause problems.

What do you recommend soaking them in before adding them in? Also how many should I give for the 3 of them. Thank you.

 

[Byron]

What do you recommend soaking them in before adding them in? Also how many should I for the 3 of them. Thank you.

I am assuming these are the freeze-dried bloodworms, as opposed to the actual frozen bloodworms. Neither should be fed more often than once a week, but the "soaking" only involves the freeze-dried, as you have to let them soak up water so they do not do this inside the fish. Place them in a saucer or whatever of water, tank water or tap water is not going to matter, and give them several minutes to expand. The add them to the tank. As for how many, it would depend upon the size. Fish do not need as much food as manufacturers recommend. Example, one smallish flake has all the nutrition a small fish needs each day. And with several fish in a tank we feed more than this, so they are getting plenty. Missing one or two days each week won't hurt fish either, though small fry should be fed more regularly as they eat less and need the nutrition to grow and develop properly.

I don't feed freeze-dried foods. The prepared flake and pellet foods are better. For some insect-like food, the new Bug Bites made by Nutrafin seem good. I use Omega one and New Life Spectrum foods except for these. And the weekly frozen bloodworm and frozen daphnia treat.

 

[Byron]

It’s a shame a shame there is no way of adding these natural minerals from hardy water that the fish need.

There is, either by using a mineral additive for hard water fish, or a calcareous substrate (calcareous means composed of primarily calcium and magnesium which slowly dissolves into the water). But with soft water preferring species in the tank, this is going to make their lives more difficult. With few exceptions, there is no middle road.

You mentioned not keeping neons with guppies in a 10 gallon. I know neons are best in large groups. I have heard the minimum is 6. Would 6 neons be ok in with the guppies?

The 10g isn't really sufficient space for the neons and guppies (aside from water issues). But having said that, a group of 7-8 neons should be OK if you are regular with water changes, and with floating plants. And the three guppies.

I think there’s a number of factors that can contribute to weakening a fishes immune system. Even netting a fish to take home can be a stressful process to which can weaken a fishes immune system.

Absolutely. Stress we know causes various health issues for humans, including increased risk of cancer. Fish are no different. Some 95% of all fish disease/health issues are directly caused by stress; the pathogen/parasite has to be present obviously, but it is the stress that allows the fish to succumb. Avoiding or reducing stress is therefore crucial to healthy fish. Stress does without question severely weaken the immune system (in people as in fish for that matter). And inappropriate water parameters (GH, pH and teemp), inappropriate lighting, inappropriate water current, inappropriate tankmates, insufficient numbers of shoaling species, too small a physical space, too little water volume, inappropriate aquascaping--all these factors induce stress. It may help to cite a few excerpts from an article I wrote on stress.

Biology Online defines stress thus:

The sum of the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus—physical, mental or emotional, internal or external—that tends to disturb the organisms homeostasis; should these compensating reactions be inadequate or inappropriate, they may lead to disorders.​

Homeostasis is defined as “the tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing conditions.” Physiological homeostasis, or physical equilibrium, is the internal process animals use to maintain their health and life: “the complex chain of internal chemical reactions that keep the pH of its blood steady, its tissues fed, and the immune system functioning” (Muha, 2006).

Four important body functions of homeostasis are closely associated with processes in the gills: gas exchange, hydromineral (osmoregulation) control, acid-base balance [pH] and nitrogenous waste excretion [ammonia]. These processes are possible because of the close proximity of the blood flowing through the gills to the surrounding water, as well as the differences in the chemical composition of these two fluids (Bartelme, 2004). Each species of fish has evolved within a specific environment—and by “environment” in this context we mean everything associated with the water in which the fish lives—and the physiological homeostasis only functions well within that environment. This greater dependence upon their surrounding environment is why fish are more susceptible to stress than many other animals (Wedemeyer, 1996).

Stress is caused by placing a fish in a situation which is beyond its normal level of tolerance (Francis-Floyd, 1990). Stress makes it more difficult for the fish to regulate the normal day-to-day physiological functions—the homeostasis—that are essential to its life. Dr. Cliff Swanson, associate professor at North Carolina’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that stress creates “a fundamental physiological shift in fish, from energy storage to energy usage—the fight or flight response” (Muha, 2005). The survival of any organism depends upon its ability to keep its internal chemical balance from fluctuating too much. When critical energy is being used to fight stress, it is diverted away from other functions. The fish must then work much harder just to “keep going.” Laura Muha (Muha, 2006) likens this to driving a car up a steep hill: it takes more gas (energy) and effort to maintain the same speed as on level ground (level being the norm for the fish).

 

[Guppylover3x]

I am assuming these are the freeze-dried bloodworms, as opposed to the actual frozen bloodworms. Neither should be fed more often than once a week, but the "soaking" only involves the freeze-dried, as you have to let them soak up water so they do not do this inside the fish. Place them in a saucer or whatever of water, tank water or tap water is not going to matter, and give them several minutes to expand. The add them to the tank. As for how many, it would depend upon the size. Fish do not need as much food as manufacturers recommend. Example, one smallish flake has all the nutrition a small fish needs each day. And with several fish in a tank we feed more than this, so they are getting plenty. Missing one or two days each week won't hurt fish either, though small fry should be fed more regularly as they eat less and need the nutrition to grow and develop properly.

I don't feed freeze-dried foods. The prepared flake and pellet foods are better. For some insect-like food, the new Bug Bites made by Nutrafin seem good. I use Omega one and New Life Spectrum foods except for these. And the weekly frozen bloodworm and frozen daphnia treat.

