Hi all, please help!!! I have a 95 litre tank with approx 60 guppies, 1 sucker fish, 6 neon tetras which have all lived happily for about 6 months!

I recently purchase md two platys and two balloon mollies, and I'm loosing the guppies hand over fist! I must have lost 15-20 today alone!!!

I've had the water tested at pets at home and they said its near enough perfect!

I thought the balloon mollie was picking on the guppies so found new home for her this afternoon

Low & behold I've just fished another 4 dead guppies out!!

What do I do????

Hi Lauc82, welcome to FK

Goodness, that's quite a lot of stock for 95 litres.

Can you post the 'actual' tank readings for pH, GH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels so we can rule the obvious contenders out first?

One man's fine is another man's nightmare.

How often do you undertake water changes and how much?

There's also little bit of a mix of fish going on in there, some who need softer more acidic water and some who required quite the opposite. Not all fish, suit the same type of water.

Post back your readings/info and hope we can then help.

Hi,

Thanks for you reply. They didn't give me any kind of readings just that it was near enough perfect and not likely to be water issue.

I did a water change this week, it's mainly the guppies I wanted but the kids wanted the platys as my son is orange mad!

I'm lost and dont know what to do!

OK. Given the mass overstocking situation you have, I'm going to assume for now that this is a water quality issue. 99% of fish ill health and death we usually see here, are.

The filter may have just been at its tipping edge (likely given the stocking before the new editions). The new editions are now just too much for the filter to contend with.

1. Get yourself some liquid test kits. They last for 3-5 years and no fish keeper should be without them IMO. Means you can reach for them whenever you need to avoid situations like this, occuring.

Most of us here use these two.
API Master Freshwater Kit:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odk ... +master+test+kit&_sacat=0

API GH & KH Kit:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odk ... h&_nkw=api+gh+kh&_sacat=0

3. In the interim though, undertake an emergency 50% water change, pre treated to remove chlorine and chloramine and temp matched.

4. Then undertake daily 25% water changes (same treatment as above) until you can post the readings requested. This should slow the rate of deaths down until we can sort a fix.

5. Returning the new stock you just added, wouldn't be a bad move either. The filter seems to be in crisis and reduction of stock is the likely way to go I'm sure. A tank and filter upgrade may also be required if you wish to keep the fish you have but lets' get those water readings first.

Once we actually know what we are dealing with a proper plan of action can be suggested.

6. See if you can source some Seachem Prime. It helps with issues like this, I can't comment on dosing until we have some tank readings but will be great, when we do have - ready to hand.

Seachem Prime:
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html

Hi, I've ordered the kits from eBay thank you. What is confusing me at the moment us that I was told the water was near enough perfect so what makes you think it could be a water issue?

How many fish can you keep in 90 litres ?

90 litres after displacement for gravel, rocks etc is about 80 litres of actual water. for small fish like Guppies the maximum stock is around 2.5cms of fish per 4.5 litres of water in a new set up or twice that if nitrates are well controlled in a mature (over six months old) set up. So at the most, 17 Guppies. You are seriously overstocked and the addition of the new fish will have caused an increase in the strain on the filter which is likely to be the cause of the sudden deaths (ammonia, nitrite in the water) along with the fish being compromised due to overcrowding.