[John M]

Hi all,

Just looking for a bit of info from anyone who breeds or has bred fish.

I just found 4 baby guppies in my tank, well, in the sump to be honest. I am unsure which of my female guppies had them but this specific one is looking a bit bigger than last week.

I fed them about 3 hours ago so not too sure if she is just stuffed.

Any comments would be great.

Thanks

 

[Bushkill]

Looks like she's the one that dropped the ones in your sump.

 

[gbb0330]

female guppies are usually pregnant, this one does not look very pregnant, maybe she gave birth recently

 

[John M]

How easy is it to tell if they are pregnant? I've looked at a lot of pictures online but not 100% sure if this one is, or was pregnant.

 

[Nordic]

Well as said they are always pregnant, They just give birth to the oldest young in their tummies.
That dark spot at the back will get bigger and bigger as the little ones grow. Sometimes you can even see the baby eyes like they are all squished together in a clear plastic bag.
With some time you will learn to read the shape of your fish much more accurately than the dark spot. (called a gravid spot).
I would also guess that fish has already given birth. Litters are normally 20+, so there may be more hidden or all the fish had some lovely live snacks.

same thing should happen again in another 28 days or so.

 

[Bushkill]

Nordic summed it up very well, and the "you can even see the baby eyes like they are all squished together in a clear plastic bag." was my badly needed good laugh for the day (Thanks!).

I'll only offer two small observations: As the day gets closer, their body shape will take on a noticeably "blocky" appearance, so that the line from bottom jaw to anal fin is no longer a sweeping curve. It makes a bit of a 90 degree turn just before the gill plate. Also, the 28 day thing can drive you nuts. Some just don't play by the rules, so use the 28 days as a starting point. It can be as much as 10 days beyond that. So if you're trying to save the fry, separate the female at 28 days and be watchful.

 

[Nordic]

Lol, just adjust your temperature until you are happy with the gestation period...
I think I had 3 female platies and swordtails give birth yesterday. The females share a 26 gal with lots of easily removed cover in the form of flatish rocks with gaps under, and a plastic spawn grass patch.


I still seem to get more live young ones in that setup than what you get by upsetting a mom by putting her in a breeding trap.

 

[John M]

Well as said they are always pregnant, They just give birth to the oldest young in their tummies.
That dark spot at the back will get bigger and bigger as the little ones grow. Sometimes you can even see the baby eyes like they are all squished together in a clear plastic bag.
With some time you will learn to read the shape of your fish much more accurately than the dark spot. (called a gravid spot).
I would also guess that fish has already given birth. Litters are normally 20+, so there may be more hidden or all the fish had some lovely live snacks.

same thing should happen again in another 28 days or so.

Yeh I read a lot of articles about the 28 day period. Thing is, how the heck do you know what day they are on? :laugh2: no there was only 4 of the little ones. Either my sump return pump sucked them in or the other fish had lots of snacks lol.

Nordic summed it up very well, and the "you can even see the baby eyes like they are all squished together in a clear plastic bag." was my badly needed good laugh for the day (Thanks!).

I'll only offer two small observations: As the day gets closer, their body shape will take on a noticeably "blocky" appearance, so that the line from bottom jaw to anal fin is no longer a sweeping curve. It makes a bit of a 90 degree turn just before the gill plate. Also, the 28 day thing can drive you nuts. Some just don't play by the rules, so use the 28 days as a starting point. It can be as much as 10 days beyond that. So if you're trying to save the fry, separate the female at 28 days and be watchful.

I have a breeding box hung on the side of my sump. It is supposed to be run with an air pump which causes the water to enter the box as the air bubbles rise. That sound of bubbles popping really annoyed the life out of me. I orded a submersible water pump from ebay for £4. I wanted one to make water changes quicker. Connect a hose from the pump in the sump and drain the water into my sink. Then put the pump into my sink with the water running at a constant rate which would pump clean water back into the sump. It worked a treat. Then I got an idea. I managed to use a piece of 12/16 flexi hose and fir the pump to the breeding box. Now I have no bubbling sound and a better water flow through the box. Works perfectly.

