Guppies are active fish and swim all around the tank. You will not find your guppies swimming in only one direction until and unless there are some issues in your guppies aquarium.
Guppies sometimes show strange swimming behavior, which indicates something wrong going on, of which one behavior is swimming and sitting at the bottom of the tank. So, Why is my guppy sitting at the bottom of the tank? Let us find out.
Poor water quality is the primary reason behind guppy fish swimming at the bottom of the tank. Other reason includes stress, inadequate water parameters, and an ammonia spike. Provide guppies with favorable water conditions and a stress-free environment to prevent such swimming behavior.
This article will discuss the reason and prevention for guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank. So, let us get into it.
Contents
My guppy Is lying at the bottom of the tank.
There can be numerous reasons behind guppy fish lying at the bottom of the tank.
Guppies also sit at the bottom of the tank for resting.
Also, a pregnant female guppy sits at the bottom of the tank when they are about to release the fry.
However, other reasons are stress, poor water quality, overcrowded tank, aggressive tankmate, and inadequate water parameters.
There are more other reasons which we will discuss in this article.
Is It normal for guppies to sit at the bottom of the tank?
It is not normal for your guppies to sit at the bottom of the tank until and unless the reason behind such behavior is female guppy is pregnant, or the guppy fish is sleeping.
Pregnant guppy fish sit at the bottom of the tank when they are about to release the fry.
Guppies are diurnal fish and sleep at night.
So, if your guppies remain active during the daytime and sit at the bottom of the tank at nighttime, there is nothing to worry about as they are resting.
Also, if your guppy is pregnant and is sitting at the bottom of the tank, there is nothing to worry about, as it is their natural behavior that indicates that your pregnant guppy is about to release the fry.
However, if these two things are not the reason behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank, it is a matter of concern.
There are numerous reasons behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank, of which poor water quality is the primary reason behind such an issue.
Diseases like swimbladder disorder and dropsy can also make your guppy fish sit at the bottom of the tank.
Let us discuss all the possible reasons behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Also read: Why Is My Guppy Swimming At The Top Of The Tank?
What are the reasons behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank?
These are the reasons behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank:
- The water quality of your guppies aquarium is poor.
- The water parameters of your guppies aquarium are not stable and adequate.
- The water has been contaminated with ammonia spike.
- There is a presence of aggressive fish in your guppies aquarium.
- Your guppy fish is under stress.
- Your guppies aquarium is overcrowded.
- Your guppy fish is suffering from Illness.
- Your female guppy is in labor.
- Your guppy fish is resting at the bottom of the tank.
Poor water quality
Contaminated water is the primary reason behind guppy fish being lethargic and sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Guppies will also come under stress because of living in poor water quality.
Poor water quality will lack oxygen in water, making your guppy fish suffer from breathing.
Contaminated water also makes your guppy fish vulnerable to various diseases and parasites.
The presence of harmful chemicals like ammonia and nitrite in your guppy’s water will affect your guppy’s health by affecting their gills and body.
Guppies with affected gills will have trouble eating and swimming.
Also read: Can Guppy Survive In Muddy Water?
Inadequate and unstable water parameters
Inadequate water parameters also make your guppy fish sit at the bottom of the tank by making them inactive and stressed.
Inadequate water parameters will also make your guppy fish prone to diseases and parasites.
Unstable water parameters also result in making your guppy fish lethargic and stressed.
Too hot water temperature will make your guppy fish hyperactive, and they will swim erratically.
Swimming erratically will make them come under stress.
Too cold water temperature will make your guppy fish lethargic, and they will not have much movement.
Guppy will have a weak immune system living in too cold water temperature and can suffer from constipation and bloating, making them sit at the bottom of the tank.
Also read: Best TDS For Guppies?
Spike of ammonia
Ammonia poisoning in your guppy’s tank will also make them sit at the bottom of the tank.
A Spike of ammonia in your guppies tank will make your guppy fish lethargic, lose its appetite, fin rot, and red spots on the body.
Ammonia poisoning can make your guppy fish come under critical condition, and they can even pass away.
Usually, ammonia occurs in the new tank but can also develop in an established tank when the water quality is poor.
Aggressive tankmates
The presence of an aggressive tankmate will make your guppy fish come under stress.
Aggressive fish will chase and nip your guppy fish constantly.
Being bullied constantly will make guppy come under stress, lose their appetite, and become lethargic.
Also, guppy fish’s inappropriate male and female ratio results in aggression and chasing in your guppies aquarium.
Male guppy will constantly chase female guppy for mating purposes, making female guppy come under stress and show aggressive behavior.
More male guppies in the aquarium will also result in aggression as males are more territorial and aggressive than female guppies.
Also read: Can Guppy Fish Live With Angelfish?
Stress
Guppy fish under stress will usually sit at the bottom of the tank most of the time.
There are numerous reasons behind guppy fish coming under stress:
- Poor water quality
- Aggressive tankmate
- Overcrowded tank
- Inadequate water parameters
- Unstable water temperature
- Illness
- Physical injury
- Inappropriate male and female guppy ratio
- Lack of hiding spots
- Pregnant female guppy
All these will make your guppy fish come under stress.
Guppies under stress will lose their appetite and become weak.
Weak guppies will become lethargic and will not move much by sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Also, you must know that guppy being under stress for a long time, will be prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Are My Guppies Stressed?
Overcrowded tank
An overcrowded tank can also make your guppy fish sit at the bottom of the tank.
An overcrowded tank will result in all these things:
- Your guppy fish will not be able to swim and live comfortably.