Many thanks for the information. Yes I am referring to dried food in a tub as opposed to frozen worms. I’m not brave enough to deal with live food unfortunately! Could these just be fed directly to the fish.

 

[Guppylover3x]

There is, either by using a mineral additive for hard water fish, or a calcareous substrate (calcareous means composed of primarily calcium and magnesium which slowly dissolves into the water). But with soft water preferring species in the tank, this is going to make their lives more difficult. With few exceptions, there is no middle road.



The 10g isn't really sufficient space for the neons and guppies (aside from water issues). But having said that, a group of 7-8 neons should be OK if you are regular with water changes, and with floating plants. And the three guppies.



Absolutely. Stress we know causes various health issues for humans, including increased risk of cancer. Fish are no different. Some 95% of all fish disease/health issues are directly caused by stress; the pathogen/parasite has to be present obviously, but it is the stress that allows the fish to succumb. Avoiding or reducing stress is therefore crucial to healthy fish. Stress does without question severely weaken the immune system (in people as in fish for that matter). And inappropriate water parameters (GH, pH and teemp), inappropriate lighting, inappropriate water current, inappropriate tankmates, insufficient numbers of shoaling species, too small a physical space, too little water volume, inappropriate aquascaping--all these factors induce stress. It may help to cite a few excerpts from an article I wrote on stress.

Biology Online defines stress thus:

The sum of the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus—physical, mental or emotional, internal or external—that tends to disturb the organisms homeostasis; should these compensating reactions be inadequate or inappropriate, they may lead to disorders.​

Homeostasis is defined as “the tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing conditions.” Physiological homeostasis, or physical equilibrium, is the internal process animals use to maintain their health and life: “the complex chain of internal chemical reactions that keep the pH of its blood steady, its tissues fed, and the immune system functioning” (Muha, 2006).

Four important body functions of homeostasis are closely associated with processes in the gills: gas exchange, hydromineral (osmoregulation) control, acid-base balance [pH] and nitrogenous waste excretion [ammonia]. These processes are possible because of the close proximity of the blood flowing through the gills to the surrounding water, as well as the differences in the chemical composition of these two fluids (Bartelme, 2004). Each species of fish has evolved within a specific environment—and by “environment” in this context we mean everything associated with the water in which the fish lives—and the physiological homeostasis only functions well within that environment. This greater dependence upon their surrounding environment is why fish are more susceptible to stress than many other animals (Wedemeyer, 1996).

Stress is caused by placing a fish in a situation which is beyond its normal level of tolerance (Francis-Floyd, 1990). Stress makes it more difficult for the fish to regulate the normal day-to-day physiological functions—the homeostasis—that are essential to its life. Dr. Cliff Swanson, associate professor at North Carolina’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that stress creates “a fundamental physiological shift in fish, from energy storage to energy usage—the fight or flight response” (Muha, 2005). The survival of any organism depends upon its ability to keep its internal chemical balance from fluctuating too much. When critical energy is being used to fight stress, it is diverted away from other functions. The fish must then work much harder just to “keep going.” Laura Muha (Muha, 2006) likens this to driving a car up a steep hill: it takes more gas (energy) and effort to maintain the same speed as on level ground (level being the norm for the fish).

I completely agree with you. This information is was very useful thank you. Explained very clearly keep up the excellent writing I am pleased to hear that I can add minerals to the water thank you! Have you got any recommendations as to which brand makes this formula? I’m not sure if it’s because I am in the UK but I can’t seem to find what you have recommended. Any recommendations at all would be useful even if it means me having to order over seas. I will then aim to get more guppies or other fish that are suited to the same peramaters as the guppies. Thank you very much for all your help and advice!

 

[Byron]

Many thanks for the information. Yes I am referring to dried food in a tub as opposed to frozen worms. I’m not brave enough to deal with live food unfortunately! Could these just be fed directly to the fish.

You did say adding live food earlier, so I took that literally. As I said good quality prepared foods are sufficient with very few exceptions (some species might not begin breeding without live foods but these are few).

You can feed flake and pellet foods directly, and sinking tabs/pellets/disks if any. Freeze-dried foods must be soaked in water. Frozen foods should be thawed, I do this in warm tap water and then feed them with a pipette I made from airline tubing, and some use a baster you see in kitchens, to squirt the thawed frozen foods into the water or onto the substrate.

 

[Byron]

I completely agree with you. This information is was very useful thank you. Explained very clearly keep up the excellent writing I am pleased to hear that I can add minerals to the water thank you! Have you got any recommendations as to which brand makes this formula? I’m not sure if it’s because I am in the UK but I can’t seem to find what you have recommended. Any recommendations at all would be useful even if it means me having to order over seas. I will then aim to get more guppies or other fish that are suited to the same peramaters as the guppies. Thank you very much for all your help and advice!

I am going to leave this for UK members to answer as I've no idea what might be available. Adding some mineral additive needs to be done at every water change so the water is added at the right GH/pH. A calcareous substrate is permanent.

 

[Guppylover3x]

I am going to leave this for UK members to answer as I've no idea what might be available. Adding some mineral additive needs to be done at every water change so the water is added at the right GH/pH. A calcareous substrate is permanent.

Many thanks for the information. I would prefer to stick to adding a mineral additive as opposed to a calcareous subtrate. Thank you for your help