How long can guppies live without food?

Answer 1

Guppies are pretty hardy fish, they can easily survive without a filter. What most animal lovers will argue is that even though they can survive, it is abuse to the fish and you need your fish to "thrive".

Fist off, why do fish need a filter?
All a filter really does is clean the water and another thing that I will get to, therefore if you clean the bowl on a weekly basis than you have the cleanliness part covered. Unlike gold fish which have a huge amount a wast, the guppy is average.
For the second reason which to have a filter: all it does, compared to a bowl, is disturb the water surface which allows more oxygen into the water. Thus, the more surface area in a unfiltered tank the less needed is a filter. For example, if there was a tube that was 5ft. high and just 1in x 1in long, than the fish would probably die after using up all the oxygen that was already in the water, if there was a tube that was just an 1in high but was 5ft. long than there would be greater surface area and a filter would not be needed for most any fish (even though no fish should live in such a place). So, for the oxygen thing, you could even have just an air pump and do water changes often and be set (even though a filter is more preferable).
Now, should a guppy live in a bowl or a tank without a filter? I know from my own personal experience that they most certainly can survive. But that still isn't thriving... ...there is a good medium for the two...

Though my experiments on the subject at hand, I have found that guppies (this is the most extreme) can live in just a cup of water, and did water changes every (up to) three weeks and still live! To me, though, this is cruel. Now, some people make super houses for there dogs (thriving); yet the same dog can still live in an apartment (surviving). You really need to be the judge. I would say a three gallon tank, one that does not need to have filter would be most reasonable for your money and for a number of guppies to live unstressed.







Almost all Freshwater Fish, with the exception of bettas, like aerated water that is clean and constantly moving. I kept eight guppies alive in a salsa jar for two years when I was about nine, but I changed the water twice a week, every week, and I didn't overfeed my fish. I also aerated the water twice a day with an eyedropper.
If you must keep fish without a filtration and aeration system for any long period of time, scoop up water with a cup twice a day and drop it back into the container from a height to dissolve oxygen in the water. Change at least half the water two or three times a week. I always changed all the water and rinsed the gravel, and the only plant I kept was floating. Most fish will die from the stress of a total water change, and the hardy guppy is one of few species that can tolerate it.
You will also need a long, flexible plastic tube. Keep the fish container high up, and once every few days, siphon out waste. Place the tip of the tubing into the water, get down as low as you can without moving the tip of the tube out of the water, and suck on the other end. As soon as the water starts to draw, drop the end into a bucket. Use the suction created by the siphoning to remove fish droppings, uneaten food etc. Then top up the water.
Without a filter, without aerating the water at all, I would say you've got about three days before the guppy dies, and it would be so distressed anyway that that's an appauling welfare issue. The only fish that I have in non-aerated tanks are fry, and I do those three to five times a day to keep them going. The only reason I keep them like this is because they'd be eaten in the main tank with the adults and I can't set up fifteen fish tanks in my little house.

Answer 2

That depends on the condition they are in before they are starved. A well fed guppy in good condition will last a least week at around 73F. The warmer the water the faster the metabolism and the shorter the survival time.

Answer 3

Probably about as long as you could live without food. Life is pretty much the same for all evolved creatures and we all have basically the same needs from our environments. If the fish have no food they will last about as long as their energy reserves last out.

Answer 4

About 1 day. Only give the baby small flakes. If it's in a tank with larger fish, get it out. It will disappear. I know from experience.

Answer 5

A guppy can go without eating from anywhere around three to four weeks. Guppies can also possible last longer as they can eat the algae on the walls of the tank.