Guppy Fry

[kimo]

Originally Posted by FishCrazyBenBOMB

I had molly fry, they are around 3/4'' to 1''. They were 4 months old on June 27th. It's funny though, I bred two dalmation mollys, and I don't have one dalmation molly in the fry. Ha

Youll have to wait for the next generation to be born. Its all in the genes and depends on if they are heterozygotics or homozygotics.

[meegosh]

Hey guys,

I thought I would keep you updated with my guppies. The 1 surviving fry from a month ago is doing great! He/she is just starting to show some color on his dorsal fin and tail. I have let him go in the 10g with 2 females and 1 male. They thought he was food from far away but when they got close they realized he was a guppy and stopped.

Now onto my next story...

I came home from work yesterday, started feeding the guppies in my 10g, they go nuts when I walk up and they pace back and forth waiting for food. One female wasn't at the top of the tank waiting for me, I looked and I saw her chasing my little 3week old fry around!!!! It seemed kind of odd to me so I fed them to distract her. When I did that, thats when I saw some fry hiding out in my java moss. I netted the adult guppys(2f/1m) and acclimated them to my 30g.

As soon as I pulled the adults out the fry came out of everywhere!!! I counted 9, my girlfriend counted 12 at one time!!! They are so small compared to my other fry that is just over 3 weeks or so old. I tried snapping some pictures of them but they are hard to get. I took a video that shows the size difference between the 3week fry and the new born.

One quick question, I guess since the one female was chasing the older fry that means they will eat their fry?! I want some survivors but then again I don't want my 10g filled with 30 guppies either. I moved the parents up top and it looks like the other female is going to drop. I might just leave her up top so the tetras will take care of the fry. I know, I know, that sounds horrible!!! I just don't have the space or time for a 3rd tank right now for the babies.

Heres the link to the youtube video ( i took it on my digital camera so its not the best quality)

YouTube - Guppy Fry

And heres a picture with the older fry circled in red, right beside him is a new fry and up top are some more.

[CatatonicBug]

Don't feel bad. I actually have a few guppies in my GBR tank with the intention of having the GBRs eat the fry. Supposedly it helps the GBRs to spawn. Guppies are such prolific breeders that you will be swamped with fry if you don't find something that will take care of them (by eating or otherwise).

[kimo]

"One quick question, I guess since the one female was chasing the older fry that means they will eat their fry?! I want some survivors but then again I don't want my 10g filled with 30 guppies either. I moved the parents up top and it looks like the other female is going to drop. I might just leave her up top so the tetras will take care of the fry. I know, I know, that sounds horrible!!! I just don't have the space or time for a 3rd tank right now for the babies."

Just because a female chases the fry it doesn't mean she will eat them continously.

If you don't want 30 guppies in your 10g, you'll have to get used to the art of culling. Remove all the fry to a spare tank (use a 1g platic jug if need be) and pick out and save the best (1-5%). Feed the rest to the tetras.... but after awhile the tetras will start ignoring the left over fry too...

You want fry? <g> I have more than 300-400 in one of my tanks right now. All fancies - no boattails. Free for the taking.

[meegosh]

Wow! 300-400?! That's just insane, how many mothers are there?

Well as far as the female chasing, I did see her eat one of the fry after she chased the month old fry around. That's when I decided to throw them up with the tetras and corys. I like the idea with the plastic jug, I may consider that with their next batch.

I never thought I'd be able to breed fish but it sure was simple. Add 2 females and 1 male, wait a month and viola! You've got fry out the wazoo!

I don't know if my neons would go after the fry, I would only assume that they would. My diamond tetras would eat anything they can fit in their mouth I think.

[kimo]

"Wow! 300-400?! That's just insane, how many mothers are there?"

Too many to count. Its my cull/growout tank. I only save 1-5% of the total. The reat are the ones that go to the LFS (all fancy). And that's EVERY month. Usual gestation is 23 to 45 days for guppies. Depends on the temperature.

"I don't know if my neons would go after the fry"

Neons won't bother even day old fry. They totally ignore the guppies.

At one time I had 2400 adult guppies in the 150g for a summer.... just to prove that it could be done.

[meegosh]

Well last night I saw a single fry hiding in my java moss in my 30g long. I guess my diamonds haven't found the fry yet or they ate too many before.

I don't understand where all these babies are coming from, I only have two females. How can there be more popping up like every week?! I have a month+ fry. Then another batch less than a week. Now this mystery fry in my 30g.

I tried netting the lone fry but he kept hiding so I'm not sure if he'll get enough food in the moss or not. If I can net him I would like to toss him down in my 10g so he can eat.