First time guppy

[hennaartist]

I have no idea what I'm doing, or what I've gotten myself into lol.

I recently bought 5 female guppies to add some color to the top of my daughters 29 gallon (she's eight years old, so I maintain the tank). They were apparently pregnant when I bought them. I've never had guppies before. I have two tanks of "my own" with German blue Rams, ropefish, supervail Angels, etc., so in not new to the hobby. However, I am new to guppies, and new to breeding.

Upon googling and realizing they were pregnant, I bought a breeder net box, (was planning to put marbles in it but they weighed too much for the net, so I sewed plastic plant mat to the bottom of it for some coverage, and I plan to float live anachris in the top of it.


My biggest question, is when do I put the guppy in it?
This is a pic of the guppy with the largest belly (which to me looks like she might pop any minute). She did eat dinner as usual, so I don't know if that's a sign that it's still a few days off or not. The only pregnancy/birthing I know about is my own and our dog once lol.
Please forgive the blurry picture, she didn't want to stay still.

 

[emeraldking]

I myself am not a big fan of a breeding box or breeding net. But it does work! Sometimes a female will get stressed in there (not all of them). But when she gets stressed she'll drop fry sooner and also the less developed ones.

Most female livebearers like guppies will eat less and are hiding a bit more before they'll deliver. There are exceptions for sure which just do all the things they're used to and just drop those babies where ever they want. That happens from time to time as well...

The belly can become even bigger than this pic shows...

 

[hennaartist]

I myself am not a big fan of a breeding box or breeding net. But it does work! Sometimes a female will get stressed in there (not all of them). But when she gets stressed she'll drop fry sooner and also the less developed ones.

Most female livebearers like guppies will eat less and are hiding a bit more before they'll deliver. There are exceptions for sure which just do all the things they're used to and just drop those babies where ever they want. That happens from time to time as well...

The belly can become even bigger than this pic shows...

Thank you, I'm a little less worried.
I really can't do a separate tank (my husband may divorce me if I bring yet another one into our small house lol). So I'm just going to have to do the best I can with the breeder net/box.

 

[emeraldking]

An extra tank in the house... I've got a similar problem with my girlfriend... She'd kill me! LOL!

 

[hennaartist]

Well, I came home this evening and notice a fry in my tank. I quickly got the breeder net/box and placed it in the tank. HOWEVER, I don't know which pregnant female guppy had the fry. I've searched and searched but I cannot find any more fry.
I don't know if she (whichever one) just stopped the birth process, or if the other fry were eaten by my glotetras.
I just don't know.

 

[hennaartist]

Well, its been two days, and I still only have the one fry. None of the females appear any smaller than before, and they all still have a gravid spot.

 

[Fishobsessed7]

Sometimes they only release a few at a time and then stop. Maybe you got a fry in the bag from the pet store and it managed to survive without you noticing


Fishobsessed7

 

[emeraldking]

Fishobsessed7 could be right you know...
Btw, that gravid spot will remain. The only thing that changes when a female's pregnant is that the gravid spot will grow and gets a bit darker. Nothing more, nothing less..