ok... are they gravid or what?

[ashleynicole]

So I brought home a new female today and I suspect she dropped fry because my other three have been with a male for two months and no fry. So can anyone yell me if any of these look gravid? I can't for the life of me figure out how to tell. The first one, the plainest I suspect is the one that dropped because I just added her today and I thought she was plumper before I found the fry. (All these pics are from today after fry dropped)

Here is the newest one



The other females are one yellow and two blue females.



Here is the yellow one on her own.



And here's a couple of the two blue ones

 

[ashleynicole]

Anybody? Can anyone tell me if they look pregnant or not?

 

[ashleynicole]

The only reason I ask is because this tank belongs to my 4 and 6 year old kids who are obsessed with saving the baby fish at the moment. This is a very good science and nature lesson for them. They freaked out when they saw the big fish eating the babies and made me set up a spare 5 gallon for the fry. I told them we would just let them eat any left behind but nooooo... they wouldnt have it at all. Now my 6 year old daughter has become pretty good at netting the fry and transferring them to safety. I was planning on using the fry as live food for my 60 gallon tank but she has informed me that I can't do that either.... so we told her we would take them to the pet store so they can find homes... some will "find homes" while they are at school (aka become food) but right now we are enjoying watching the fry grow and she will get to pick a few to keep when they get big enough.

 

[Kittykat364]

None of them seem as if they have a gravid spot but they could well be gravid and not want to drop. They look big to me. They could also have dropped and the fry were eaten. The one you think had the babies does look thinner than the others, so she was probably the one.

What were the LFS conditions? She might have been holding the fry in at the LFS and when you transferred her to your tank she realized it had much better conditions and decided to drop 'em. I brought home two balloon mollies from the LFS and one dropped fry a few days after I got her, and she didn't have a gravid spot. I think they need better conditions than they used to be in to drop fry, because at the moment she gave birth she was in a 2.5 gallon quarantine tank with another balloon molly, and that is obviously not very good conditions.

 

[GreenLily]

I can't tell with the first picture because I can't see the underbelly very well. In the second picture, I can see that 3 of them are pregnant. In the third, she is pregnant, and in the last two pictures, they look like they may have been pregnant and dropped fry. You can usually tell that they are pregnant when their underbellies are dark. If they weren't pregnant, there would be no dark/gravid spot on them. Also, most females can drop 3 batches of fry after being in contact with a male once. If you can't find any of the fry, the mother and their tank mates probably ate them for a snack. Always provide a lot of hiding spots, to increase the little ones' chances of survival.

 

[ashleynicole]

I can't tell with the first picture because I can't see the underbelly very well. In the second picture, I can see that 3 of them are pregnant. In the third, she is pregnant, and in the last two pictures, they look like they may have been pregnant and dropped fry. You can usually tell that they are pregnant when their underbellies are dark. If they weren't pregnant, there would be no dark/gravid spot on them. Also, most females can drop 3 batches of fry after being in contact with a male once. If you can't find any of the fry, the mother and their tank mates probably ate them for a snack. Always provide a lot of hiding spots, to increase the little ones' chances of survival.

Oh we don't need many to survive... I'm just fine with the parents getting a meal in. Its my 4 year old son and 6 year old daughter who were very concerned when they saw the babies being eaten and then insisted I move them to safety... lol. I'm ok with it though because my daughter loves it and its a great learning experience for them.

Thanks so much for youre input. However I thought all females have a gravid spot at all times? Its just supposed to get bigger and darker when they're pregnant?

 

[GreenLily]

Most females are pregnant when you get them from the LFS, so it's not ever likely that you will have a guppy without the gravid spot. They do have a somewhat darkened shadow even if they aren't pregnant, you are right that they do get bigger and darker.

 

[pip walters]

Looks like a gravid spot to me. The fish will get very swollen when they are almost ready to drop. Quite often, they will separate themselves from the rest of the fish and not move around much. At this point, try removing the fish to another container - it doesn't have to be big, or filtered, it is just for her to have the babies... just make sure she can't jump out!

She will have the young and then you can decide what to do! Females wont normally eat their own young, but remove her as soon as she has dropped them. Then you just have to decide what to do with them Perhaps a breeding net on the inside of the main tank.... pop the babies in and feed them in there until they are large enough not to get eaten in the main tank.

 

[ashleynicole]

Thanks again for the input. The two blue ones and the yellow one look really big today and the black one I just bought home is really thin with almost no visible gravid spot so I'm pretty certain she dropped fry when I transferred her.