Weird

[jumpfreak26]

Early this afternoon, in my 10 gal, UG filter tank, with 2 neon tetras, ! male and fenale guppy, the female guppy died, but before, she would hang out at the top of the tank surface, and her tail began to shrink, there was nothing left when she died. But, all of my other fish(especially the male guppy) tend to be skimming up and down the tank. I have never een tetras do this, and they are both males, my tank tamp is about 77-78. What is going on?
'Also, my UG filter is starting to foam up at the sides of the tank. Is this a problem with soemthing in the water?

 

[FishiesGallore]

When fish start to skim the top of the tank and they look like they are gasping for air above the water, it usually means that there is something out of wack with your water. You want to check your water balance everyday to make sure the levels are where they need to be. What you are describing sounds like either a Nitrate or Nitrite imbalance, perhaps your ammonia level is too high. When was the last time you did a full/partial water change? Best way to lower your Nitrate levels is to use a rock vacuum. They're really cheap, usually from 3 to 6 bucks depending on size. Make sure that when you use it that you only do a partial water change, because the big change in Nitrate level might shock the fish.
Also you may want to check the Nitrite level (stress). If your tank is overstocked the stress level can sky rocket and your fish will be skimming the top. The usual rule of thumb for freshwater tanks is 1 inch of fish per gallon of tank. So if you have a 2.5 tank and you've got 4 full grown mollies in there (usually about 1.5- 2'' long full grown) you're gonna be way over the limit. You say you have guppies and Tetras in your tank, and by the sound of it you aren't over stocking it. And your temperature is about right so thats not the problem.

For a beginner, I find the easiest way to keep your tank levels in check is to use the Quick Dip brand 5 in 1 test strips. They're pricy (about 15 dollars a bottle for 25 strips) but it is worth it in the long run because it'll tell you pretty much everything you need to know. It tests Nitrate, Nitrite, Hardness, Alkalinity, and pH. It gives you a color chart right on the bottle for easy comparison and tells you where your levels should be for both freshwater and saltwater.

It has helped me out a lot and I hope my advice helps you find the answers you were looking for.

 

[bigredspecial]

While I agree that the 2.5 is way overstocked and nitrate/nitrite/ammonia are the likely culprits, I disagree on the test strips... while the strips are cheap, they're horribly inaccurate. WHy spend the money on them now, when you'll just end up buying liquid reagent tests in a few months anyway?

 

[Toam]

okay the only part i'm unclear is he posted this was taking place in a 10 gallon, where did you guys get a 2.5gallon from?

 

[bigredspecial]

Hmm... I missed that. I think Fishiesgalore meant it as a hypothetical, and I took it as a literal. My mistake!