Dying Guppies

[Fishobob]

Gday Fellas,
               Every time I get some guppies for my tank they eventually die and its really starting to piss me off big time  *thumbsdown2*.  Nothing else dies except the bloody guppies.  My most recent purchase about 2 weeks ago included 9 guppies, 4 platies and 4 swordtails, now I only have 4 guppies left and everything else except the guppies are going along well  *thumbsupsmiley*.  Also I have not been able to breed guppies either yet I have bred platies and swordtails. I was wondering if there is any reason for my guppies dying?  My water temp is at about 24 degrees celcius, ph neutral and I have a 30 gallon tank with the fish i mentioned and 2 albino catfish, 2 plecos of some kind, 2 blue gouramis and live plants.  I have no idea why my guppies keep dying so if u have any thoughts on the matter could u please tell me.
Cheers,
Fishobob ;D

 

[colesea]

Guppies are just worthless fish.

I don't know how the imports go in your country, but here in the US, most wholesalers import them from Singapore, where guppies are mass produced for the market.  These guppies usually tend to be genetically weak, immunosupressed from shipping stress, and prone to just, dropping dead at a whim. They are simply weak, mass produced, shoddy fish. Guppies are the "fishy mills" of the aquatic trade.  I hate having them in my store. I keep them on a system especially designed for livebearers, with proper water chemistry and all. Every time guppies arrive in my shop, I acclimate them alongside all my mollies, swordtails, platties, everything, and sure enough, every guppy is usually dead within the first three days of arrival. Any disease in the system, they get it first, and are highly subceptible to neon tetra disease and fin rot.  

But everybody just -has- to have guppies because they're so "hardy." :

If you really desire guppies so bad, I would suggest you try and find a reliable local dealer. Those guppies will most likely be strain pure, which is genetically better in the long run, and of much more reliable breeder quality then your run of the mill pet store mutt guppy. 95% of my local aquarium society membership is made up of old men and their fancy guppies. They auction them off sometimes at $1 a pair. Some really nice ones too, if you're into that sort of fish.

Good luck on your guppy hunt.
~~Colesea

 

[Fishobob]

Colesea,
          Thankyou for replying agin to one of my topics.  U really do seem to know a lot about aquariums.  Do u work in one and how long have u been keeping them? I decided that I was going to stop getting guppies anyway because i dont really like them very much anyway.
Cheers and thanks again,
Fishobob ;D

 

[colesea]

Hmm..if you want my bio you can go to the "Introduction" board and read the thread "Local LFS Employee here." That's me. Thank you very much. I wouldn't consider myself that knowledgeable, I learn new thing every day from the people on this board all the time. You at least, have the intelligence to ask some decent questions<G>. Do you know how many times a day I have to answer "what do I need?" It's not an exact science, there is no list that says "get this this this and this and your fish are guareenteed to live without you taking care of the tank." That's what most folk are after.*sigh* If people would stop being lazy and simply do the research, they wouldn't have to ask that question. If you've noticed on the board, instead of reading an already existing thread, people do ask as if they're the first person in the world to have ever needed to know how to set up a fish tank, and they need it spelled out for them "A B C..."  Get's fustrating sometimes.

Sometimes people forget that aquarium keeping isn't just a hobby, it is also a trade, and the fish are customarily thought of just as any cattle or chicken livestock farm.  That's what I find very interesting personally. Researching wholesaler methods and the whole concept of profit from fishkeeping. There are some third world countries in South America and the South Pacific Islands in which entire villages are supported upon the exotic fish or reptile trade. Knowing -where- your fish come from is just as important as keeping them alive and healthy, because, like you experience with your guppies, some sources are not reliable to keep the health of the fish in mind instead of how many for how much.  What is the differance between purchasing wild caught neons or Florida fish farm bred neons? Why are marine hobbiest so keen on making sure people who do salt water tanks truely care about the fish and don't want a salt water tank for the sake of saying "oh wow, I have the status and money for a salt water tank"?  When you start asking yourself these questions and researching the answers, a whole "behind closed doors" in the market start to open to you, and that certain "rules" are bent all the time.  You'll discover that...no matter what advice you are given, how you treat your aquarium and your moral/philosophical obligation to it, is something you have to seriously consider. And how much you know really helps in the long run.
~~Colesea