breeding guppys

[grayshark]

Hi

Its my birthday next month and no dobut I will get £20 or somthing but I have been thinking

I have a 14.26 gallon tank with the fish I might get 1 or 2 loches to help clean the tank abit.
but anyway my mate wants to sell me a 5 gallon tank ( the shape of a 50p coin ) for £15 (shop price £30) so Im going to buy it off him and get guppys going I would like know some breeding techniqs and guppys i know they fin nip and that what do that like to stay in? below?

1. a good open swimming area with maybe 2 hiding places?
2. loads of hiding places and loads of things to swim into and hide in?
3. just air bubbles gravle and a plant.

any info will be grate thanks grayshark.

 

[WILDER]

http/home.clara.net/xenotoca/guppy.htm

 

[sylvia]

Firstly - what kind of loach were thinking about getting? Forget clowns - they get too big. Khulies would work. If you want something to 'clean up the tank', I suppose you either are over-feeding (you shouldn't have left-overs), not vacuuming your gravel at every water change or are talking about algae (in which case loaches aren't going to help).

The shape of a 50p coin (and this 5 gallon) is called a hexagon. Anyway, small hexagonal tanks like this are not the best for breeding guppies - simply because they breed too much and the surface area to volume ratio is not ideal for heavily stocking. The one inch per gallon rule says one inch of adult fish per gallon. Each male guppy gets to 1.5", each female to 2.5". Take 2" to be the average size of guppies in general. Guppies also need to be kept in a ratio of 2 females to every male. That means 3 guppies to breed and each is 2". 3x2=6. Your tank is 5 gallons. Plus all the fry...

Not to say it isn't possible - just means you'll need to remove the fry very soon after they start getting bigger or you'll be over-stocked.
If you want fry to survive at all (not be eaten by parents), you need lots of plants and hiding places.

You won't be able to keep anything else - just 3 guppies.

Guppies are not fin-nippers. The problem with guppies is the opposite - sometimes they are nipped by other fish because their fins areso long (the males' tails at least).

Take a look at Wilder's link. Good luck

 

[grayshark]

the hexagonal tank with have 2 males and 1 female guppy in for them to breed its 2 males for every female.

 

[littlefishie]

To breed guppies:

Add water.

It's that easy. When they are about to drop fry [you'll notice because the female will have a gravid spot and will be a lot fatter], you can either move the female to a breeding net, or add spawning grass/java moss for the babies to hide in. You'd probably want to separate them into a breeding net to give them a chance to get larger than their parents' mouths, as chances are they'll get eaten otherwise.

Edit :: Just noticed your tank is hexagonal. Erm.. it might be best to let the guppies start breeding in your larger tank. When the female is about to drop fry move her to the 5 gallon. Then once she's given birth, move her back.
Voila! 5 gallon guppy growout.

 

[ferrikins]

the hexagonal tank with have 2 males and 1 female guppy in for them to breed its 2 males for every female.

NO

it 2-3 females to 1 male.

Your going to have a very over crowded tank if you use one tank for breeding.

 

[grayshark]

thanks littlefishie But my big tank has black widows in wont they get chased?

Ill just try 3 gupys in the hexaganal tank im not bothered if it dont work its only gunne be £25.

 

[OohFeeshy]

What are you going to do with all the fry? Have you already found someone to take them?