Guppies In Saltwater

[Casket_Case]

I’ve read you can keep guppies in saltwater and Ive seen pictures of them swimming in reef tanks, so I went to the store and picked up two male Sunrise Tequila Guppies. I’ll be acclimating and just sharing how it goes on this thread

 

[Peach02]

I haven't heard of guppies but I have heard of mollies. Let us know how it goes

 

[Casket_Case]

Starting Acclimation~ I acclimated my green spotted puffer over the course of twenty four hours from freshwater so I’ll attempt the same with these little dudes.

 

[Casket_Case]

I’ve got this going one drop every two seconds. We’re gonna take it like this for a few hours and then totally stop it overnight so they get a break, then start back up tomorrow morning~

 

[nereefpat]

Won't your puffer chew their fancy tails off?

 

[brad shawn]

Definitely watching.

 

[Idoc]

That's a lot of work just to give your saltwater fish a meal! Lol... just kidding.

 

[Aussiemarine]

Cool! Interested to see the results

 

[robbyg]

In my first tank which was 55 gallons I decided at one point to pile up a corner section with rock that came out of the water with a flat concave rock on top. I put about two cups of fresh water into the concave section and it also had a rim area on the rock that was dry.


I then added a fresh water red slider turtle into that section and after a day or so he started to swim in the saltwater section for hours, often times trying to go after the fish with little success. I had him in the tank for several months before I decided I needed the space back to use for more fish. I thought the salt water might damage his organs but he knew not to drink it and instead would spend part of his day in the fresh water section or basking on the dry rocks taking in some warmth. It did look rather cool seeing a two inch turtle swimming at the bottom of the tank but the work of cleaning out the fresh water section every week with a sponge and toothbrush was a bit tedious.

BTW I think 28 plus years later that turtle might still be alive. I later kept him in a little concrete pond in the backyard with two other sliders and he grew to about 8" across and was extremely aggressive compared to the other turtles.
My son who was young at the time was fascinated by him and would try to feed him and I got scared he would loose a finger. This turtle would snap at anything that got too close. So I decided to give them all away to a guy who breeds turtles. As of about 2016 which was the last time I saw the guy he said the turtle was still alive and was about 10" across and living the good life in a big breeding pond.

 

[User1]

In my first tank which was 55 gallons I decided at one point to pile up a corner section with rock that came out of the water with a flat concave rock on top. I put about two cups of fresh water into the concave section and it also had a rim area on the rock that was dry.


I then added a fresh water red slider turtle into that section and after a day or so he started to swim in the saltwater section for hours, often times trying to go after the fish with little success. I had him in the tank for several months before I decided I needed the space back to use for more fish. I thought the salt water might damage his organs but he knew not to drink it and instead would spend part of his day in the fresh water section or basking on the dry rocks taking in some warmth. It did look rather cool seeing a two inch turtle swimming at the bottom of the tank but the work of cleaning out the fresh water section every week with a sponge and toothbrush was a bit tedious.

BTW I think 28 plus years later that turtle might still be alive. I later kept him in a little concrete pond in the backyard with two other sliders and he grew to about 8" across and was extremely aggressive compared to the other turtles.
My son who was young at the time was fascinated by him and would try to feed him and I got scared he would loose a finger. This turtle would snap at anything that got too close. So I decided to give them all away to a guy who breeds turtles. As of about 2016 which was the last time I saw the guy he said the turtle was still alive and was about 10" across and living the good life in a big breeding pond.

So my daughter and I are driving down a country road when all of a sudden she screams DAD, you almost ran over the turtle!!! I look at her then back on the road and say Honey, there is no turtle out here, you sure? She says yes. We do a you turn and then another to get to where she saw it and sure enough there is a turtle, on its back or flipped over on its shell, in the middle of the road. Who would have thought. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how she saw it when driving at least 60 MPH. Anyway we get it, no idea what kind it is. Seem to recall it having a yellow stripe/line on its head or side of its neck.

Anyway we look around a bit and don't see water. I'm ignorant of turtles so just assume it needs water. We get in the car, she is holding it, and we come up on a water way, spill way, and believe that is where it walked from and probably heading to the other side in which cattle roam. So we set it over and it walks off.

