Argh - Pregnancy Worries!

[Kmackenzie]

I've got 3 pregnant guppys (guppies?) at the moment, I think! I have a breeding tank which is one of those clip on the side things, where there is a V that the fry drop down into a separate section.

I transferred the three pregnant girls one at a time into this, but they got so stressed I thought it was best to put them back after one night in this tank.

Now I'm not sure what to do - and worst of all, my quarantine tank has got a crack in it from my friend dropping a tub of fish food onto it, so I can't use that!

I only left the girls in the breeding tank one night because I hated to see them so stressed - should I put them back in when they get bigger, or just leave them be, or buy another tank?

I will try to add some pics of the girls later so hopefully someone will be able to tell me how long they have to go. I'm also worried that due to stress they aborted/absorbed the fry, but they are all still fat.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I would stick lots of plants in your main tank to give the fry a better chance of survival. Or be on standby with a net and move the fry into the breeder trap after birth. But leave the poor girls outside, all that stress really isn't good for them.

 

[Ddraig Goch]

Breeding tanks can be very stressful, try to avoid them if you can.

Lots of plants are good for the fry to hide in, try to get some floating plants too. Rocks are also good, slate maybe as the fry will hide under it.

What other fish do you have in the tank, as this will determine how likely the fry are to survive without getting eaten?

 

[Kmackenzie]

Been searching the various LFS for floating plants to no avail! We uprooted some existing ones to create some hiding places until we can buy proper ones.

I have two juvenile sajica (T-Bar) cichlids, 4 rams, 4 corydoras, 4 golden panchax, 2 algae eaters, 4 khulie loaches, and I did have 4 Golden Severum, but after witnessing one try to eat an adult female guppy today I have sent them to live with a friend until they can be returned to the LFS (which assured us btw, that they would be fine with small fish including guppies - they also told us they would grow no bigger than 10cm across, ha!)

My tank is 200 litres and heavily planted, with driftwood, pipes, three large rocks and (fake) coral decorations.

I am so furious at myself and the LFS for getting the Severum...my poor guppy.