Sick Guppy!

[kismet]

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Tank size: 8 gal Biorb
pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0 to slight ammonia
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 79-80, a degree or two higher than normal - It was almost 80 upstairs yesterday and today where I have the tank despite the A/C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Guppy as of today is hiding at bottom of aquarium (space under a rock). When he comes out he is not very active, and his color looks darker than normal - he spends very little time out now. He seemed just fine yesterday. BTW, I've had this guppy for about four weeks.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 20-30% weekly. I've had ammonia levels creep up to .25 - during that they seemed fine (I changed 30% of the water, of course)

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: water conditioner with water changes

Tank inhabitants: one other guppy who's been with me during a prolonged cycling problem, which seemed to be resolved. Also an Indian glassfish. The other guppy is very active, swimming very vigorously but at the top of the aquarium. The glassfish seems to be acting normally.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none.

Exposure to chemicals:

This is very distressing

 

[aquanovice]

Just a thought: I know you said the other fish was fine but Ive heard from people that Guppys are sesitive to water changes. You might want to get all the ammonia levels checked out.
Can you notice anything else wrong with the fish?

 

[WILDER]

Its rare to have a nitrate readng of 0.
Whats your tap nitrate reading.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
Until we know water stats iit's hard to say.

 

[Colin_T]

he could be stressed out by the other guppy. If you have two males quite often the more dominant fish will bully the smaller weaker one.

 

[kismet]

The other one is doing just fine - today swimming about at all levels (I think he likes the aquarium light when it's on). My sick guppy is still hiding out - I moved the rock a little and he came out for a minute and then went back. Sensitive to water changes? How? That's hard to avoid, no? I will check my tap water - I have a whole house water filter (no softener tho). I will check levels of tap water when I return home for lunch. Thanks for writing.

Just a thought: I know you said the other fish was fine but Ive heard from people that Guppys are sesitive to water changes. You might want to get all the ammonia levels checked out.
Can you notice anything else wrong with the fish?

 

[kismet]

I haven't seen any evidence of that with these two.

he could be stressed out by the other guppy. If you have two males quite often the more dominant fish will bully the smaller weaker one.

 

[kismet]

Tap nitrate reading is 0, as are nitrite and ammonia. All tank readings were zero today. Guppy still hiding out but among the living so far

Its rare to have a nitrate readng of 0.
Whats your tap nitrate reading.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
Until we know water stats iit's hard to say.

 

[kismet]

Well, last rites were performed today...Too late I found the "common fish diseases" section of this site and realized his symptoms were classic for an internal bacterial infection. They told me at the lfs (I actually bought him at a pet store) that if my levels were good, it was likely that the fish didn't thrive as a result of breeding practices (when ya breed for color and finnage, ya might lose something somewhere else, like a strong immune defense). I didn't know my fish was dead when I left the store with the product to treat the water, which of course I'm not using now as I came home to a fish corpse...He also gave me Melafix to have on hand.


My other guppy is so healthy and vigorous that I'm not giving up on the breed, tho.

 

[WILDER]

Guppys are no longer harder through breeders messing around with them.
If you buy wild caught guppys they tend to have internal parasites like camallonous worms.
I gave up on keeping guppys aswell.
Only managed to keep them alive for about one years three months.