Totally unrelated but since you mentioned turtles that is all I got With regards to guppies and brackish water I've read a few threads with people successfully keeping them. Also mollies. Both are a good live food source. Mollies typically in the display. Guppies away from the more aggressive eaters so in the sump or refugium. Also those bumble bee gobies.

Should be possible. Oh - also Robby cool story on the turtle. I think that is super cool.

 

[robbyg]

So my daughter and I are driving down a country road when all of a sudden she screams DAD, you almost ran over the turtle!!! I look at her then back on the road and say Honey, there is no turtle out here, you sure? She says yes. We do a you turn and then another to get to where she saw it and sure enough there is a turtle, on its back or flipped over on its shell, in the middle of the road. Who would have thought. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how she saw it when driving at least 60 MPH. Anyway we get it, no idea what kind it is. Seem to recall it having a yellow stripe/line on its head or side of its neck.

Anyway we look around a bit and don't see water. I'm ignorant of turtles so just assume it needs water. We get in the car, she is holding it, and we come up on a water way, spill way, and believe that is where it walked from and probably heading to the other side in which cattle roam. So we set it over and it walks off.

Totally unrelated but since you mentioned turtles that is all I got With regards to guppies and brackish water I've read a few threads with people successfully keeping them. Also mollies. Both are a good live food source. Mollies typically in the display. Guppies away from the more aggressive eaters so in the sump or refugium. Also those bumble bee gobies.

Should be possible. Oh - also Robby cool story on the turtle. I think that is super cool.

Thanks.
I figured people might like to know that you can indeed keep a fresh water turtle in a SW tank if you just include an area for them to climb up onto and get FW and some dry time. People who look at the tank think you have a real SW turtle and the kids love them.

 

[Casket_Case]

So, I left the acclimation on overnight and I guess the bag they were drip acclimating in got too heavy so it spilled over letting the guppies in. This morning one Guppy was alive, the other sucked against the wave pump. I went to take a shower and upon return my puffer was eating the living guppy *facepalm* The puffer was if not smaller the same size as the guppies. So yeah, it worked great for me but tank factors came in to play and they couldn't survive. My clownfish who is hosting didn't mess with them so they might do great in a low flow reef setting. Kinda sad I lost them because they were pretty cool but, life happens.

 

[brad shawn]

So, I left the acclimation on overnight and I guess the bag they were drip acclimating in got too heavy so it spilled over letting the guppies in. This morning one Guppy was alive, the other sucked against the wave pump. I went to take a shower and upon return my puffer was eating the living guppy *facepalm* The puffer was if not smaller the same size as the guppies. So yeah, it worked great for me but tank factors came in to play and they couldn't survive. My clownfish who is hosting didn't mess with them so they might do great in a low flow reef setting. Kinda sad I lost them because they were pretty cool but, life happens.

Doh! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you and the guppies. I could see how flow would definitely be an issue they aren’t strong swimmers... and predation by a beaked fish... but they made it almost 24 hours? Maybe I’ll give it a try in my QT tank?

 

[Casket_Case]

Doh! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you and the guppies. I could see how flow would definitely be an issue they aren’t strong swimmers... and predation by a beaked fish... but they made it almost 24 hours? Maybe I’ll give it a try in my QT tank?

If you do let us know how it goes! I'll probably try this again too when i get a bigger tank and get rid of the puffer.

 

[LadyMac]

Interesting and sorry they didn’t make it. It’s the fin age that probably held them back, perhaps try females first? I was thinking of getting some mollies myself.

 

[brad shawn]

Interesting and sorry they didn’t make it. It’s the fin age that probably held them back, perhaps try females first? I was thinking of getting some mollies myself.

Females good thinking! Much less finnage. I wonder if a more wild strain would do good like endlers or mosquito fish?

 

[nereefpat]

my puffer was eating the living guppy

Not surprising

 

[Casket_Case]

ROUND 2
I’ve moved the puffer to another tank and am acclimating more guppies. Let’s see how this goes without the puffer eating them.

 

[Casket_Case]

I forgot to specify, I got one male and two females. So I’ll try females as suggested

 

[Casket_Case]

It’s the next morning and I started acclimation back up (I stopped it last night to give their gills a break) and they look great, they’re hyper and swimming normally, no red gills, so I’d say things are going well.