Guppies...

[MamaPish]

I will be setting up my guppies in a 10 gal soon......I would like to raise the babies, what is the most productive way to do this without the adults eating the fry?

I will have a 2 1/2 gal and 5 gal for fry....but I don't want to have to use a breeding net....nor do I have time to sit and wait for one to appear and snatch it up before someone eats it.

I thought of covering the bottom in short live plants...holey rock...would this help?

What do you do guppy breeders?

Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

Oh yes...and what would you say the max. # of males/ females to well filtered 10 gal?
TY

 

[FOGGY]

I USED A BREEDING NET BUT SHE ATE THEM AS SOON AS THEY DROPPED, VERY FRUSTATING, I THEN PUT SOME PLANT GROWTH IN, JUST THE TOPS OF THE MATURE PLANTS PINCHED OUT AND I HAD 4 SURVIVORS, NOT MANY BUT A START, I HAVE A SILVER SAILFIN MOLLY AND BLACK MOLLY AND ANOTHER GUPPY PREGGY, I HAVE A VERY WELL PLANTED TANK AND WILL TRY AND LET THESE GIVE BIRTH AS NATURAL AS POSS, WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, BUT I CAN SEE SOME OF MY OTHER FISH LITERALLY LICKING THEIR LIPS.

 

[bigfish]

Choose 2 females to every 1 male.

Look at the colours and shapes of tails and hopefully the traits will come through when fry appear.

Plant aquarium heavily with plants to provide cover for new fry.

Takes 28 days from fertilisation to releasing babies (nail biting time and frustraighting).

Ensure both males and especially females are well conditioned before and during pregnancy i.e using a mixture of flake, frozen foods (Brine Shrimp especailly)

Keep water condition as balanced as possible to avoid problems.

HTH

Bigfish

 

[MamaPish]

yes it helps thanks!

does the same general rule apply...about an inch of fish per gal?
Would 6f, 2m be to many for a 10 gal?

I am not having any trouble with them getting pregnant......but it seems like I turn around...and their bellies are gone and no babies....I have about 8 guppies,5 cory cats & 1 pleco in my 55 gal right now,so they have a pretty big place to roam about.... oh and 4--- 3 week old guppie fry I added yesterday.
I recovered 14 out of 2 moms.....I culled them out yesterday, just kept the best, my angels appreciated the culls hard to do....but I had to!

is it ok to keep guppy fry and angel fry (of about the same size) in the same tank?
silly question....but just want to make sure...

 

[William]

The reason for your disappearing fry!! The cory cats!! They will eat any baby fish they can get near to! I had to see mine do it to believe it, one minute the baby was in the gravel the next my corydorus (sterbai) was twitching his whiskers and there was no fry in the gravel anymore They can only eat the very small ones, a few days old at most, but since you've got quite a large number of them they probably quite happily finish off all fry which are born!

 

[MamaPish]

Duh....
Why didn't I think of that.....

Thanks Will....

not really trying to save the babies right now,although I did put my favorite female in a breader net....she is about to pop!
...some of my tanks are still cycling, and I have about 150-200 angel wigglers to deal with(should be swimmers tomorrow )

 

[Kryten]

Foggy, just to make you aware, using capitals makes it look like you're always shouting, which can come across as a bit impolite. Just a bit of forum netiquette for you

 

[FOGGY]

kRYTEN, I TYPE AS I LIKE TO READ, AS I HAVE EXPLAINED IN THE PAST, MY EYESIGHT AINT TOO GOOD, but just for you here are a few words for you, i am not shouting JUST LIKE THINGS CLEAR, BUD!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LesGerber]

The best thing for a breeding/baby tank is to have plenty of cover. I had three mommys in the tank at once and they tried like the devil to get the babys but the plants stopped them or so it seemed. If you are going with live plants and can afford it I would say go with a dwarf hair grass and plant at least half the tank in it. Right now I have the plastic version till I can find the live stuff to swap it out, Also the babys seem to like to nibble at Anachrais for some reason, so they are living up to their parents and all my live bearers...lol


HTH

Les