What Should I Do To The Guppies I Saw In Vietnam?

[Trienchieu]

I recently flew to Vietnam and one tank of my uncle Is at least 20 gallons but I think it's a lot more, and it is filled with guppies and some other fish, and it has no filters, heaters. The tank is dark green and trust me it is DARK. Also it is place outside with no aquarium stand, and the frys are placed in a bucket, and I notice the tank has slot more males than females and it is chasing them like crazy, it has no decorations, no ornaments, no plants. And when I told him about the over harrassing he ask how to help it. I told him either put more females or put some decorations, plants in the tank, so he just grap a rock made for aquarium and just drop it in there. Then he trapped a net and net out the pregnant females that are ready to burst out frys. He netted one and just place it on the floor and show me how he know the female is pregnant, like idk. For at least ten second then he place it in another bucket with also no heater, no filter. I asked him how do they survive? He said at first every guppies he bought die in a few days, and then he grapped a oxygen maker a pretty ghetto one with two balls connecting to the machine, although it's like your hand sized machine, he said when he make the tap water, he put the two balls in for oxygen, then he REMOVE it then put REGULAR salt in it. Then he's done, when adding guppies, he just dump the guppy in it, no float the bag technique. The fish food is only some very cheap flake food no brine shrimp, no treats. I feel very sorry for the guppies kept by him. What should I do? I told him that the proper way is having filter, heater...etc what should I do to these guppies,

 

[soybean]

You've told him how to care for them correctly but you can't make him do it. You could suggest some websites on guppies and their care, but ultimately he's responsible for them.

 

[Trienchieu]

If I can't change him, will the guppies will still live, although unhappily. He said his guppies only died when he had no oxygen in it, otherwise it's perfectly fine

 

[soybean]

They don't sound to be in ideal conditions, far from it, but all you can do is try to convince him how to care for them better. Maybe buy him a small filter? Even a sponge one on an air pump.

 

[Trienchieu]

Well i can do that but there are some problems, I'm only in Vietnam for a month and I'm half way through already, second he keeps the tank, fry bucket and pregnant female bucket outside and I'm pretty sure he has no electric outlet near the tank, the tank doesn't even have lights on it so.

 

[Athena]

So is he breeding them to sell them? Why are they outside?

Not sure what to suggest to you really. You can try to educate him through your conversations (the art of gentle persuasion) on the better ways of fishkeeping, but will he take much notice? You never know. If it's done tactfully he might just take some of it to heart and change a few things.

Perhaps you could purchase the heater and filter as presents for him? (with extension lead LOL) Then help set it all up - clean up the tank as best you can etc.

If the guppies are surviving those conditions, they must be pretty hardy!

Athena

 

[soybean]

Do your best for them while you're there. Show him how to improve their care (stop adding salt, etc), clean their tank, ask him to remove some males maybe. You can only do your best and the rest is up to him.

 

[KittyKat]

So is he breeding them to sell them? Why are they outside?

(probably because it's warm enough to keep them outside, common practice in warm countries)

 

[fluttermoth]

Could you persuade him to get some plants in there? (tell him it'll improve the oxygen levels?) It would at least make the tank a bit nicer for the fish, give the females and fry somewhere to hide, and might help absorb some of the nitrate as well

 

[Trienchieu]

Well Vietnam is hot all around the year so it's always at least 72 degrees outside, and he raise him as just as hobby for him to quit drinking, really his tank can't be call an aquarium because it's really glass and water in there. And it when I see it, the fishes are swimming up, in the front of the glass, just keep chasing each other up against the glass. Also it looks to me dramatically theyre running away from the dark greenin the tank. Also when I tell my dad this, he said the tank really is dirty but ( he said this before) guppies at least in Vietnam are very hardy. They can live in a very ghetto environment. But when I do research on guppies it says although hardy, guppies can still die from improper care, idk why my uncle guppies is still swimming, can anyone explain this? My guess is Vietnamese guppies are more hardy than other countries? Btw Vietnam is a tropical country.

 

[This Old Spouse]

water changes would be really beneficial. Other than that, this just kind of makes me ill to think about it.

 

[soybean]

I guess they must be much hardier than the guppies we get over here in the shops, he seems to be keeping them alive longer than any of the bloated ones I see in some LFS, barely able to swim from a ridiculously oversized tail. Obviously the water is warm enough else they wouldn't be alive for long. Fish can be very adaptable.

Do some water changes, clean the tank, buy some cheap oxygenating plants, buy him some better quality food if you're concerned about that, maybe a sponge filter and an extension cable (though that might not be safe if it rains), try to persuade him to bring it inside and set it up properly there. He obviously enjoys his fish so try to show him the advantages of having a well maintained tank, how much easier it is to view them and see them clearly. I think after that you'll have done everything you can, and the rest is up to him to maintain it.

 

[Trienchieu]

recently I talked to him about the tank here's what he had to say:

He's very lazy to do water changes.

He does it once per month which is not gud becuz he has no filter

If he bring the tank inside one: inside is usually hotter so when he does water changes it's like sitting on a fire pit and cleaning the tank. Second it's easier for him to do water changes outside so if the water spilled it's ok, also he also plants outside so he can do both at the same time.