They're All Dead

[haleystropicalfish]

Almost all of my guppies are dead. The pH was over 7.6 and I also think that the amonia was very high. I don't think I really want to breed fish anymore.

 

[modaz]

sorry to hear this dont give up, we all go thru it once in a while, just reduce the feeding down when you get some more, to reduce waste,

 

[Tolak]

Learn from it, and use what you have learned. I honestly killed what would have been at least 1,000 angels years ago learning how to hatch, feed, and raise one successful spawn. It took me a few months of pulling spawns & killing fish to get it right.

Keep a log of everything you do, sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. Change plenty of water frequently, and consider bare bottom tanks for raising fry. Years ago I thought bare tanks were ugly as sin, now I look at a tank with substrate and think one thing; filth.

You are not alone in the loosing fry department, one in a while I lose nearly all or all of an entire spawn for no reason. I review my log for that spawn, once in a while it's a procedural error, often caused by work & the sudden amounts of massive overtime causing me to skip water changes. Other times it happens for no apparent reason, and the next spawn is totally fine. I think this situation is similar to people who can have several totally perfect children, and one with medical or physical problems, that's the way nature works at times.

A friend of mine breeds guppys, has been doing it for 30 years. 35 tanks with auto water changers, a really nice setup. He has been working towards a strain of 100% orange or red guppys that breed true for a few years now. 6 weeks ago he turned on the auto water changer, right afterward his wife needed something for the yard from a shelf above the water mix valves. He grabbed this large jug, accidentally turned off the hot water, didn't realize it, and went outside for a half hour. He came back in to several hundred dead fry & breeders in water that was 50F. It happens to the best.

 

[theotheragentm]

Ammonia shouldn't just be low. It should be at 0 levels. It's not likely to be a pH problem unless you're way to an extreme, which it doesn't sound like you are close to that. Hopefully you're not too discouraged and you can figure out what spiked your ammonia. A lot of times, one fish death will cause a chain reaction, which puts bioloads too high to turn back from unfortunately.

 

[GerardK]

About 6 months ago I lost all my fish,it really does upset you after caring for them for at least 2 years. Don't give up, it's a great hobby and you will soon get back your enthusiasm

 

[kewskills]

sorry for your losses, stick with it possible, it takes most people a little while to get the hang of it

 

[haleystropicalfish]

I hadent been changing the carbon filter and it wasn't taking the amonia out of the water, so after a while it just builds up. I want to start breeding a different kind of fish, maby angels. They're freshwater right?