I've got two 3 week old guppy fry in a breeding basket. They're both roughly 1 cm in length. When is it safe to release the captive fry into the wild? I think the mommy guppy is about to blow again, so I placed her in the same breeder with a "V" divider. I'm afraid that should she give birth, the 3 week old fry might try and eat their siblings. Any suggestions?
Freeing the Fry
- Thread starter aquazen
- Start date
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Meredith
Aquarium Advice Addict
In many areas it is illegal to release captive bread fish into the wild. I would give them to your lfs instead.
Psyhampster
Aquarium Advice Addict
i'm not positive, but I think he meant his tank as the wild...
It really depends on how hungry your other fish are and how big their mouths are.
It really depends on how hungry your other fish are and how big their mouths are.
I agree Psyhampster, i belive he was talking about his tank.
I would suggest to use your own judgment on this one aquazen. If u think that the guppy fry could fit into one of your other fishes mouth, i would not release them yet. If u really want to keep these two, then let them stay in the breeding net if your not sure they'll be safe in the tank. It may be likely that your 1 cm fry eats some of the newlyborns, but at least you'll have these 2 grow up.
And don't worry if u don't find a solution......your female gup will do the same thing next month.
HTH
I would suggest to use your own judgment on this one aquazen. If u think that the guppy fry could fit into one of your other fishes mouth, i would not release them yet. If u really want to keep these two, then let them stay in the breeding net if your not sure they'll be safe in the tank. It may be likely that your 1 cm fry eats some of the newlyborns, but at least you'll have these 2 grow up.
And don't worry if u don't find a solution......your female gup will do the same thing next month.
HTH
Clarify
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I did mean my tank as the "wild".
I came up with a semi-solution. I went ahead and started up my 10 gallon Isolation tank and placed the fry AND the pregnant mommy in there together. As I suspected, she didn't eat the two babies (which were hers actually). I'll move her back to the community tank once she gives birth. I transplanted a couple stems of moneywort into the isolation tank for the new kids.
I wasn't too worried about her eating these 1 cm ones. I was more worried about my dwarf gourami taking them to be dinner if they start swimming around in the community tank. The little guys can actually eat an entire pellet of fancy guppy fish food now. I used to have to squish them into powder. My kids are all growing up! *SNIFF* Well, almost.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I did mean my tank as the "wild".
I came up with a semi-solution. I went ahead and started up my 10 gallon Isolation tank and placed the fry AND the pregnant mommy in there together. As I suspected, she didn't eat the two babies (which were hers actually). I'll move her back to the community tank once she gives birth. I transplanted a couple stems of moneywort into the isolation tank for the new kids.
I wasn't too worried about her eating these 1 cm ones. I was more worried about my dwarf gourami taking them to be dinner if they start swimming around in the community tank. The little guys can actually eat an entire pellet of fancy guppy fish food now. I used to have to squish them into powder. My kids are all growing up! *SNIFF* Well, almost.
If i were you i would be worried about your 10 gallon not being cycled now.....if i understand correctly, you just started the tank up?
If u have a sponge filter or something hanging in your permanent tank, place that in the isolation tank so that it's immediatly cycled. If not, i think you might just end up killing your fry completely. Your tank needs to cycle, i hope you know that. If you don't do anything about it, you'll have too high ammonia and nitrite in a few days-a week.
So...i suggest you put your pregnant female gup in the 10 gal, until she spawns, then catch the fry, put it in the breeder net(in main tank), together with the 1 cm fry. Put the female gup back in your other tank once she has given birth.
If that's not an option, do PWC every day in your 10 gal, do about 25-50%
HTH
If u have a sponge filter or something hanging in your permanent tank, place that in the isolation tank so that it's immediatly cycled. If not, i think you might just end up killing your fry completely. Your tank needs to cycle, i hope you know that. If you don't do anything about it, you'll have too high ammonia and nitrite in a few days-a week.
So...i suggest you put your pregnant female gup in the 10 gal, until she spawns, then catch the fry, put it in the breeder net(in main tank), together with the 1 cm fry. Put the female gup back in your other tank once she has given birth.
If that's not an option, do PWC every day in your 10 gal, do about 25-50%
HTH
