If you are a fish keeper and you have guppy fish, you may have noticed that there are sometimes that your fish might start behaving very awkwardly and you might begin to wonder if they are depressed. The question is, is it possible for guppies to get depressed for any reason? Well, in this article, we will answer your question, as we will educate you on the possible causes of such behavior.Can Guppies get depressed? Yes, guppies could be depressed and they show it by being less active and hiding.Naturally, guppies are active and colorful fish that love to be in groups, although they could sometimes live alone too.There are some behavior they exhibit sometimes that will show they are not okay or happy.This is usually seen mostly in a guppy that’s living alone in a tank.There are some reasons why a guppy might seem to be sad, they are:Sickness: A sick animal is a depressed animal. This is seen in fish too.There are so many diseases that could get them sick which will make them seem sad.Once your guppy gets sick, it will start displaying certain characteristics such as isolating itself by hiding, being very inactive, or dull.These are signs that it’s not happy and sickness could contribute to this.If you notice that your fish is sick, then contact a vet for proper guidance.Separation: Separating groups of guppies could sometimes lead to this type of behavior.guppies love being in groups, although they could individually live on their own, sometimes they seem to get depressed when some of them are removed from the tank or when some of them die.This has led to the theory that they have emotion or could feel emotion.I have seen where 2 guppy fish became less active and dull, just because one of them was removed from the tank and they became very vibrant again once it was added back in their tank.So, guppies are believed to have emotions and could get depressed when some of them are separated from them or when they die.Water quality: The type or quality of water they live in could lead to them getting depressed.Low water quality which is not suitable for them could have a great impact on them by limiting their level of activeness and behavior, thereby making them seem depressed.So, it’s very important to control the level of Ammonia, nitrate, and alkalinity in your guppy tank for them to be happy and healthy.Poor water quality could lead to stress which will in return make the fish sad and less active and attractive.Unsuitable tank mates: If your guppies are with some other fish or even among themselves and you happen to notice that some of them don’t seem happy, you may have to check if there is a bully in the tank.Bullying could lead to stress which could, in turn, lead to them being depressed.They are so colorful, especially their male ones, but once they are sad, their color will diminish and they become less active, etc.
Conclusion
Yes, guppies could be depressed, and what could lead to their depression is when they are not properly taken care of.So, the only way to prevent this is to know what they need to be happy and healthy and provided for.
