Fish Species » HousedPet.com

Guppies are the most common fish every aquarist prefers to add to their community tank. They do great when provided with the adequate living condition. However, guppies sometimes show such behavior, which becomes a matter of concern, and shaking is one of them. There can be numerous reasons behind such action. So, Why is my guppy shaking? Is it normal? And how can we prevent such issues? Let us find out. Stress due to environmental problems is the reason behind guppy fish shaking. Environmental problems include poor water quality, overcrowded tanks, aggressive fish, and inadequate water temperature. Ensure providing guppy good water quality and ample space to prevent such issues. This article will discuss all the reasons and prevention of guppy fish shaking. So, let us get into it. Why is my guppy fish shimmering? Shimmering is caused due to stress because of environmental problems. The environmental problem includes overcrowded tanks, aggressive tankmates, poor water quality, and inadequate water parameters. If your guppy fish shows such shaking behavior, something unusual is going on that needs immediate action. Your guppy fish will suffer from a life-threatening condition if you do not eliminate the reason behind such an issue. Is It normal for guppy fish to shake? It is not normal for your guppies to shake. If your guppy fish is shaking, then there is something wrong. Usually, poor water quality is the reason behind your guppy fish shaking. There are other various reasons behind your guppy fish shaking. Immediate action is required when you encounter your guppy fish showing such behavior. What are the reasons behind guppy fish shaking? Guppy fish shows such behavior because of stress due to environmental problems. These are the environmental problems your guppy fish faces and come under stress, causing guppy shaking: The water quality of your guppies tank is poor.The water parameters of your guppies aquarium are inadequate and unstable.Your guppy fish is living in the overcrowded tank.There is a presence of aggressive fish in your guppies aquarium.The ammonia level of your guppies tank is high.Introducing a new guppy in the home aquarium. Poor water quality Poor water quality is one of the main reasons behind guppy fish shaking. Contaminated water is the root of various diseases and parasites like fin rot and ich. Also, contaminated water lacks oxygen, making your guppy fish suffer for air. Beneficial bacteria require oxygen to break down ammonia and nitrite. In the absence of oxygen, such good bacteria will not be able to do their work, resulting in a spike of ammonia. A Spike of ammonia will increase the pH level of your guppy's tank water, making it highly alkaline. Highly acidic water conditions will result in burning down your guppy's gill, making them come under stress, and even they can pass away. So, it is necessary to provide your guppy fish with adequate water pH levels to live comfortably. Also read: Can Guppy Survive In Muddy Water? Inadequate and unstable water parameters Inadequate water parameters can cause shaking in your guppy fish. Guppies are tropical fish and prefer to live in warm water temperatures. The cold water temperature will make your guppy fish suffer, and they can show such behavior. Too hot water temperature will make your guppy fish hyperactive, resulting in erratically swimming and coming under stress. Guppy fish prefer to live in alkaline water, and lower pH levels will make them come under stress. You must know that like inadequate water parameters. Unstable water parameters will also make your guppy fish come under stress. Also read: Best TDS For Guppies. Overcrowded tank An overcrowded tank will make your guppy fish come under stress. These are the drawbacks of overcrowded tanks: Your guppy fish will not be able to swim and live comfortably due to a lack of space.An overcrowded tank will lack oxygen, making your guppy fish gasp for air at the water's surface.All of your fish will not get adequate food because of too many fish in one tank.The overcrowded tank will get polluted faster than regular. All these reasons will make your guppy fish come under stress, and they can show such shaking behavior. Aggressive tankmate Guppies are peaceful fish and will not do great if aggressive fish are present in their tank. Aggressive fish like angelfish will make your guppy fish come under stress by constant chasing and nipping. You must know that guppy fish being under stress for a long time, will be prone to various diseases and parasites like fin rot. Also read: Can Guppy Fish Live With Angelfish? Spike of ammonia Spike of ammonia will make your guppy fish suffer, and even they can come into critical condition. Ammonia usually develops in a new tank but also can occur in an established tank if the water quality is poor. Poor water quality and filtration result in an ammonia spike, elevating the water pH level and affecting your guppy fish skin and gills. A Spike of ammonia can even