Guppy Trouble

I would love to breed guppies and last year I spent a lot of money on some great males and females. It seems that live bearers do not do well for me no matter which kind. I have also tried mollys and platys with the same results. They all die within weeks. Any guesses as to what the problem might be. I just cant keep these fish alive no matter what I try.

You might have better luck if you find someone local that breeds them. This way you know that you are getting healthy young stock that are raised in water similar to yours.

I know mollies do better with a touch of salt in the water. Over the years I've read many people say they use salt in their livebeerer tanks.

Do you happen to remember the water parameters?

I PUT I TB SALT PER 10 GAL. OF WATER IN MY TANKS. I USE LOTS OF ARTIFICIAL FERNY PLANTS IN ONE CORNER THAT GO CLEAR TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. I'M A NOVICE OF ABOUT 5 MONTHS , AND HAVE GONE FROM 5 VERY YOUNG FEMALES AND 2 MALES IN A 1 GAL. TANK, TO SEVERAL HUNDRED IN 2 TEN GAL AND ONE 20 GAL. TANKS. I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. I NOW KEEP THE SEXES SEPARATED, AND ONLY BREED THE ONES THAT HAVE THE FANTAILS AND COLOR I LIKE. FOUR DAYS AGO, ONE OF MY BREEDING FEMALES PRESENTED ME WITH 40 FRY. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THEY WOULD HAVE FROM 5 TO 15. BOY WAS THAT INFORMATION WRONG. I HOPE THIS HELPS.

Using aquarium salt is kind of an old school 'cure all' kind of method. It's true that Mollies and even guppies can live and thrive in brackish conditions, but adding aquarium salt does not replicate brackish conditions by any means.

Granted, using salt regularly will help keep some parasites and diseases at bay, but so does routine tank maintenance and using good water conditioning products that serve the same purpose (increase in slime coat).

Some strains of guppies are line bred and very weak because of it.

If your tank is cycled and in good shape then I would blame it on bad stock.

The amount of salt you're using sounds extemly high to me. I use salt in all my Betta wc jars but I only put about 6 crystals of aquarium salt to 5 gal. of water. Also I breed and sell guppies and never put salt in any of my community tanks. I don't find it neccesry unless there is a health problem. I would say stop with the salt.

THANK YOU FOR YOU IN PUT ON THE SALT. SINCE I'M A NEWBEE I ONLY FOLLOWED THE ADVISE I GOT ON GUPPIES OFF SEVERAL WEB SIGHTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY WATER TEST OUT TO. I CAN'T AFFORD THE TESTING KIT. WHEN I GO TO AN OWNER RUN PET STORE SHE TESTS THE WATER FOR ME . SO FAR SO GOOD. I DO A QUARTER WATER CHANGE ONCE A WEEK AND RINSE MY FILTERS AT THAT TIME. I VAC. ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. SINCE YOU ADVISE LESS SALT I WILL TRY THAT.

I wouldn't rinse the filter too heavily, in fact I avoid rinsing my filters at all unless the flow is slowed down.

If you do rinse your filters, make sure you do it in old tank water and not tap water. Untreated tap water can kill the bacteria that live on your filter that help keep the tank's nitrogen cycle stable.

First off would you please try not using your caps when typing. It makes it harder to read.LOL.... Ok now for the salt. You can use it if you see any fin rot....Also I think the other members will agree that you should never do a wc and filter cleaning at the same time. You can send the whole tank into a recycle.