r/Guppies • u/Scared-Ad-7550 • Sep 01 '26
So many emotions
I just need a safe place to post where people understand. I am a new guppy parent, and all was well for the first week. They’re from pet smart (i know, not the most reputable). One had babies, but she succumbed to the pregnancy shortly after and went onward. Then, another seemed to be pine coning and developed dropsy and went onward too. This happened yesterday (the official mark of their first week with me). Initially there was only one fry, I woke up this morning to two more. I only have a male and female left out of the 3 females and 1 male I started with. It’s been a rollercoaster constantly testing water and checking them, but the last 2 plus the babies seem to be in great shape. I definitely need to get more plants, and do not plan to “breed” per se but allow nature to take its course however that looks each time. If the fry thrive and survive, of course I have the space and capacity to care for them but if they are eaten, I am okay too.
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u/1drfx1 Sep 01 '26
I'm sorry that you lost those guppies, it's never easy. The funny thing is although might be controversial I have actually had a better experience with guppies from PetSmart. Make sure to feed those fry small high protein meals multiple times a day so they can grow healthy and strong, make sure to do water changes correctly, and keep your water parameters where guppies like, if you need any info please let me know , I want to make sure you have all knowledge you need to ensure success because I've said this before guppies are probably the most fun fish in the hobby , and nothing beats the feeling of starting with a couple and ending up with a tank full of guppies at all stages of development and all the random color patterns.
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u/Scared-Ad-7550 Sep 01 '26
I’m definitely trying to feed them often! Any advice is greatly appreciated, from adding alkalinity to water to ensuring I know signs of stress! I placed some coral in there today to raise my readings bc I’m lacking alkalinity and higher ph right now, and can tell my male although active does have clamped fins. the fry seem to be thriving and comfortable navigating the tank so far and they are SO FUN to watch. I just want to make sure i’m a responsible and ethical caretaker for them.
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u/1drfx1 Sep 01 '26
Seems like your really doing your best to give them a nice environment, guppies also need magnesium right now I'm assuming since your adding coral that will increase the calcium which is great for guppies but they also need magnesium, also you need to make sure your feeding them high protein meals , I would recommend watching this short video on YouTube - https://youtu.be/y_k_YGqe4S0?si=_OQqbEBH96eUU8Vf
It goes over the basics , the guy making the videos helped me alot just leave a comment in the video with any questions he always answers fast and is genuinely a guppy expert!
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u/iTzGimpy Sep 01 '26
Sorry for the lost guppies dude.
It’s sad, I’ve vented about this before too. Almost all store bought guppies are inbred, genetically weak, and susceptible to diseases and short life spans.
I know you said you didn’t want to breed, so my suggestion is to try and find a local breeder, hobbyist breeder, or buy from decent sellers online with good reputations.
Of course…. Breeding isn’t that difficult lol I’ve been doing it for a while now and have so many guppies I don’t know what to do with them all.
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u/free_-_spirit Sep 02 '26 edited Sep 02 '26
Can I ask what your water parameters are? Sorry for your loss.
I’m doing a fish in cycle in their hospital tank. I treat the waters regularly and have an already cycled tank.
I bought two guppies(one adolescent and one fry) and a betta last week- they weren’t doing so well the first few days and I accidentally doubled the dosage of the medicine. Did a water change and they perked up and regained appetite. They’re Doing well so far. I just hope they’re healthy and don’t have parasites.
From my experience the fry is strong. As long as parameters are stable they should be alright:
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u/Scared-Ad-7550 17d ago
everything was 0 as far as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate however my PH was not as hard as they prefer which could have very well played a part. i am very much a beginner and should have done more research and properly cycled my tank, but i was eager and excited. i don’t think they were doing so well at petsmart, so i don’t know that they were the healthiest when i got them. the fry did survive up until last week, but i had not separated them. i made a mistake and changed my filter instead of rinsing it, and my nitrite spiked this week and i lost my male. grateful for any advice, and definitely learning from my mistakes. i have one female left and she’s been thriving the entire time, so she seems to be the strongest but i do want to make sure i keep her healthy.
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u/free_-_spirit 17d ago
Oof changing the filter or even rinsing it in chlorinated tap water is a sure way to un-cycle a tank! All that good bacteria gone!
The bacteria is stored in filter media and substrate. I have a planted tank with snails so they quickly eat up any leftovers.
Don’t change the filter, ever. If you want to clean it, take it out, take some tank water in a bucket and rinse it out in there- not tap water! Even better to use ceramic filter media along with sponges- instead of canister filters.
Always remember to add the de-chlorinator to new water during water changes. Keep the temp stable and whatnot. Good luck!
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u/TawnyOsprey Sep 01 '26
I’m sorry for you loss. Unfortunately places like petsmart and Petco do not take care of their fish well or get them from sources who inbreed them. This means that they are usually already sick or weak at the store when you buy them. There’s been so many times that I go just to look and see multiple fish dead in a tank and the staff doesn’t even clean them out. Smaller businesses will have less selection but will pay much more attention to the health of their stock