result in your guppy fish passing away. All these were the environmental problems that make guppy fish come under stress and make them shake. Also read: Best pH level For Guppies? Introducing new guppy fish to your guppies aquarium. When we introduce new guppy fish to our guppies aquarium, new guppy can come under stress, causing guppy shaking. The reason behind that is water condition and parameters. When we buy a new guppy from a pet store and introduce it directly to our home aquarium, guppy suffers from a sudden change of water parameters. This is because the fish shop aquarium parameters differ from our home aquarium parameters. Instead of introducing new guppy fish directly to the home aquarium, perform this: Put the packet of the fish inside your home aquarium.Let it flow for 25-30 minutes to match the water temperature.Take the packet out from the aquarium.Gather a fishnet and a small container.Place the fishnet above the container.Now, cut the packet and pour the water.Place the fish from the net to your home aquarium. Can we treat shaking in our guppy fish? There is no treatment for such issues in guppies. However, all things we do to prevent our guppy fish from shaking will cure the affected fish. Make sure not to make a drastic or major change in water condition and parameters as it can worsen the case. Don't perform a major water change. Instead, do a 10% water change every day. Never increase or suddenly decrease the water parameters. How to prevent our guppy fish from shaking? Do these things to stop your guppy fish from shaking: Provide good water qualityEnsure adequate and stable water parameters.Shift the aggressive fish to another tank, if any present in your guppies tank.Add hiding spots in your guppies aquarium.Avoid overcrowding your guppy fish aquarium. Provide good water quality Providing your guppy fish with good water quality will help you prevent guppy from shaking. To ensure good water quality, perform a weekly water change of at least 35%. Consider adding a good filtration system with biofilter media and carbon to your guppies aquarium to keep the water clean and safe from ammonia and nitrite. You should also add lots of live aquatic plants in your guppies aquarium as it will help you keep the water clean and increase the oxygen level. Aquatic plants will also make a good hiding spot for your guppies. Adequate and stable water parameters Providing your guppy fish with adequate and stable water parameters will help prevent such issues. ParticularsGuppy Fish RequirementWater temperature72-82 °FWater pH level6.7-7.8Ammonia0ppmNitrite0ppmNitrateBelow 25ppmThis table shows the ideal water parameters of guppy fish. Guppy fish require a water temperature between 72-82 °F. Ensure providing your guppy fish with a water pH level between 6.7-7.8. Make sure that the chlorine, ammonia, and nitrite remain at 0ppm, and nitrate should not be above 25ppm. To keep a regular check on ammonia levels, you can use the API ammonia test kit, as it gives you an accurate result. You can buy it from Amazon API TEST KIT. Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Guppy Fish? Avoid adding aggressive tankmates. Guppies are peaceful fish, and the presence of aggressive fish in your guppies tank will make your guppy fish come under stress. Aggressive fish like angelfish will constantly chase your guppy fish, making them come under stress. Consider adding peaceful fish to your guppies aquarium. These are some best tankmates for your guppy fish: MolliesPlatiesGouramiNeon tetraShrimpZebra danios Also read: Can Guppy Live With Molly? Add hiding spots in your guppies aquarium. Guppies like hiding spots around their surroundings, especially when under stress. When it comes to creating a hiding spot for guppies, live aquatic plants are the best option you can add to your guppies aquarium. You can also add aquarium decors like driftwood, terra cotta pots, and other hiding decors to create a hiding spot for your guppies. Also read: Do Guppies Need Hiding Places? Avoid overcrowding An overcrowded tank will make your fish come under stress which can cause shaking. Follow the one-inch per one-gallon rule to ensure you are not overcrowding your guppies tank, which means one inch of fish per one gallon of water. Following this rule will ensure that you are not overcrowding your guppies tank. Also read: How Many Guppies In A 20 Gallon Tank? Conclusion: Guppy fish show such shaking behavior because of stress due to environmental problems. Shaking is not a disease but is the symptom that indicates that your guppy fish is suffering from some environmental problems. Stress due to poor water quality, inadequate water parameters, aggressive tankmates, overcrowded tanks, irregular supply of food, and ammonia spike are the reasons behind your guppy fish shaking. Also, when we directly introduce the new fish from the pet shop to our home aquarium, a sudden change of water parameters makes them come under stress and show such behavior. Reference: Aquariumscience