[garfieldnfish]

Went to the club auction on Sunday and ended up with a trio of Black Moscow Guppies. They are in a 10 gal heavily planted tank right now and I believe I will keep them there. Do they require some aquarium salt? Do they breed true? I have an LFS that will take extras in the future. Do you have to cull them or could you just separate males and females of unwanted young ones to prevent future breeding? I have plenty of tanks they could go into as dither fish. Or do culls if bred throw dark black Moscow guppys again like OEBT blondes do? Any help is appreciated.

 

[JustJen]

I raised guppies for a lot of years and never used salt. They do prefer water that is a little harder, but as long as I had a good strain, mine did fine in softer water too (way back when when I had it. lol). My blue and black moscows always bred very true. That may be strain specific, but I can't recall ever having an offspring that was the wrong color. The color was slightly deeper on some than others, but never a different color. I only culled for deformities personally. I sold the nicer ones online or through local fish clubs (or kept as breeders), then sold the ones that weren't as intensely colored or whose fins weren't quite as big/full to the local fish store.

 

[garfieldnfish]

Thanks for the info. One of the females looks extremely plumb, so I believe I will soon find out if I got lucky and ended up with a good strain too. However, I won't know for sure until the next generation as she could have been impregnated by another male in the previous owners tank.

 

[WaterLife]

Same as Jen. I've had Blue Moscows, never added salt, and I've even kept and bred mine in medium hardness water and they were just fine. I've never needed to cull any, the fry all come out looking just as nice. Of course if you are trying to create a top notch show quality strain, then you would just be selective breeding the nicest of the nice specimens.

 

[Nordic]

Secret to raising them fast, is feeding them often, doing water changes even more often, and keep litters separate to prohibit hormonal growth suppression and ease competition for food.
Eliminate any weak growers/malformed fish as you identify them.

 

[roadmaster]

Sushi nori sheet's (dried green algae) found in ethnic or Asian food Isle at Walmart.
I routinely cut little two inch by two inch squares of the stuff and let it float ,or clip to glass with veggie clip.
Guppie's are all over it in second's.(duck's on a June bug).
Also offer high protein flake as well ,but they love the Sushi nori as do the cherry shrimp's.

 

[mistergreen]

Sushi nori sheet's (dried green algae) found in ethnic or Asian food Isle at Walmart.
I routinely cut little two inch by two inch squares of the stuff and let it float ,or clip to glass with veggie clip.
Guppie's are all over it in second's.(duck's on a June bug).
Also offer high protein flake as well ,but they love the Sushi nori as do the cherry shrimp's.

You'd want unseasoned nori btw. Some are seasoned with salt and sesame seed oil, although I don't see the harm in those ingredients for the critters

 

[roadmaster]

You'd want unseasoned nori btw. Some are seasoned with salt and sesame seed oil, although I don't see the harm in those ingredients for the critters

Yes,, Yamamoto somethin or other, is the name of the stuff.

 

[garfieldnfish]

Just went to Walmart and picked it up. It lists some sodium as ingredient but I would imagine it to be so little and not harm fish or shrimp. I will give this a try tonight. After opening the package how do you keep it fresh? I am thinking about making smaller portions and placing them in the freezer. Will plecos eat this stuff as well? Also I will have to keep it hidden from my daughter who is a sushi lover. So small portions label fish food should keep her away, lol.

 

[roadmaster]

Just went to Walmart and picked it up. It lists some sodium as ingredient but I would imagine it to be so little and not harm fish or shrimp. I will give this a try tonight. After opening the package how do you keep it fresh? I am thinking about making smaller portions and placing them in the freezer. Will plecos eat this stuff as well? Also I will have to keep it hidden from my daughter who is a sushi lover. So small portions label fish food should keep her away, lol.

I just keep the package in zip lock freezer bag\ in fridge.
Pleco's,all of the livebearer's, and other herbivorous fish I have tried it with would readily take it with earnest.
As mentioned,I just tear or cut small pieces maybe two inch by two inch and more for larger number's of fish/shrimps.
For the young bristle nose I have , shrimps too,I either place a half sheet under a rock on the bottom, (they find it quick) or attach to veggie clip and just drop the veggie clip in the tank so it sink's.
Even Discus I kept some year's ago would nibble it off veggie clip stick to the glass in addition to the high protein food's I offered growing the fish out.
Cory's and loaches never seemed to interested in the stuff for me.