Another pregnant guppy question

[Pysgodyn]

I've read that heavily pregnant guppies tend to be fairly still etc...
My pregnant guppy is nothing but this (just spent ages trying to get her still enough to take a photo!) - Nothing odd about that, I hear you say...she's just not HEAVILY pregnant yet...

However, I have also read that they tend to chase the others away...and she does that ALL the time...and when I say ALL, I mean ALL...

In light of this contraindicatory information...where do you guys think she is, stage-of-pregnancy-wise?

I have a good(ish) photo just saved on my hard drive...but don't know how to post it on here - help?!

 

[Kiarra]

She could just be grumpy. I witnessed a little brawl between two of my female Guppies fighting over food.

And they don't always get still. Some of them get jumpy and very evasive, wanting to be away from the other fish, but not willing to stop and stake out a spot. So they end up dropping fry all over the tank.

If she's hugely fat and has a dark gravid spot, I'd say her time is near. She should also stop eating before she gives birth, as there will be a hormone released into her body that will suppress her appetite.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I'd say she's very near towards the end of her pregnancy, just make sure there is sufficient heavily planted areas in the tank and top notch water conditions or just do lots of small water changes to help encourage her to give birth.
I would also feed her lots of high protein foods like freezdried tubifex/daphinia/bloodworms along with her fish flakes to give her some energy as i expect she is probably going to be very low after giving birth if she's expecting a big batch.
I would have a breeding net ready or fry tank for the fry as they'll probably be coming any day now

 

[Pysgodyn]

 

[Pysgodyn]

Cool...at least I managed to get that photo up! My new skill for the day!

Now...as you can see, she isn't THAT large (although her dark spot is markedly large - it's slightly underestimated from viewing this photo...)

She's also been eating an algae wafer I gave the plecos...surely she wouldn't have been doing this if she was about to drop very soon?

 

[Annastasia]

She doesn't look THAT huge. Maybe in a week or so she will drop. As Toxis said, it's a good idea to have a breeding net or tank ready for the fry.

As for the algae wafer...that doesn't mean she is going to drop soon. My Guppies adore algae wafers, whether or not they are pregnant.

 

[Kiarra]

Not VERY soon, but I'd say she's pretty close. Give her a few days, maybe even a week. Feed her a high-protein diet, like bloodworms or brine shrimp. Keep her water clean. That should help her give birth before too long. It's clear she's pregnant, and relatively far into it.

And she's quite lovely, by the way.

 

[Pysgodyn]

Well, yeah...that's what I meant...the fact that's she's pigging out on food is a sign that she has a while to go yet, surely! (in addition to the not-extremely-large-belly)

It's just that I missed my molly's first fry whilst I was in work, purely because I expected her to be bigger than she was (they were all eaten) - and wanted someone with experience to have a look at my guppy, before I either stress her out by separating her, or leave her and loose another batch of fry!!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Pysgodyn]

And she's quite lovely, by the way.

Awww...thanks! I have two which are almost identical. The other is slightly less pregnant, and doesn't have that little bit of red at the end of the tail. They used to swim together, but now this one keeps chasing the other (and all the other fish) away!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

actually after seeing the pic, i'd say she's got about another 2weeks left to go but i would still follow all the other advice as normal; i would expect at least 20+fry from her although many will probably get eaten if you're keeping her with other fish while she gives birth, but with guppys thats not much of a problem because she'll probably be ready for more fry in one or two months times if you have a male in the tank with her.

 

[Annastasia]

Well, yeah...that's what I meant...the fact that's she's pigging out on food is a sign that she has a while to go yet, surely! (in addition to the not-extremely-large-belly)

Ooooh, sorry, I read it wrong. )

Yeah...sometimes they stop eating right before they give birth.
Hopefully you can catch a few fry from this batch. Good luck!

 

[MissD]

The general response is that you've still got a week or so before you get some babies; however, I had two females give birth on Saturday morning...one identical to yours, size and everything, and one slightly fatter one with a black tail. The black dropped 21 little grey/spotty babies, and when I woke up later that day (I work nights), the yellow one had had hers too. I have 14 from her, but I'd say there were more since they were just in with the others as I wasn't expecting her to have them at the size she was at. They're great though - the fry from the yellow mother are bright yellow

Anyway, she was about the same size as yours is now, so it's quite possible you'll have babies any time. I'd just watch her behaviour...my black girl ate literally seconds before swimming off to have her babies, at which time she went and hung out in a corner and chased anyone else off. There were only seconds between mass pig-out and birth.

Good luck...I hope you have pretty little babies soon, too!

 

[Pysgodyn]

Thanks! And congrats!
Although...that puts me back in square one! - not knowing whether to leave her where she is (risking losing the whole pantomime), or separate her (and risk stressing her out)!! So maybe I'll let her be, and if nature takes it's course then so be it...we'll have a natural birth, and what survives, survives...and what doesn't provides a source of protein for the other fish!!

Crossing my fingers though!

 

[Pysgodyn]

Did you separate them? Any survivors if you didn't?!...

 

[Annastasia]

I never separated my Guppies...and I always had lots of fry. But my tank has lots of plants, rocks, and driftwood...so they have lots of places to hide.

I think, that if your tank has some thick plants with little spaces for fry to hide, you should get some survivors.