Help with Breeding Guppy Feeders

[imtcurveball]

I had a 10 gal tank sitting around and I decided I was going to put it to use. So I put about 3 gallons from my cichlid tank and the rest tap water so that it would have a head start with cycling. After 2 days i went out and bought some fancy guppies from petsmart. (3 female and 2 males) and all the females are pregnant and look very close to having their babies. Ive never taken care of fry before so any advice will help. Tell me anything and everything you know about caring for guppy fry.

 

[bettaowner]

Guppy fry will eat baby brine shrimp or crushed fish flakes. Daphnia or even first bites would be ok.

 

[BettaTony]

Honestly, I say they baby guppies are the easiest fry to raise IME. I just use crushed flakes and frozen baby brine shrimps. I personally don't like to use a 10gal because it seems like they grow slower, so I use 20-30 gallon.

 

[Malawi Freak]

First off, using water from an established tank does nothing to help cycle. You need something like some decor (rocks, gravel, sand) or what really matters is seeded filtration media (an old nasty looking pad/sponge, a bag of carbon, etc).

Second, this has been a long time debate on here, but setting up your cichlids for live food such as feeder fish is only going to set you up for future failure. You will be looking at a diet too high in protein which could down the road lead to bloat and it will also begin to raise aggression in the tank.

 

[Labenator65000]

What specifically do you plan to feed them to?

 

[HUKIT]

You will be looking at a diet too high in protein which could down the road lead to bloat

This is sort of a blanket statement, without knowing what kind of cichlids he's raising advice like that simply can't be given. Carnivorous fish have evolved requiring more protein in diet, even omnivoires can handle being fed gutloaded guppies.

I'm not of fan of live food since prepared pellets offers a better dietary choice in my opinion but the majority of cichlids will handle guppies fine. The levels of protein really doesn't matter, it's where the protein is derived from, it's the quality of them proteins themselves. The most important fact is that fish digestive systems are designed to handle certain proteins not simply based on percentage, especially when it comes to garbadge fillers like soy, corn, and flour which is what causes bloat.

 

[Malawi Freak]

This is sort of a blanket statement, without knowing what kind of cichlids he's raising advice like that simply can't be given. Carnivorous fish have evolved requiring more protein in diet, even omnivoires can handle being fed gutloaded guppies.

I'm not of fan of live food since prepared pellets offers a better dietary choice in my opinion but the majority of cichlids will handle guppies fine. The levels of protein really doesn't matter, it's where the protein is derived from, it's the quality of them proteins themselves. The most important fact is that fish digestive systems are designed to handle certain proteins not simply based on percentage, especially when it comes to garbadge fillers like soy, corn, and flour which is what causes bloat.

That is true but I'd like to advise against due to many times fish will change their diet to only accept live food. While it is natural for them to eat other fish the long term diet will usually change habits and cause many health issues.

You're absolutely correct about not knowing which cichlid these will be fed to also.

 

[HUKIT]

That is true but I'd like to advise against due to many times fish will change their diet to only accept live food. While it is natural for them to eat other fish the long term diet will usually change habits and cause many health issues.

You're absolutely correct about not knowing which cichlid these will be fed to also.

I agree with you whole heartily on feeding live, just wanted to the OP to be aware of statement with regards to the Bloat comment. With todays quality prepared foods there are no reasons to feed live but numerous reasons not to, at least in my opinion.

 

[Malawi Freak]

I don't understand how the bloat comment is wrong. High protein diets for herbivorous cichlids will cause bloat, ie bloodworms, beef heart, mosquito larvae, etc.

 

[HUKIT]

Because its not just high proteins that cause bloat, it's where the proteins are derived from. Just because it's high in protien doesn't mean it will cause Bloat. Your examples:

Bloodworms: they have a exoskeleton that is hard to digest/process and could potenitally get stuck in the long intestinal tracks of herbivores irritating the walls allowing flagellated protazoas to take hold causing bloat.

Beefheart: this is a mammal protien which contains a different proteins and fats when compared to their aquatic counterparts which the fish is not designed to process. Their digestive systems are well designed so that if the food is of a protein that can not be digested properly it will simply be expell this excess immediately causing irritation again leading to Bloat.

Proteins are made of amino acids which contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, so as the fish is breaking these non-native foods down they in turn make a lot more nitrogenous waste which as everyone knows will effect water quality...another cause of Bloat

Spirulina: now by your definition is to high of a protien(contains 65-75% depending on source) would cause Bloat but does not, again where the proteins are derived from.

The idea of excess protein causing bloat, or any type of gastrointestinal issues in herbivores, is completely inaccurate. Poor quality protein, as well as other hard to digest ingredients, can cause bloat, etc., but easily digestible protein will never cause any dietary issues. I could go on and on but I hope you see the point, percentage means nothing and quality means everything.

 

[Malawi Freak]

Very interesting. Did not know most of that info. Thanks

 

[Labenator65000]

Because its not just high proteins that cause bloat, it's where the proteins are derived from. Just because it's high in protien doesn't mean it will cause Bloat. Your examples:

Bloodworms: they have a exoskeleton that is hard to digest/process and could potenitally get stuck in the long intestinal tracks of herbivores irritating the walls allowing flagellated protazoas to take hold causing bloat.

Beefheart: this is a mammal protien which contains a different proteins and fats when compared to their aquatic counterparts which the fish is not designed to process. Their digestive systems are well designed so that if the food is of a protein that can not be digested properly it will simply be expell this excess immediately causing irritation again leading to Bloat.

Proteins are made of amino acids which contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, so as the fish is breaking these non-native foods down they in turn make a lot more nitrogenous waste which as everyone knows will effect water quality...another cause of Bloat

Spirulina: now by your definition is to high of a protien(contains 65-75% depending on source) would cause Bloat but does not, again where the proteins are derived from.

The idea of excess protein causing bloat, or any type of gastrointestinal issues in herbivores, is completely inaccurate. Poor quality protein, as well as other hard to digest ingredients, can cause bloat, etc., but easily digestible protein will never cause any dietary issues. I could go on and on but I hope you see the point, percentage means nothing and quality means everything.

This is very well written. It should be in a post of its own and sticky so that it can be referred to when the subject comes up. Nice job.

 

[HUKIT]

This is very well written. It should be in a post of its own and sticky so that it can be referred to when the subject comes up. Nice job.

Thank you.

 

[jetajockey]

This is very well written. It should be in a post of its own and sticky so that it can be referred to when the subject comes up. Nice job.

I agree, although I suggest it be included in a larger article on fish nutrition and submitted to the article section, it'd be easier to reference and get a lot more views there.