Just got myself some guppies

[Gabe]

My husbands uncle got some guppies a few weeks ago and has had at LEAST 2 batches of babies. So I went and grabbed a few. He even gave me a pregneant female. I was wondering if my Black Skirt Tetras would eat the babies. Not that I mind some birth control lol.

Gabe

 

[Lipreader]

well gabe, I wouldn't know for sure. I think they will. In fact, the mother might eat them as well as she pop them out. They would mistaken them for food so if you want to keep some, I would catch them and put them in seperate tank. When I started out, I had two guppies(male and female) and one black skirt tetra. The female was already pregnant when I got her. After weeks later, I got babies. Did you pick the guppies by sex or do you have mixed male and females? If you have mixed, LOOK OUT! You'll be having fry everywhere! It was cool to see it happen for first time, but I don't think I would be able to handle it if they give birth on regular basis. Right now in my five gal tank I have one male guppy(mommy died after birth), one red male betta(he's beautiful), two black skirt tetra(cuties), two albino corys(my cleaning crew). The babies have their own little world for now. If you can have a back up tank, that would be great.

 

[sandyd]

Gabe,
Yes your skirts will eat them very quickly. I have 3 skirts in my tank, and they follow the preg moms around waiting for a snack. I know when they are chasing her, that it is time to remove her to save the fry. If your tank is planted, some may get away for a while, but the skirts will get them if they come out of hiding. Good luck. Sandy

 

[Gabe]

I got some babies that don't even have colour yet. And the thing is, I don't mind if my tetras eat the babies. It might seem cruel but I need to keep the population down. I also have cherry barbs. The babies that I got last night are safely in my quarantine tank until they are a little bigger. The preggo one looks like she is going to pop any minute lol.

Gabe