How to keep guppies so they don't die easily? Practical care methods shared
Guppies, also known as the millionfish, rainbow fish, and rainbow guppy, are a tropical fish of the genus Poecilia in the family Poeciliidae. Males and females differ considerably in body size and coloration. They are now kept as ornamental fish in countries around the world. They are very gentle in temperament and can be kept together with mild small and medium-sized tropical fish. They are normally lively and active, but have a relatively short lifespan. Let's take a look below at how to keep guppies so they don't die easily!
What growing environment do guppies need?
Guppies live in warm springs and weed-choked ditches and canals. They are a small omnivorous fish species with very strong adaptability to the environment. They do well in aquariums without temperature-control and aeration equipment, can tolerate low temperatures of 16°C and fairly dirty water quality. The most suitable growing temperature is 22-24°C. They prefer slightly alkaline water but can also adapt to neutral water. They eat zooplankton, small insects and debris, but mainly eat insects including biting midges, chironomids, house mosquitoes, Diptera, Homoptera and Hemiptera insects.
How should guppies be bred for the best results?
2. Broodstock selection: Guppy breeding should avoid inbreeding, so it is best that broodstock in the breeding aquarium do not exceed three generations, to avoid inbreeding causing degeneration of the aquarium strain. It is best to introduce fish of the same variety for purposeful distant hybridization.
3. Mating and awaiting birth: After guppies come into season, the female's belly gradually swells and black gravid spots appear. At this time the male constantly chases the female and inserts his gonopodium into the female's vent for internal fertilization. When the female's gravid spot becomes large and black and the anus protrudes, she can be moved out to await birth.
4. Breeding environment: When breeding guppies, it is best to prepare a large aquarium, with water temperature best kept at 26°C, pH 6.8-7.4, and also plant more aquatic plants, then add guppy broodstock at a ratio of 1 male to 4 females.
5. Fry management: After guppies give birth, remove the female and male promptly to prevent the fry from being eaten. You can also use plastic sheets to form a funnel-shaped isolation wall immersed in the water, placing the birthing female in the funnel so that the newborn fry fall through the hole at the bottom of the funnel into the water outside it.
How to keep guppies so they don't die easily?
1. Fish tank for keeping: The guppy tank must be clean and disinfected. Disinfection uses the boiling-water method, which is thorough, leaves no problems from residual chemical disinfectants, and is also the most eco-friendly method.
2. Conditioning and adding water: Conditioning the water means letting tap water stand for 3 to 5 days so the chlorine in the water volatilizes completely, then adding the water to the disinfected tank, adding nitrifying bacteria, then adding fish and shrimp carcasses as food for the nitrifying bacteria, and continuously oxygenating with a sponge filter for 24 hours.
3. Stocking density: If the stocking density is too high, water quality is hard to control and disease easily occurs. If the density is too low, with a large tank and few fish, the fry do not need to compete for food, which leads to a lack of excitement and movement, thus affecting growth rate. A suitable stocking density is very critical.
4. Water temperature control: The water temperature in the tank should be kept stable between 22 and 26°C (all tropical fish can adapt to this temperature range). For adults it is generally controlled at 22 to 24°C, while for fry it is controlled at around 24 to 26°C.
5. Feeding: Do not feed on the day new fish enter the tank; wait until the fish have recovered before feeding. Uneaten food should be removed promptly. The fish's feeding time should be kept within five minutes. At the same time, as the fish age, continuously increase the variety of food and adjust the feeding amount.
6. Water quality management: Water quality directly affects the fish's growth. Before new fish enter the tank, the water quality in the tank must be well controlled, such as the tank's water circulation and filtration system. It is best to grow some aquatic plants.
Prevention and treatment methods for guppy diseases
1. White spot disease: When guppies have white spot disease, treatment can be done by changing water, adding salt and raising the temperature: first change half the water, then add 3 g/L of sea salt based on the volume of the rearing water, and finally raise the water temperature to 30-32°C. Generally results appear after 3-5 days.
2. Tail rot: When guppies develop tail rot, soak them in salt water at a concentration of 3% for 10 minutes, 1-2 times a day, and keep the rearing water quality good. After a few days the necrotic tissue will fall off naturally.
3. Saprolegniasis: When guppies develop saprolegniasis, they can be soaked in an iodine-containing disinfectant, such as a 20 mg/L povidone-iodine solution or 2 mg/L potassium permanganate mixed with 1% salt water, soaking the sick fish for 20-30 minutes, or orally administer antibacterial drugs (such as sulfonamides).
4. Dropsy (pinecone disease): When guppies develop dropsy, the sick fish can be immersed in a tetracycline solution at a concentration of 1 in 50,000 units for 1 hour, and can also be bathed for 10 minutes in a mixture of % sodium chloride solution and 3% sodium bicarbonate solution.
5. Mouth rot: When guppies develop mouth rot, some commercially available bactericides can be used for medicated baths, and most cases will improve. If it still cannot be cured, the reason may be that some factors causing bacterial infection have not been eliminated.