Will the population keep itself under control?

[Rhysp87]

Hi,
I set up my first tank a few months ago, it's 150 litres (40 US Gallons?). I started with 3 female guppies and 1 male, 7 panda cories and then later added 11 black neon tetras.
I was a little nervous after reading about the guppies that they can breed out of control. but so far I only seem to have 2 new females that have made it past the fry stage. The panda cories on the other hand seem to be having an amazing time in there, and at last count I had a total of at least 14 (hard to be very sure as they never stay still) and I've spotted some more fry since.
I love the cories and having a big group of them is great, especially as I've seen a few posts saying you get to witness different behaviours once they are in bigger numbers, but if they carry on at this pace my tank is going to be overwhelmed quickly.
Will the population start to keep itself in balance once the tank becomes more heavily stocked, or do I need to start considering making it more hostile for fry (removing (fake) plants etc) so that it doesn't become overwhelmed? Has anyone got any recommendations on how many would be too many?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[RipJaws7]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t Panda Cory’s lay eggs? If those fries are Panda Cory’s then I’m truly impressed on how they managed to have such a high hatch rate and survival rate in a community tank. Do you have more details about these fries?

 

[Rhysp87]

They do lay eggs I believe, yes, although I haven't seen any yet so they must be hiding them well. I can't give details of how many eggs are being laid vs hatching vs making it to the stage I notice them, all I know is they've more than doubled in numbers since I got them. They are definitely panda cories as they are quite different from the guppies with their shape and markings. I have tried to get some photos but the things don't stay still long enough to get anything more than a blur!

 

[RipJaws7]

Haha, I totally get that. You could introduce another species into the tank and the population will be curbed, but you could also wait, for the guppies to increase or get more mature guppies and they will devour those eggs. My Cory’s eggs gets chomped up by them and the bettas within a couple of hours of laying them. I managed to hatch these bad boys after stalking those Corys for days.

 

[Rhysp87]

Ah that's a great photo! I've not noticed any fry at that stage so they must be hiding well. The youngest I've seen already have the beginning of black markings on their heads, with the tail still looking similar to yours.
You're probably right that as the guppies increase in numbers the successful cory fry will decrease. Kind of sad in a way but I guess that's nature!
This is my tank setup (excuse the dirt on the glass, need to give it a good clean tomorrow). I think I've just given them plenty of places to hide the eggs.

 

[GaryE]

You've actually accomplished something that many experienced aquarists will be jealous of. Having Corys spawn and grow up in a community isn't that common. Spawning, yes, but the eggs and young fry are vulnerable. Most people either remove the eggs to safety, or breed the Corys in single species set ups. The Cory breeding may stop as quickly as it began.

 

[Rhysp87]

Thanks Gary, I have no idea what I've done correctly for them to successfully breed. I guess beginners luck? Fingers crossed it does stop before the numbers get too high.

 

[RipJaws7]

Ah that's a great photo! I've not noticed any fry at that stage so they must be hiding well. The youngest I've seen already have the beginning of black markings on their heads, with the tail still looking similar to yours.
You're probably right that as the guppies increase in numbers the successful cory fry will decrease. Kind of sad in a way but I guess that's nature!
This is my tank setup (excuse the dirt on the glass, need to give it a good clean tomorrow). I think I've just given them plenty of places to hide the eggs.

That’s an awesome tank! That might be the case about the hiding places but it’s still very impressive those fries are able to grow past the beginner stage.

 

[Seisage]

Thanks Gary, I have no idea what I've done correctly for them to successfully breed. I guess beginners luck? Fingers crossed it does stop before the numbers get too high.

Do you have a local fish shop nearby? If you raise the fry up to a decent size, reach out to them. Many fish shops will take fish bred by hobbyists, either for cash or for store credit. In fact, most places greatly prefer getting fish from local hobbyists because it means those fish are already acclimated to local water and are much less stressed/disease-ridden than imported fish.

 

[Rhysp87]

That’s an awesome tank! That might be the case about the hiding places but it’s still very impressive those fries are able to grow past the beginner stage.

I've actually managed to get some photos that are better than blurs. One is of the youngest I can spot in the tank, I seem to have 2 or 3 currently at this stage, and the other is of one who is I reckon 2 to 3 months old next to an adult. It sounds like I've been really lucky to have successful breeding in a community tank so I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Do you have a local fish shop nearby? If you raise the fry up to a decent size, reach out to them. Many fish shops will take fish bred by hobbyists, either for cash or for store credit. In fact, most places greatly prefer getting fish from local hobbyists because it means those fish are already acclimated to local water and are much less stressed/disease-ridden than imported fish.

I do have a local one although their general policy is to only buy off licenced breeders. I think the local store manager has discretion though so it would be a fallback option to try if things get desperate.

 

[Naughts]

If you did get overrun with the pandas, and that tank would support 30 or 40 so it's unlikely, you could advertise them cheaply or free to collectors.
Th guppies though, are a completely different scenario. they will keep breeding infinitum and no one will want them because they are easy and prolific breeders. I recommend rehoming all the females before the problem gets too big.

 

[Rhysp87]

If you did get overrun with the pandas, and that tank would support 30 or 40 so it's unlikely, you could advertise them cheaply or free to collectors.
Th guppies though, are a completely different scenario. they will keep breeding infinitum and no one will want them because they are easy and prolific breeders. I recommend rehoming all the females before the problem gets too big.

Thanks, it's good to have an opinion on how many pandas it can support as that's one of the things I've been wondering.

The guppies in fairness seem to be keeping themselves under control. I've never seen one of them actually giving birth but I've looked in the tank one evening to see 20 to 30 fry swimming about in the fake plants at the back, by the morning they were all gone. Bit sad but clearly some of the fish has a nice snack. Right now there are only 2 guppies that have made it to juvenile stage so if they carry on like this I think they will be manageable. I really don't want to rehome the females if I can get away with it as I think they have great personalities.

 

[Naughts]

Or of course the obvious solution is to buy another tank for the male guppies and separate the young as soon as you can identify the males! Then you can keep the 150l stable for the breeding pandas.