How Big A Tank Would I Need?

[ParadiseGuerrero]

How big a tank would i need for 1 platy and 5 female guppies?
would 40L be ok?

 

[bluemoon11]

40L would be OK but I would recommend getting 2 platy so it doesn't get lonely

Laura x

 

[lilfishie]

i'd say bigger, purely because even though you have all female guppies they 99% will already be pregnant

 

[Blubble37]

+1 unless you know they were seperated from birth the females will likely be preggers. that said i got 5 guppies for my form room tank and none of them were preggers. but that was last year.

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

So 2 platties then would two platies and 5 guppies be ok in a 40L?


As for the pregnant thing- i know for a fact they're pregnant
I'm thinking of taking all my females from my main tank and putting them into a third tank so i don't end up with endless fry (I'm sure i can sort out homes for a few but decided to take some advise i got before) So I'm thinking once they're seperated they will have a certain amount of new pregnances (from stored sperm) but then no more (unless I'm stupid and add in a male)-Am I right in thinking this?

I really don't want to just return them cause they really have grown on me, so I'm trying to convinse my mum to let me have a third tank....though it may take a lot of convinsing

 

[lilfishie]

females can store enough sperm from a single mating for upto 7 broods of fry from experience, so even when they are seperated your stilll going to have a lot of fry.

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

females can store enough sperm from a single mating for upto 7 broods of fry from experience, so even when they are seperated your stilll going to have a lot of fry.

But it won't be endless- i get I'm still going to end up with a lot of fry but she won't keep getting pregnant untill she dies (if she has a natural life span) the pregnancys will stop eventually if i separate them?

Like I said I don't want to get rid of my females because I really do love them even though they're not as colourful- but I do want to minimize the amount of fry I end up with

I hoping I will be able to find homes for any female fry and I'll have enough space in my other tank for any males(120L wit only 2 guppies and a platy can definatly take a bit mroe stock)- I didn't relise before i got them how difficult they would be to find homes for- sadly that isn't something that comes up in research and the number of fry never quite hit home until someone puts it in perspective

 

[bluemoon11]

Didn't see the female part, half asleep!! Yes, I would say get another tank for the fry alone aswell or a larger tank. I have my platy fry in a tank downstairs, and my 7 platys in my 120ltr community upstairs.

Good luck convincing mum haha, I bought the tank online and she couldn't say no once it arrived she likes it now though!!

I had a 60L with 6 platy in along with other tank mates and they all did great but we did separate the fry as soon as we found them!! I would get a breeder net too!!

Laura x

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

Didn't see the female part, half asleep!! Yes, I would say get another tank for the fry alone aswell or a larger tank. I have my platy fry in a tank downstairs, and my 7 platys in my 120ltr community upstairs.

Good luck convincing mum haha, I bought the tank online and she couldn't say no once it arrived she likes it now though!!

I had a 60L with 6 platy in along with other tank mates and they all did great but we did separate the fry as soon as we found them!! I would get a breeder net too!!

Laura x

I would get a fry tank but the possibility of my mum agreeing to a tank outside of my own room is practicley nil and I already have a 90L and a 120L in there so even a 40L tank is a squeeze to get in So i figured my best bet would be separate the females and males (They can't go in my other big tank cause they'll get eaten)

Thanks- I think I'll need it You're lucky; mine would just throw it in the garage

I'm not planning on trying to save too many of the fry- so I think lots of plants should do the job of saving the odd few

 

[lilfishie]

Didn't see the female part, half asleep!! Yes, I would say get another tank for the fry alone aswell or a larger tank. I have my platy fry in a tank downstairs, and my 7 platys in my 120ltr community upstairs.

Good luck convincing mum haha, I bought the tank online and she couldn't say no once it arrived she likes it now though!!

I had a 60L with 6 platy in along with other tank mates and they all did great but we did separate the fry as soon as we found them!! I would get a breeder net too!!

Laura x

I would get a fry tank but the possibility of my mum agreeing to a tank outside of my own room is practicley nil and I already have a 90L and a 120L in there so even a 40L tank is a squeeze to get in So i figured my best bet would be separate the females and males (They can't go in my other big tank cause they'll get eaten)

Thanks- I think I'll need it You're lucky; mine would just throw it in the garage

I'm not planning on trying to save too many of the fry- so I think lots of plants should do the job of saving the odd few

that sounds familiar i have all 7 of my tanks in my room

How many males do you have? might be better to move them to the smaller tank then let the females give birth in the larger tank, less fry will survive as theres more to eat them, sounds harsh but sometimes its the only way

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

Didn't see the female part, half asleep!! Yes, I would say get another tank for the fry alone aswell or a larger tank. I have my platy fry in a tank downstairs, and my 7 platys in my 120ltr community upstairs.

Good luck convincing mum haha, I bought the tank online and she couldn't say no once it arrived she likes it now though!!

I had a 60L with 6 platy in along with other tank mates and they all did great but we did separate the fry as soon as we found them!! I would get a breeder net too!!

Laura x

I would get a fry tank but the possibility of my mum agreeing to a tank outside of my own room is practicley nil and I already have a 90L and a 120L in there so even a 40L tank is a squeeze to get in So i figured my best bet would be separate the females and males (They can't go in my other big tank cause they'll get eaten)

Thanks- I think I'll need it You're lucky; mine would just throw it in the garage

I'm not planning on trying to save too many of the fry- so I think lots of plants should do the job of saving the odd few

that sounds familiar i have all 7 of my tanks in my room

How many males do you have? might be better to move them to the smaller tank then let the females give birth in the larger tank, less fry will survive as theres more to eat them, sounds harsh but sometimes its the only way

Haha, I'd love to fill my room with tanks but i quite litterally only have one surface left and only just enough space to walk from my door the the other side of my room

Only 2 males but i wanted to fill the big tank with them XD As much as i love my females- males are definatly prettier. (And also if i just took the males out that only leaves the females- so wouldn't make a differance ) So this extra 40L was going to be a perminant home for them- to give birth until they're done and then to keep them from the males so i don't get any more fry. If all else fails and i get too many fry without homes I'll end up with one very happy paradise fish...and it sounds even more harsh when written like that


-Guppy profiles need to come with a warning- not only are they prolific breeders but you can't sell the fry easily either; because it is actually not too easy to find out until you start talking to people

 

[lilfishie]

i only suggested removing the males as i take it theres other fish in the bigger tank that would definately sort any fry out.

I know what its like i have a group of Endlers, i save the odd females brood then sell them on, when there gone i save another lot, otherwise my 13 female Betta make short work of any fry, sounds harsh but i think i have enough tanks and i have ran out of space now

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

i only suggested removing the males as i take it theres other fish in the bigger tank that would definately sort any fry out.

I know what its like i have a group of Endlers, i save the odd females brood then sell them on, when there gone i save another lot, otherwise my 13 female Betta make short work of any fry, sounds harsh but i think i have enough tanks and i have ran out of space now

nah- it's quite a new set up (I'm new to the hobby but always wanted fish- only reciantly been allowed fish and went a tad overboard) so theres 2 platy (one male one female) and 6 guppies- more females than males- it wouldn't make a differane weather i moved males or females

there's never enough space huh?

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

thankyou all for all the help