Guppies and salt

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ChazECJr

Large Fish
#1
Oct 22, 2002
118
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0
#1
Has anyone kept guppies successfully in fresh water?  Do they really need a brackish tank to do well?  Will a lack of salt (magnesium in particular) lead to loss of appetite?  I just read this and wanted to know what others have found.

http://www.science.nus.edu.sg/~webdbs/research/fish/nutrition/mineral.html

Thanks for any help you can give.
 

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kimmarie0462

Small Fish
#3
Oct 22, 2002
23
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#3
It's true that guppies don't need salt water, but it does help. I found this great site. http://guppyplace.tripod.com. She has a lot of imformation. It's the best site I've found yet.  :)
 

J

JWright

Superstar Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
2,192
7
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40
Snowy Upstate New York
www.cnytheater.com
#5
What lakes? None in the lakes around here, remember, guppies are tropical fish, they need warm water. The waters they come from do have fair amounts of various salts dissolved in them. It's not really going to make a huge difference in our tanks though.

There are all sorts of plants that do just fine with some salt in the water.

Josh
 

E

eseow

Large Fish
#6
Oct 22, 2002
218
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Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
#6
As for JWRIGHT's post, I live in South Florida, there are many fish bred in Florida, as well as people who release them into out local canals & lakes. Many Oscars in LFS are from local lakes, and Giant Plecos have been caught in local lakes by my old home. I picked up 3 guppies, not fancy tails, couple days ago while I was at a local lake with a net, just pulled from surface. Also found plants growing in the lake, that are the same ones I JUST BOUGHT at LFS!!! *celebratesmiley*
 

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colesea

Superstar Fish
#8
Oct 22, 2002
1,612
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NY USA
#8
Florida wildlife isn't always native. You would never find guppies here in NY lakes...too cold! Although once, there was a pacu fished out of Lake Ronkoncoma.

Most likely the guppies you netted were mosquito fish. Often mistaken for guppies, mosquito fish are purposely released into swampy areas to eat mosquito larvae and keep the mosquito population in check. Popular fancy tailed guppies may have well genetically decended from these fish the same was toy poodles were bred from an acesteral wolf type dog. Or the could've also been killies. We used to sein out Mangrove Killiefish, a cousin to the sailfin molly, from the cannals all the time. They bred like crazy!

When I lived on Big Pine Key, I saw an Iguana run across the supermarket parking lot. That lizard is certainly not native to Florida, but from what I understand, there are some breeding populations thriving. There was also a huge Pacu living in "The Blue Hole" that was a released pet. Very friendly, came to the outlook to beg for food regularly with the turtles (a few of those also non-native releases).

Florida is also known to have large tropical breeders. I know some of the neons and white clouds I get from my wholesaler claims the fish are "large Florida bred" varieties.
~~Colesea
 

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