guppies everywhere!!

[Cliffz]

Folks,
I decided to try something different and bought a few guppies. Well In 4 weeks I have had this one female pregnant twice and just dropped a second load of about 30 babies.
The first load are already 1/2 inch and fending for themselves. Todays batch are hiding in the Hornwort and having fun.
Question--what the heck do I do now? The tank is very soon to be over populated. Guppies anyone?

 

[rich311k]

Congrats Cliff. Find a store that will take some back from you.

 

[Digitalgerl]

Since moving to Florida I haven't found a fish store yet willing to take my fish. Not true in the town I lived in Arizona- I must have given my LFS over 250 mollies and guppies...but they had a special tank to place them in. Most stores don't have a QT and are hesitant to place "strange" fish in with their sale stock. I can't blame them. I guess many members here have found an LFS that understands and is willing to take the fish off their hands. I ended up putting a post on Craigs list. I put a small price of 50 cents /$1.00 and sold them all. I was not in it to make any money but I wanted to keep my fish from becoming feeder food for someones salt tank or whatever. I figured that this way only people actually interested would take them as you can get feeder fish cheaper at the LFS. The LFS is certainly the way to go and I am hoping to come across one here that will do it but with the way these livebearers breed what can you do. Before I moved from AZ I gave away my females just so I wouldn't have to walk back into the LFS one more time with yet another bag of adoptees. lol.

 

[Zagz]

Try a local aquarium club. There may be many members on there that will be willing to take your guppy fry. Try also to find a smaller lfs, the smaller mom & pop type lfs's are more likely to accept outside fish.

 

[chase33]

They breed so much that it can quickly become overwhelming. Good luch in finding a permanent solution.

 

[patryuji]

I may be in the minority here but I let them grow enough to see the coloration and the ones I don't care for go into the angelfish/polypterus tank. Therefore, I have no population problems.

 

[sarah5775]

Do you have only guppies? My platys drop every month but my barbs always make short work of all the babies- I don't even see them. Unless I isolate my mothers in a breeding net I get none- when I do isolate I usually keep the first four or five born and then let mom give birth to the rest in the tank. I'm surprised none of your guppies eat their babies- even my platys will eat theirs given the chance.

 

[patryuji]

Do you have only guppies? My platys drop every month but my barbs always make short work of all the babies- I don't even see them. Unless I isolate my mothers in a breeding net I get none- when I do isolate I usually keep the first four or five born and then let mom give birth to the rest in the tank. I'm surprised none of your guppies eat their babies- even my platys will eat theirs given the chance.

Could have a well planted tank...in my guppy tank the babies immediately head for cover after being born and I doubt the adults get more than a few.