Guppies

[prince]

I looking at my tank everyday. I noticed a lot fish behaviour, I posted some question previously in other forum, but seem no one can answer it.

Strange Behavior No 1.
I got 18 guppies, I got one guppy that always swim alone, whoever close to him/her (i don't know how exactly to evaluate male / female yet), he/she like to chase them away.

Any reason?

Strange Behavior No 2.
I got few type of color guppies. Strange thing is my guppies got own alliance. Same color always go together.

Any reason?

Normal question No 3.
I also notice the same few fish able to eat very fast. So they are quite fat, the rest can't get the food. I try to use alot ways to put food in multiple corner, but still the same "Fatty guppy" eat it all the time. Amazingly my fatty guppy can swim very fast.

how to ensure all my fish can eat averagely? I read some forum, it mentioned, if the fish can't get the food today, tomorrow they will be more aggressive to grab food. But I notice entire week, is still same case.

Normal question No 4.
I just wondering, why my guppies dig hold on my sand? Pregnant or is their interest?

[Shi Xuan]

Strange Behavior No 1.
I got 18 guppies, I got one guppy that always swim alone, whoever close to him/her (i don't know how exactly to evaluate male / female yet), he/she like to chase them away.

The guppy that keeps chasing the others away, is most likely a female. It's only the males that will stick close to a female. This is especially true for females that have recently given birth, which releases a sexual pheromone that attracts males and stimulates males courtship activity.

Strange Behavior No 2.
I got few type of color guppies. Strange thing is my guppies got own alliance. Same color always go together.

I have hardly observed this phenomenon but there are studies that reflect guppies being attracted to the color red/orange, also coined "Sensory bias", whereby there's a marked increase in preference for a specific color. In this case, bright red/orange.

Normal question No 3.
I also notice the same few fish able to eat very fast. So they are quite fat, the rest can't get the food. I try to use alot ways to put food in multiple corner, but still the same "Fatty guppy" eat it all the time. Amazingly my fatty guppy can swim very fast.how to ensure all my fish can eat averagely? I read some forum, it mentioned, if the fish can't get the food today, tomorrow they will be more aggressive to grab food. But I notice entire week, is still same case.

Distribute the food evenly across the tank surface instead of feeding the fishes at a particular spot where they congregate. This way, the dominant fella will be kept busy feeding while the others have a better chance of getting the food elsewhere. If this doesn't help, separate the dominant ones.

Normal question No 4.
I just wondering, why my guppies dig hold on my sand? Pregnant or is their interest?

This is nothing uncommon for guppies. They may be looking for food or probably rubbing their bodies against the sand. It doesn't mean they are pregnant.

Kind regards,
Shi Xuan

[prince]

Thanks sifu...

[prince]

From my reading, guppies like to live between PH 6.8 and 7.6. Once upon a time, I recall to test PH during chemistry class, we are taking a piece of paper, and see the color of it to determine the PH level.
Is there any digital reader for it?

Also, if the PH is too low, what is the reason causing that, and how can i solve it?
What about if PH is too high, what is the reason for it, and how can i solve it?

[Jalal]

Yes there are digital pH meters, or you can use a liquid test kit commonly sold in fish stores. I don't recommend using paper tests as they aren't very acurate and expensive if you put them against liquid tests in the long run.

If your pH is low, it's more than likely that it is low out of the tap, adding a little bag of cruched coral to your filter can bring it up. If it isn't low out of your tap, then it possible something in your tank is lowering it (driftwood etc.)

With high pH, adding peat moss to the filter can lower the pH, but it also may tan your water, fresh driftwood also works the same way.

Most fish will acclimate to the pH you keep them in, a stable pH is better than a pH that is constantly shifting, it puts less stress on the fish to keep it where it is.