This page shares information about shipping, assimilation, feeding regimen and caring for guppies when they are sick. If you have any questions or wish to order fish, please email me at brucewanda@att.net or use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Shipping
Shipping will be by USPS. You can choose priority mail which is usually 2-3 days, but can be longer. Priority mail offers no guarantees, though there are rarely any problems. Or you can choose express mail which is guaranteed delivery 1-2 days. DOA replacement or refund guaranteed. Cost for one trio for priority mail is $18, for express $40-$50 depending on your zip code. Shipping includes insulated box and heat pack, when needed. For shipping refunds $5 will be deducted for box and handling fee. I gladly combine shipping on multiple orders.
Acclimation
How do I accclimate new guppies? I have found the following method to work quite successfully. Prior to receiving fish, I dose the tanks they will occupy with Fungus Clear and Melafix. Upon arrival, I pour fish into a bowl or small aquarium with just the water in the shipping bags. Then dip out about half a cup from the bowl and replace it with water from the tank in which you will place the fish. Repeat this process every 15-20 minutes for 3-4 hours. If you place them in a bowl, be sure to cover the bowl or you may lose fish that jump out. Sadly, I learned that from personal experience. After the 3-4 hour period, pour the fish from the bowl directly into the tank. Provide cover and turn off overhead light to give the nervous fish time to adjust to their surroundings. You may lightly feed them a couple of hours later or wait until the next day
Care & Feeding
Often customers ask me how I care for my fish. I have breeding tanks with lots of fish in them. I use box filters with a very inexpensive medium–cotton batting material. Also, in tanks 5.5 gal and up, I add a second filter which is a sponge filter made to filter up to a 40 gallon tank. Tanks have bare bottoms. Also, I perform a partial water change of 20-25% every 2-3 days.
My feeding regimen is quite simple. I feed three times per day. One day I feed flake food and two feedings of brine shrimp. The next I will feed flake food, brine shrimp and flake food. The mix of flake food includes the following flakes: earthworm, egg yolk, beef heart, premium guppy, blood worm, and spirulina. I also add growth meal to the bag of mixed flakes. Also, two to three times per week I give breeders an extra feeding of frozen blood worms or frozen adult brine shrimp. I purchase brine shrimp eggs from brineshrimpdirect.com or americanbrineshrimp.com and flake foods and many other aquarium supplies from kensfish.com I also purchase some supplies from jehmco.com
Illness
No matter how long you have kept fish, they will get sick. For a long time I tried using all kinds of meds, even the very expensive ones and the fish would still die. I finally came upon a simple, fairly inexpensive combination that, for the last couple of years, works fairly consistently for me. At the first sign of illness, usually a few fish shimmying back and forth, I will add the following three items to the water. The dosage is based on a 10 gallon tank —- (1) 3 to 4 tablespoons of aquarium salt. I do not use salt unless needed to help sick fish get better. (2) A dose of Melafix (3) A tablet of Fungus Clear. That’s it. Problems usually clear up within 24 to 36 hours. If not, dose them a second time. I’m not claiming this is a miracle cure that will work for you. But I have had very few cases of ick since I started using this combination. So, if your usual meds aren’t working give this a try. It can’t hurt, and it might do the trick for you, too!