My guppies wont eat flake food 9/13/07
I just bought our daughter 2 fancy guppies and they wont eat the flake food.
Within 2 days the tank was really cloudy. I did buy some tiny bites to try and this has only been 1 day is there anything else can I feed them?
Thanks,
Jennifer
<Greetings. When voracious feeders like guppies won't eat flake (assuming the flake isn't stale) then there's almost certainly something wrong. Given the water is cloudy, the issue is probably water quality. For one thing, don't add any more food. Most people overfeed their fish. There should be no food visible in the tank 5 minutes after adding the food. Secondly, check water quality. Setting up a tank and then adding fishes the same day is the quick way to kill those fishes. Please tell us the following: the nitrite level, the pH, and the hardness. As a guideline, your aquarium should have zero ammonia and nitrite, and a low level of nitrate (less than 50 mg/l). The pH should be around 7.5-8. The carbonate hardness should be around 8-10 degrees KH upwards, and the general hardness about 12 degrees dH upwards. Cloudy water is typical of under-filtered, heavily polluted aquaria that aren't looked after properly. You need a filter that provides turnover of not less than 4 times the volume of the aquarium per hour, and you should be doing 50% water changes weekly, especially during the early stages of setting up a tank. Always use a good quality dechlorinator. Cheers, Neale.>

Dead Guppy Cannibals 9/18/06
Hi, <Hi> I was wondering if it is possible that a guppy can eat another dead guppy?
<Most fish will pick at dead/dying fish, although they will generally not eat the entire carcass.  Not a good thing though due to disease transfer, water quality etc.>
<Chris>

Guppy food question & a few other Guppy questions, esp. breeding traps  8/31/05
Tetra Min used to make "Guppy food Special Diet" (purple lid), but they no longer make it. It was nice since it was regular flakes broken up into Guppy size flakes and you didn't have to break it up with your fingers (which always seems to end up with dust and large flakes, and
few flakes the 'right size'). You could just use it 'straight'. I've tried HBH 'Guppy bites', but my Guppies don't seem to like that, nor do
I since the food won't break down small enough to be drawn into the gravel filter. Within days it decomposes and floats through the water.
<I see>
The only thing I've found is the regular tropical fish flakes. I'm currently using 'Nutrafin MAX Color Enhancing Flake Food' which, again,
must be broken up. Since food is usually sealed and the pictures on the front are all the same and not at all indicative of size, I was
wondering if any of you know a good quality small flake food (primary criteria) that perhaps also enhances color (secondary concern).
<Mmm, am thinking of a couple of things... One, that you might have luck locating a set of "sieves" that used to be sold for sorting sizes/flakes for aquarium use, the other to advise having small catfishes (likely of the genus Corydoras) for "clean-up", fun as well with your guppies. Don't know of any given size/shape foods that might be better shaped... I would try Omega-Sea's fine line though>
Second issue: I've just recently started up one of my 20 Gal tanks after a 15-20 year hiatus from having Guppies, so I'm not 'up to speed' on the details of pregnant Guppies (darn memory). I have one that had about 17 fry yesterday. It looks like she has another 3 in her, but it's been about 36 hours since she had the last one.
<Likely done then>
She was put in the breeder (another issue) a few times last week (I thought she was ready) but when she didn't start in 12-24 hours, I put her back in the main tank. She was caught starting and I immediately put her in the breeder where everything went fine except for the last 3 that she still appears to be carrying. Is this normal?
<Happens>
Is it possible she can't push them out right now, but will later?
<Could, but not likely>
I left her out back into the main tank about 4 hours after she produced the last one she had yesterday (a dilemma - is it better to keep her confined where she may feel, well, confined, or let her at the mercy of the males?)
<When, where in doubt, I would wait, leave in the breeding trap>
Third issue: I found 1 fry about a week after getting my initial stock (2 males + 2 females) about 4 weeks ago. I'm not sure which one it came from, but there was only one left (I'm assuming all others were eaten). About a week later, I found three more. I don't think they were hiding, although that is possible. Anyway, the point is that I had small fry in my breeder and didn't want to cramp them in, so I bought a second breeder, but the new one is built so poorly that the fry are getting through the cuts in the bottom plastic tray due to manufacturing
tolerances, I think. It's not built anything like my old one, which does not seem to have that issue. The old one is made by Lustar.
<Ah, yes... a fine company... no longer extant>
I could not find that brand in any stores (incl some local fish stores, PetLand, PetCo, PetSmart, and another chain I forget the name of). The new one that is poorly made (for Guppies at least) is made by Penn Plax model "12345 Plus" (Cat #BT-5). Is there anyone who makes this type of breeder that is tight enough to not let fry swim between the plastic plates and the outer 'tank'?
<Not as far as I'm aware. I would either go with net-types or use a separate tank entirely>
I've been looking at some of the models that use air to 'suck' the fry into another section of tank. Your thoughts on those models?
<Am not a fan... too much likelihood of damage to young>
The ones I have are the type with the metal straps that fold over the top of the tank. I wouldn't trust suction cups in the long term. I saw a model with that, too, that was based on suction from an air line. BTW, I solved the above problem, or at least lessened it, by filling the
bottom inch with gravel and spreading it up the sides where the 'rails' are on the 'tank' and the cutouts are in the bottom plate (which is the
place the fry are getting through). I don't care for that solution much, but it's the best I can think of other than sealing the bottom plate
with silicone. (would that even be recommended?)
<Could be done... will "stick" enough, fill the void, be chemically inert...>
BTW, including the fry, I'm up to about 26 guppies in about a month.  I suppose soon I won't care as much about losing some as 'food', but I'm still at the stage where I really don't want that to happen. One last question: It seems after about 3 weeks the fry are large enough
that they don't get picked on by the adult Guppies. Does that sound about right? I waited until they were significantly larger than 'bite size'.
<With good feeding... is about right>
Also, found your site looking for info on sexing the fry. Haven't looked at the fins yet but I found some great info in your FAQs. Thank you for your time and help,
Joe M.
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>