- An overcrowded tank will lack oxygen.
- An overcrowded tank will get dirty faster than a regular.
Your guppy will suffer breathing because of a lack of oxygen in the tank.
An overcrowded tank will also make your guppy fish come under stress because of a lack of space to live comfortably.
Illness
Guppy fish suffering from Illness can also be the reason behind sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Guppy suffering from swim bladder disorder, constipation, and dropsy will not be able to maintain its buoyancy and will stay at the bottom of the tank.
Poor water conditions, overfeeding, and inadequate water parameters are the main reasons behind all these issues.
Also read: How To Treat Dropsy In Guppy?
The female guppy is pregnant.
When a female guppy is pregnant and is about to release the fry, they will stay at the bottom of the tank.
If you find fry swimming at your guppies tank after some hour of guppy sitting at the bottom of the tank, then pregnancy was the reason behind such behavior.
You can either separate the fry and keep them in another tank if you want to grow the babies.
If you don’t want to grow fry, then let the fry live in the guppies aquarium, as guppies will eat almost all the fry.
Also read: 8 Signs Guppy Is About To Give Birth.
Guppy is resting.
Guppies are diurnal fish that remain active during the daytime and sleep at night like we humans.
If your guppy fish is sitting at the bottom of the tank during nighttime, there is nothing to worry about as they are sleeping.
Let us discuss how we can prevent our guppies from sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Also read: Is My Guppy Sleeping Or Dying?
How to prevent our guppies from sitting at the bottom of the tank?
Ensure these things to prevent your guppy fish from sitting at the bottom of the tank:
- Provide good water quality
- Ensure adequate and stable water parameters.
- Avoid overcrowding your guppies tank.
- Avoid adding aggressive and non-compatible fish to your guppies tank.
- Provide a stress-free environment to your guppies.
Provide good water quality.
Ensuring good water quality will prevent your guppies from sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Perform a weekly water change of 35% in a regular manner.
Consider adding a good external or internal filter with biofilter media to keep the water clean and safe from ammonia and nitrite.
| Particulars | Guppy Fish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Ammonia | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 25ppm |
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate level.
Ensure that the ammonia and nitrite remain at 0ppm, whereas nitrate is below 25ppm.
You can check the ammonia level of your guppies tank by using the API ammonia test kit.
You can buy it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
Also, you should add live aquatic plants to your guppies aquarium.
Aquatic plants provide a good hiding spot for your guppies and help keep the water clean.
Aquatic plants will also ensure enough oxygen in the water for your guppies.
Ensure adequate and stable water parameters.
Ensuring adequate and stable water parameters will prevent your guppies from sitting at the bottom of the tank.
| Particulars | Guppy Fish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82 °F |
| Water pH level | 6.7-7.8 |
| TDS level | 400-600ppm |
Provide your guppy fish water temperature between 72-82 °F.
Ensure to maintain the water pH level between 6.7-7.8.
Maintain the TDS level between 400-600ppm.
Consider adding a heater to keep the water temperature stable.
Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Guppies?
Avoid overcrowding your guppies tank.
Avoiding overcrowding your guppy’s tank will prevent your guppies from showing such behavior.
To ensure that you are not overcrowding your guppies tank, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule, which means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Following the one-inch one-gallon rule, you will not overcrowd your guppy’s tank, and they will live and swim comfortably.
Also read: How Many Guppies In A 20 Gallon Tank?
Avoid adding aggressive fish to your guppies tank.
Adding peaceful and compatible fish instead of aggressive and non-compatible fish will prevent your guppies from sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Guppies are peaceful fish and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
Aggressive fish will constantly chase your guppies for hunting them down.
Because of being chased constantly, guppies will swim at the bottom of the tank hiding from aggressive fish.
Consider adding peaceful fish to your guppies tank.
Here are some best tankmates of guppies you can consider adding to your guppies tank:
- Neon tetra
- Mollies
- Platies
- Gourami
- Shrimp
- Zebra danios
Also read: Can Guppies Live With Betta Fish?
Provide a stress-free environment for your guppy fish.
Provide your guppy fish stress-free environment to prevent them from sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Ensure these things to provide a stress-free environment to your guppies:
- Provide good quality water by performing a 35% weekly water change and adding a good filtration system.
- Ensure adequate water parameters.
- Add a heater to keep the water temperature stable.
- Add live aquatic plants to your guppies aquarium.
- Add peaceful fish like neon tetra to your guppies aquarium instead of aggressive fish like angelfish.
- Keep guppies in a ratio of 1:2, which means one male guppy and two female guppies.
- Don’t overcrowd your guppies tank.
- Ensure that your guppies aquarium’s ammonia and nitrite level remains at 0ppm, whereas nitrate is below 25ppm.
- Regularly feed your guppies high-quality food.
Ensuring all these things will provide your guppy fish stress-free environment.
Stress can be the reason behind many issues your guppy fish is suffering from. Preventing your guppy from getting under stress will eliminate many problems, including sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Also read: What To Do If My Guppy Is Stressed?
Conclusion:
Poor water quality is the primary reason behind guppy fish sitting at the bottom of the tank.
Other reasons are stress, inadequate water parameters, overcrowded tank, aggressive tankmates, and Illness.
Provide your guppy fish with good quality water by performing a weekly water change of 35% and adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to prevent guppies from such swimming behavior.
Keep a regular check on your guppies if they are suffering from any illness like swim bladder disorder or dropsy, and treat it early to prevent guppies from swimming at the bottom of the tank.
Reference: NCBI, ResearchGate, Wikipedia