 

[Bushkill]

I'm trying to picture your breeding box, and it sounds like a Marina Box or something very close to it available in the UK:

Marina Hang On Breeding Box Medium

I'll just offer a simple caution here about trying to push too much water through it: Make sure the spillway doesn't get obstructed. When these things are air-driven, even a clogged spillway will seep into the tank or the emergency spillway in the middle can handle it. Even if you're driving it with the smallest powerhead, just take care to keep the spillways clear.

 

[John M]

I'm trying to picture your breeding box, and it sounds like a Marina Box or something very close to it available in the UK:

Marina Hang On Breeding Box Medium

I'll just offer a simple caution here about trying to push too much water through it: Make sure the spillway doesn't get obstructed. When these things are air-driven, even a clogged spillway will seep into the tank or the emergency spillway in the middle can handle it. Even if you're driving it with the smallest powerhead, just take care to keep the spillways clear.

It is a Marina box but not that one. The air pump is rubbish. I reckon its probably about 1L per hour. There is zero water flow tbh. The small submersible pump is variable and is doing about 100L per hour. The flow is good. Not too much and not too little. There is nothing in the box to obstruct exit. Plus, the entire length of the box that hangs over the sump is a spillway. So if the exit spillway gets blocked, the water rises about 2mm then it spills out the entire length of the box. It's designed that way.

 

[Nordic]

If someone insists on using a trap, I would recommend a net type rather. Have seen too many fish injure themselves against the sharp edges in a plastic trap.
Or don't be cheap, buy a tank with a divider so you can raise those and future babies in.
I sometimes think livebearers are the pet shop equivalent of a pyramid scheme.

Keeping my females in one tank, their periods are getting quite in sync. I normally have a bunch give birth just before month end or about the 8th of the next month.
My females haven't seen males for months, their counterparts share a tank, for when more sperm is needed.

 

[John M]

If someone insists on using a trap, I would recommend a net type rather. Have seen too many fish injure themselves against the sharp edges in a plastic trap.
Or don't be cheap, buy a tank with a divider so you can raise those and future babies in.
I sometimes think livebearers are the pet shop equivalent of a pyramid scheme.

Keeping my females in one tank, their periods are getting quite in sync. I normally have a bunch give birth just before month end or about the 8th of the next month.
My females haven't seen males for months, their counterparts share a tank, for when more sperm is needed.

I have thought about using the sump to keep the females in when they get close to giving birth. Heres a pic of my sump layout.

 

[Nordic]

great idea

 

[tapwater]

If you think your female guppy is pregnant, there's a very, very good chance she is. I've just had 3 females churn out far too many to count - seemed like 100 With hornwort floating at the top of tank (in which the fry take refuge) I have a problem with too few being eaten. My challenge is to remove them to prevent overcrowding.

 

[John M]

My plan now is to put this stuff into the center chamber:

New Japanese plant fertiliser substrate and top layer all in one. Regulates pH (approximately 1 year) so fish will do better and plants will grow better because of the improved availability of CO2. With this substrate you create the perfect environment for most of the fish varieties and shrimps.

Then I will add in a few stem plants, carpet plants and maybe some moss tied to rocks. I have heard that ceramic plant pots also make good caves for fish to hide in so I may put one of them in too.

 

[Nordic]

You don't need caves for baby guppies, if the parents can get in, it serves no purpose, Look for some flatish rocks that leave just a tiny gap underneath, that some fry can fit into. also lots of floating plants... They sell these balls that looks like it is made from plastic leaves that you float in the tank for fry to hide in.

 

[John M]

Yeh I meant some pots which I will put lids on and drill out a few small holes so the fry can get in and out but small enough to keep the bigger fish out.