Population Control Question

[Donavin]

Hi AA friends. I recently started a community tank with 2 male 6 female guppies, 6 neons and some ghost shrimp. All my females have dropped for the first time and already I am thinking about population control because they are about to drop for a second time. I am not using a breeder net but I still have a lot of fry left and they are now to big for the adults to eat. I'd like to add a black ghost knife and a African brown knife. I have read the knives would help with the fry but I wonder if the would attack the adult guppies and the neons? Any thoughts one the additions?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Hoy big is this tank? A Black Ghost Knife needs a 120 Gallon minimum, not to mention eat all the other fish in the tank when they grow a monster 20 inches. IMO your neons should sorta help with the population problem. So will the guppies I believe, I think they eat their young.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hi AA friends. I recently started a community tank with 2 male 6 female guppies, 6 neons and some ghost shrimp. All my females have dropped for the first time and already I am thinking about population control because they are about to drop for a second time. I am not using a breeder net but I still have a lot of fry left and they are now to big for the adults to eat. I'd like to add a black ghost knife and a African brown knife. I have read the knives would help with the fry but I wonder if the would attack the adult guppies and the neons? Any thoughts one the additions?

What size is your tank? I wouldn't get a BGK they get huge. The brown knife I'm not sure on.

Depending on your tank size you could get a different larger fish as a CP fish and for fry control. Something like a gourami maybe?

 

[Donavin]

What size is your tank? I wouldn't get a BGK they get huge. The brown knife I'm not sure on.

Depending on your tank size you could get a different larger fish as a CP fish and for fry control. Something like a gourami maybe?

I have a 55 long. How fast do the BGK grown and what is a CP fish?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

BGK grow slow, but I still wouldn't put it in there. By the time it's a juvenille it will have eaten your tetras and guppies.

CP=CenterPiece fish. Something big enough that will eat guppy fry plentiful but peaceful enough in tempermant. I suggest a pearl gourami or moonlight gourami.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I have a 55 long. How fast do the BGK grown and what is a CP fish?

Fairly slow I think (don't quote me on that). I wouldn't get one for population control. They have specific needs, are nocturnal and there's no guarantee it will even eat the fry. Just not a good idea IMO.
Why don't you trade or give away the fry or rehome the females?

CP is centre piece fish.

 

[BHead707]

ime guppies do a really bad job in controlling the population of their young, same with the neons eating the guppy fry

 

[rreekers]

Pearl gourmis are fantastic CP fish !!

 

[Donavin]

I decided to go with a Powder Blue Gourmi and the brown knife. I Just picked them up. I will let Everyone know how it turns out.

 

[LyndaB]

The brown knife will either eat or stress your other fish to death in a tank that size. In my opinion, you should return the knife. You do not have a suitable tank environment for it.

 

[meegosh]

I don't think you'll have much luck with either of those keeping your population in check. If it were me, and I do not know your other stock, I would have went with a large angelfish. My large koi angel did a wonderful job of keeping my guppies in check. She could eat 20+ newborn guppy fry in a day, easily.

 

[Donavin]

Instead of population control I using them as CP fish. I've read that both aren't very aggressive. If it doesn't work out I will move them to my qt tank.

 

[LyndaB]

You might find this thread of interest: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/need-info-on-african-brown-knife-asap-183404.html

 

[Donavin]

You might find this thread of interest: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/need-info-on-african-brown-knife-asap-183404.html

Interesting.

 

[egynoor]

The other problem with the BGK is that if yr guppies and tetras didnt fit in their mouthes, they still would attack them at night. They notoriously attack the eyes. So, if u want to keep them with guppies; prepare yr self for one eyed fishes

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I don't think you'll have much luck with either of those keeping your population in check. If it were me, and I do not know your other stock, I would have went with a large angelfish. My large koi angel did a wonderful job of keeping my guppies in check. She could eat 20+ newborn guppy fry in a day, easily.

I'd be afraid of the angel eating the grown guppies and neons. Not the best choice IMO.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I'm not sure if that would be a good choice either, but it would do a wonderful job as a temporary solution to weed out the population.

 

[DCLXVI]

I have actually heard really good things about angels for guppy population control.

 

[Donavin]

Well after 5 hours together I don't think it's going to work. The Powder Blue Gourimi is terrorizing the entire tank. The adult guppies are just at the surface bunched together. The neons and the fry seem to not be affected at all. The ABF is hiding in the rocks and only coming out to get a big gulp of air and make that noise they make which is kinda cool but everytime he comes out my guppies seem to be in even more terror. However the ABF does seem to be peaceful.

Comments?