5 gallon Fluval Spec V

[Tacocat]

Water change: removed some duckweed and snipped some ludwigias to replant.
Might get a male cherry tomorrow to start breeding.

 

[Tacocat]

Mmmmm duckweed

 

[BluewaterBoof]

That momma looks ready to pop!

 

[Tacocat]

That momma looks ready to pop!

Wait so she is pregnant!

 

[BluewaterBoof]

Does she have a dark spot under the tail at the back of her tummy? You can Google a guppy “gravid spot” to see reference photos.

I can’t really tell from your photos but it looks like she has a dark patch back there, which means she’s pregnant. Takes them a little less than a month to pop.

 

[Tacocat]

Does she have a dark spot under the tail at the back of her tummy? You can Google a guppy “gravid spot” to see reference photos.

I can’t really tell from your photos but it looks like she has a dark patch back there, which means she’s pregnant. Takes them a little less than a month to pop.

You mean this thing?

 

[BluewaterBoof]

Eeeeyup. That’s your sign that momma has some buns in her oven Congratulations!

I’m not sure if this was already covered, but I just want to point out that guppies are livebearers as opposed to laying eggs. When she pops you’re gonna have little guppies swimming around and they will contribute to your bio load more and more as they get older, and a Spec V is fairly small. Definitely keep this in mind as you plan for the future. Removing and selling/gifting the fish is an option, as is getting a bigger tank. A lot of people tend to get overrun with guppies fairly quickly if they don’t keep their numbers in check.

But for now just sit back and enjoy the miracle of life! Pretty soon you’ll have little adorable babies swimming around!

 

[Tacocat]

Eeeeyup. That’s your sign that momma has some buns in her oven Congratulations!

I’m not sure if this was already covered, but I just want to point out that guppies are livebearers as opposed to laying eggs. When she pops you’re gonna have little guppies swimming around and they will contribute to your bio load more and more as they get older, and a Spec V is fairly small. Definitely keep this in mind as you plan for the future. Removing and selling/gifting the fish is an option, as is getting a bigger tank. A lot of people tend to get overrun with guppies fairly quickly if they don’t keep their numbers in check.

But for now just sit back and enjoy the miracle of life! Pretty soon you’ll have little adorable babies swimming around!

Yay! How long do you estimate it will be until she gives birth?

 

[BluewaterBoof]

From the size and darkness of the gravid spot on your momma I’d take a guess at less than a week but I’m not a pro.

 

[Tacocat]

Alright! So cycling update: 0 everything! Hurray! Well pretty much 0. The ammonia is slightly tinted green but my test kit will detect any ammonia, so that's to be expected. Nitrite 0, and Nitrates almost 0, I think it's all going to the plants and duckweed.

 

[BluewaterBoof]

Awesome!

Keep an eye on your plants’ color. If the leaves start turning yellow this may indicate a nitrogen deficiency if your tank has no nitrates left.

 

[Tacocat]

yay got some new shrimp - 2 juvenile cherries, at least one of which are male. The second picture is what I believe is an anacharis that came with the shrimp. I'm actually kind of afraid the guppies will eat the shrimp, so fingers crossed

 

[BluewaterBoof]

Congrats on the new shrimperdoodles! Both look like males to me. Females have a more rounded-out/robust underbelly behind the legs.

 

[Tacocat]

Update:
Did water change today, stressed out the female a bit as her colours got paler, but they came back. My neighbour is going to her cottage next week, so she's paying me to feed her betta in questionable tank conditions - 5 gallon I think, with a male veiltail betta. The hardscape is gravel/sand. That's it. So because I'm a fish nerd now, I'm going to make it better for her fish, and when I get shrimp babies, maybe give her some. I think I'm going to create a separate journal for that tank.
Plan for that is some ludwigia that I'm going to snip off my crop, as well as some rocks and driftwood if I can find any good pieces.

EDIT: All lifeforms are still alive, including the two new males.

 

[BluewaterBoof]

...5 gallon I think, with a male veiltail betta... and when I get shrimp babies, maybe give her some.