Am I too late?

[TeresaD]

Being newly back into fish I fell back into the old habit of over-enthusiasm, lack of patience and fear of guppy fry becoming fish food. I am not proud to confess that, thinking my 3 female guppies were about to give birth, I hurriedly transferred them into breeding boxes in another tank - they were completely stressed out by the move (one so much so that during the set up she managed to jump out of the tank unnoticed and was accidentally stood on) For the transition they went from the big tank to a bucket and somebody dropped 3 fry in the bucket - one of which has, surprisingly survived - I suspect it was squidge victim's babies.

Anyways, with a renewed patience I have left the 3 survivors (2 mammas and the baby) swimming free in the 15g and they are all now settled and feeding well. Mammas appear to be still very pregnant but what I'd like to know is is it possible that the trauma I caused them may have ended the pregnancy and they're swimming around with a belly full of dead babies or is there still a chance they will give birth to live fry?

I got the females 29 days ago and I'm fairly certain they arrived "pre-loaded" - I only have one male in the big tank.

I have other plans for the 15g tank so would really like to up the guppy stock now for the 55g and not have to wait and start over again (there goes that patience again )

Any info, advice, opinions (not on my bad habits!) greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[ppo8820]

First off, this whole thing is a hot mess. When a fish is pregnant, you can get a breeder net that hangs in your existing tank so that you dont stress her more by moving to a new, uncycled (Im assuming) tank. The whole process from bucket, to being stepped on, to now in new and uncycled water is all very stressful to any fish, let alone a pregnant one.

Going forward, I would use the 15 keep your guppies in and when the pregnant ones do deliver, you can move them to the other tank and let the babies grow up in the 15. Keep your water parameters and temp exactly the same in both tanks to limit stress. I know you probably just got excited and feel awful about stepping on the one, so try and chalk it up to experience and the fact you are trying to save the babies, which is nice.

If you want to scratch the 15 all together, use the breeder net and add some floating plants like hornwort into the breeder. It will make mom more comfortable and the babies love it. It can grow in any type of water as its actually a weed.

 

[ppo8820]

doubt those other pregnant ones lost their babies. They are a pretty hardy fish and they would usually die before all the fry do.

 

[Chesmok]

I would've just kept them in their original tank and not moved them at all. Setting up an uncycled 15g is no good for anyone. Guppies breed like crazy. Add a few more females and you'll have more babies than you can handle in a few months. Just add a ton of moss and fry will seek shelter in it naturally till they're older. Feed your other fish well and they'll less likely want fry snacks.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[TeresaD]

Thanks - just wondered if it was possible for them to be dead "in-vitro" as it were :-/

The 15g is cycled (it's been running for ages and I bred pearl gouramis in it a few months ago) and all parameters are spot on. I didn't want a breeder net in main tank as I thought there was more chance of them giving birth in it and eating them through the night or when I was out.

I'm just going to leave them where they are in the 15g and see what remains after they've birthed - there's a few bushy type plastic plants and a couple of rock ornaments that should give enough cover for enough fry to survive then mammas can go back in the 55g.

BTW the one that got stepped on never made it to the 15g - she got a big, white, porcelain bowl all to herself but at least it wasn't me who trod on her!

 

[TeresaD]

Well it seems I was too early after all - one of them just started birthing tonight! About 25 so far and looks like there's still more to come judging by the size of her.

 

[TheresaM]

Well that's definitely good news!

By the way, I loved your 'pre-loaded' comment