Guppy Question

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Well, I have a 10 gallon and am currently storing a male and a female guppy in there, but am slowly adding more and more. The female looks pregnant, but i cant take a pic right now. Enlarged stomach, black spot near tail, in rectal area, the male seems to be nipping at her stomach and she has been very aggresive around feeding, if you believe she may be pregnant, give me a heads up.
I have a small deco strawberry-house and an anubias barteri plant, and am planning to buy a Wysteria (hygrophila difformis) would this be a wise choice to let the fry live in, with their parents around? i have raised the temperature to 27 celsius, a little high but should raise the metabolism for faster growth, and could start feeding a little extra, so the parents don't eat them. What is a fish keeper to do?

Also, this is pretty much my first post and am not sure if i did things right

 

[guppymommy]

Congratulations on your guppies! To keep guppies, it is best to have a ratio of 2-3 females per 1 male so he doesn't bug one female too much with his breeding efforts (it can put stress on the female and kill her). So I suggest getting at least one more female, two if your male is an agressive breeder (it sounds like he might be as he is harassing your current female).

As for being pregnant, your female probably is . . . most of them are because they were kept with males at some point. As for preventing them eating the fry, there isn't much you can do other than use a turkey baster to catch the fry and keep them in a separate tank. Planting the tank with lots of hiding places is good, and some may survive, so you may be alright, but live food is a treat for the fish and they don't care if the live food is their own young.

It sounds like you've got a good set up though. Good luck with your fish!

 

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Ok, thanks Guppy Mommy and I was wondering, because i have had problems in the past with over feeding and high nitrate, should i put in some bottomfeeders? the male is very picky, and will only eat from the top if he has to fight to get it. And the female seems to be a rather slow swimmer and rides in the current of my filter, would bottomfeeders be a good choice?

 

[Kame-San]

I keep corys with my guppies. My guppies just like food, though, and will pick from the bottom too. If you think there is too much food going to the bottom and just sitting, you could consider it. It won't hurt.

And, maybe a few more female guppies

 

[dwarfgourami]

As said above, another female or two would take strain off her now she is pregnant: male guppies will keep on at pregnant females, partly because they are sex machines, partly it is believed in the hope that they will abort and provide Daddy with a nourishing snack.
I have found cabomba a very good plant for fry to hide in, and Java moss is the classic, but water wisteria should be fine too.

 

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Ok, i could get some java moss, and a pair of females today, but about the botomfeeders, would a "walking catfish" do the job? i doubt it, just asking.

Oh, and also 2 more questions: can the fry eat ground flake food? and, is it somehow possible to crosbreed bettas and fancy guppies? that would be awesome.

 

[Kame-San]

I've never had any experience with anything other than corys, so I wouldn't know about the catfish. Another pair of females would be good, but as for Bettas and Guppies, I wouldn't even think of trying because of how nippy guppies can be. They nip almost everything, including fingers

 

[guppymommy]

Bettas are egg layers if I'm not mistaken, and guppies are live bearers so they aren't compatible. Sorry.

 

[tony92]

As said above, another female or two would take strain off her now she is pregnant: male guppies will keep on at pregnant females, partly because they are sex machines, partly it is believed in the hope that they will abort and provide Daddy with a nourishing snack.
I have found cabomba a very good plant for fry to hide in, and Java moss is the classic, but water wisteria should be fine too.

Bettas and guppies is a bad idea. Male bettas will attack anything with colorful fins that closely resembles another betta. and betta females in the tank would require alot of hiding places and you would need at least 4, but with guppies in that tank, it would be closed to overstocked, if not overstocked itself.
No, they cant crossbreed. Liebearers can only cross-breed with certain other livebears that are closely related. (platys and sworsd i think ive heard crossbreeding, but thats it, correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Ok then, no bettas, but what about the fry food? what should i feed, also, could i add a clown loach? just because they are on sale and they bottomfeed.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Ok then, no bettas, but what about the fry food? what should i feed, also, could i add a clown loach? just because they are on sale and they bottomfeed.

You can get fry food from the shop, or just feed crushed up flake. Clown loaches are a definite no-no in a 10 gallon tank: they are schooling fish that grow nearly a foot long. Walking catfish are big and, I believe, predators. A trio of small corys would be fine.

 

[sylvia]

I would disagree. If you want to keep a mixed-sex group of guppies in a 10 gallon and you plan to keep some fry, don't add anything else. Adding bottom-feeders is NOT going to help reduce nitrates. In fact, it'll increase them as bottom-feeding fish are fish in their own right and need food themselves (they can't just live off leftovers!) and will produce waste just like the guppies do. To avoid high ntirates, feed less and do more water changes. It's as simple as that - adding more fish will NOT help - it'll make things much, much worse.

Besides the nitrates/water quality issue, cories are schooling fish and they are active. A group of 3 is adequate but I never feel a 10 gallon is big enough to accomodate their activity levels (unless you get something small such as pygmy cories).

 

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Ok then, corys it is. And i can grind up flake food for the fry? and corys will eat total tropical food that i have been feeding the guppies?

 

[Kame-San]

My corys eat anything Flake food, sinking pellet things, and they love the tetramin tropical tablets for bottom feeders. those are their favorites

 

[Human-Fish Hybrid]

Ok, thanks a lot everyone, you helped me get my first livebearer tank up and going, so, thanks again.