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I bought a 10g tank a few weeks ago after my first attempt at owning 2 goldfish died and recently added 2 new baby guppies to it (a male and female). Tested the water and ammonia is down to 0, with a normal range Pf (between 7.2-8.0 of what the APL Master Test kit said was acceptable), Nitrites and Nitrates at 0.
I have been feediong them the flake food. How often should I be feeding them? How often do I need to test the water?
for the first 2 weeks id test daily...the simple presence of fish will start to cause your readings to change and it can happen quickly in a smaller tank...
I personally feed myfish little and often, 2-3 times a day just enough that they can eat it before it starts to sink.
the more food you feed that goes to waste the more likely your readings are to fluctuate also.
If you know anyone else with an aquarium, you could ask for a gallon or two of their water, or some goo from the filter, to help get your tank started.
I never test my water, I've had aquariums for more than ten years now and I don't think I even own test strips anymore.
If the guppies you added were being sold as feeders, they may not be very healthy.
If you know anyone else with an aquarium, you could ask for a gallon or two of their water, or some goo from the filter, to help get your tank started.
I never test my water, I've had aquariums for more than ten years now and I don't think I even own test strips anymore.
If the guppies you added were being sold as feeders, they may not be very healthy.
Do not try to seed new tank with water from other tanks. There is very to no bacterias in the water column.
best way it to take a scoop of gravel or the filter media out of an established tank, the beneficial bacteria resides in the gravel and filter media not the water itself...
also with guppies youll find them happier with a 3 females to 1 male ratio, but be warned youll also typically find yourself over run with babies (even from a single female) in no time!
I'll add to what everyone has already said, don't try goldfish in that small a tank again unless it's temporary, and you no longer have the guppies. Two goldfish would fine for a few months in a 10 gallon tank, but depending on the variety of goldfish you have, ultimately you would need a tank at least 30 gallons. They are also super messy. Anyway, I hope your little guppies are doing well. Two young guppies shouldn't be too messy, but as your tank cycles (develops good bacteria) you'll want to test the water once or twice a week for a month or so until the tank cycles. If you had more fish I'd recommend more frequent testing, but you should be fine. As the fish poop and uneaten food collects in the tank, the ammonia level will rise. If the ammonia rises, especially over .25, you'll want to do a partial water change to lower it.
I recently started a guppy tank again, I bought a pair online for a 14 gallon tank. The store sent me five. Two males, three females. All healthy. This was about six weeks ago. Anyone want some guppies? I have lots of them.
Thanks everyone! I tested the water last night and my results were:
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
(Basically the APL color chart on the test kit was near the top/normal range). The fish seem happy. They swim around very energetically. I have 1 male and 1 female. I am feeding them flake food 2x a day in very small amounts. When I feed them, they eagerly eat 90% of the flakes that I drop into the tank.
The female guppy doesnt look pregnant. I am thinking of adding 2 more females and maybe another male. What other fish can I add? How long is the guppy pregnancy cycle? I wouldnt mind seeing them give birth.
You said your guppies were babies, so it may be a few more months before they are old enough to reproduce. It takes about a month for gestation, if you have fertile guppies you'll have fry in no time, once they are mature. Is the male chasing the female? If you have a total of 5 guppies, and their fry, your tank will much max out in space quickly. Ten gallons is a small tank. Some guppies will eat their fry, others won't. The guppies I currently have in my 14 gallon tank are not eating their fry and I seriously have a dozen guppies right now, with the females looking ready to pop again any day now. I meant to have one pair, received 5 by mail, and hardly over a month later I am overrun by guppies. So use caution before adding a lot of guppies. I have a hard time finding a store to take my fry too, when the time comes try Craigslist or a Facebook tag sale site, but even giving them away it can be hard to find a home for guppies.
Be sure to research any fish before buying and stocking, as different fish have different requirements, will grow to different sizes, even as long as 2-3 feet, etc. Some fish are healthier in schools, others are better left alone, and others will not get along with certain fish, so again do your research. Be cautious with pet store advice, as much of the time the employees aren't trained and just want to sell fish.
Here's a link to help you with research, and it will tell you what fish are compatible, how large a tank you need for each fish, etc. Be careful with overstocking, as the ammonia level will skyrocket, and ammonia kills fish quickly.
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I have a hard time finding a store to take my fry too, when the time comes try Craigslist or a Facebook tag sale site, but even giving them away it can be hard to find a home for guppies.
