Guppies are hardy fish that beginners prefer to add to their aquarium. Guppies can live in a wide range of water conditions, but what about the TDS level? We will discuss the TDS required for guppies. So, what is the best TDS level for guppies? Let us find out.
400-600 ppm is the best TDS level between which your guppy will thrive. Overfeeding, irregular water change, and poor water maintenance will spike TDS levels in the water. Do regular water changes and tank maintenance also, avoid overfeeding to avoid TDS spike in your guppies aquarium water.
We will discuss how to decrease the water TDS level of our guppies aquarium in this article. Also, we will discuss how to measure the TDS level. So let us get into it.
Contents
How does TDS affect guppies?
High TDS will affect your guppy fish by making it harder for them to breathe.
The reason behind this is when the TDS level gets higher; it becomes harder to maintain an oxygen level in an aquarium.
High TDS will result in less space available for the clean oxygen molecules in the water.
When oxygen is deficient, it will directly affect your guppies.
It will be harder for your guppy to breathe, which can cause other health issues too.
Maintaining TDS at a proper level is essential for your guppies’ well-being and a comfortable lifespan.
Ideal water parameters for guppies?
| Particulars | Requirement |
| Water temperature | 72-82°F |
| Water pH level | 6.8-7.8 |
How can we measure TDS?
It is very easy to measure TDS, all you need is a TDS meter, and you are ready to go.
There are many kinds of TDS meters present online and in stores.
You can buy iSpring TDS 3-Button Digital Meter as it is easy to use and will give you an accurate result.
The steps of using the TDS meter is:
- Run the temperature check first by putting the TDS meter inside the water to the maximum immersion depth.
- Your device will have a button for setting temperature check and TDS check. Run a TDS check after measuring the temperature.
- Check the TDS in the same way you have checked the temperature.
- You will get an accurate reading of TDS.
These steps are the same for all the TDS devices present in the market.
Now we know how to measure TDS, we will discuss how to reduce TDS if it increases.
How can we reduce TDS from our guppies aquarium?
Things to do for reducing TDS from guppy aquariums are:
- Perform a regular water change.
- Make sure to do regular tank maintenance.
- Avoid overfeeding your guppy fish.
Regular water change
Doing regular water changes is essential for reducing the TDS from your guppies aquarium.
Not performing a regular water change will result in your guppies tank being dirty by the leftovers, dead and decaying plants.
These all can increase the TDS of the guppies aquarium.
So, make sure to perform a regular water change, which means changing at least 30% of water weekly.
Regular tank maintenance
Regular tank maintenance is also essential to keep the TDS on track with a regular water change.
Some wastes get stuck in the aquarium substrate and wall, which a water change cannot clean, so we have to clean the aquarium ourselves.
Cleaning the tank is the primary solution to reduce the TDS from your guppies aquarium.
Overfeeding
Providing food to our guppies frequently will result in waste floating in the tank as guppies will not eat the entire food, and some of the food will float as waste in the tank.
Overfeeding will make your tank dirty with leftovers, as when your fish overeat, they will produce more waste than usual.
Provide food to your guppies so that they can finish eating in an average of 2-3 minutes.
Doing this will ensure that the TDS of your guppies aquarium is at a proper level.
The reason behind TDS increasing in my guppy tank?
The most common reason behind the TDS increase in guppies tanks is tap water.
Using tap water will come with high TDS. If not following the ways we discussed above, it will continue increasing.
Fish waste can also explain the increase of TDS in water.
Fish leftovers can be seen in every tank, but the waste will be more when owners overfeed their fish.
The water filter also gets dirty by a build up waste. Therefore, cleaning the filter regularly is essential to avoid unwanted waste.
Fertilizers can also be the reason behind TDS increase in water.
Fertilizers come with the water you use in your fish aquarium.
Fertilizers can increase the TDS level even if present in a small amount.
The reason behind it is the mineral leftovers. Fertilizers contain lots of mineral leftovers.
Performing a regular water change will help prevent this issue.
Conclusion:
Guppies will live comfortably at TDS levels between 400-600 ppm.
To avoid your guppies tank for a spike of TDS, maintain your tank regularly and perform a regular water change.
Also, avoid overfeeding your guppy, as it can also be the reason behind a spike of TDS in your guppies aquarium.
Clean your filter regularly to avoid unusual waste.
Reference: CABI, ResearchGate