Guppy tank

[Loukas42]

I need help setting up a 10 gallon guppy breeding tank. Can I have some help please? Anything will help. I've researched yes but there are so many ways, I just want some input from people who have done it and done it right. Thank you.

 

[Fdsh5]

Sponge filter and lots of hiding spots. That's my platy set up.

 

[Loukas42]

Where can I find sponge filters at?

 

[Fdsh5]

I buy most of my stuff from kensfish.com. Great prices. I just bought some replacement sponges for 3$ a piece.

 

[alia258]

Lots and lots of hiding places. It's suggested to let the fish have their babies in the tank an move the offspring into a floating breeder box. You only need two females and one male to start. Remember to keep the female to male ratio 2/3:1, and pick out the healthiest fish from your lfs to start with. And for their first week of food, or until they're big enough to eat slightly bigger foods, I suggest powdered freeze dried blood worms. Just go buy some freeze dried blood worms from your lfs, put into a plastic Baggie, and roll a rolling pin on it until it turns into a fine powder. My 4 day old guppy fry love the stuff and it's small enough to fit in their mouths

 

[Loukas42]

Awesome I'll have to check that site out.

And is it hard to catch the fry once they are born to put them in the breeder box?

 

[alia258]

It's a little hard, but takes a quick hand and some patience is all. While you're catching the fry, don't worry about being fast, just make sure that the adults don't eat the young ones. If you bend your net at a 45° angle to pick the fry up it makes it a whole lot easier, and a 2" net works best. The 45° angle also makes scooping adult fish easier

 

[Loukas42]

I've never done that before! I'll have to try that. Thanks.

 

[butterfly_koi]

I'm in the process of setting up a fry tank myself and I have been told that moss is a good thing to put in the tank. The fry love the hiding places the moss provides plus they love picking bits of algae off of the plants, not for sure what the best kind of moss is to use though

 

[VioletEmber]

I have "guppy grass" in my guppy tank and it provides a lot of hiding spots - grows easily and also helps control nitrates which I had a problem with at first because I was feeding the fry so often I was actually OVER feeding. Woops.

 

[butterfly_koi]

I buy most of my stuff from kensfish.com. Great prices. I just bought some replacement sponges for 3$ a piece.

On that site and IYO which sponge filter is the best one to use? is it a must to have one?

 

[Artist]

It's a little hard, but takes a quick hand and some patience is all. While you're catching the fry, don't worry about being fast, just make sure that the adults don't eat the young ones. If you bend your net at a 45° angle to pick the fry up it makes it a whole lot easier, and a 2" net works best. The 45° angle also makes scooping adult fish easier

Stole my tip haha. I would say plants real or fake ( tip for keeping fake plants at the bottom hook rocks or magnets to them)

You want hiding plants at bottom mid and top of the tank. Live plants give the fry a little snack between feedings.

If you have questions I have a thread called "guppy breeding log" it is over 20 pages and it has lots of tips and setups so if you need help you can post questions and a lot of people will answer.

 

[Artist]

On that site and IYO which sponge filter is the best one to use? is it a must to have one?

You dont need a sponge filter but you do need filter on a tank ( to protect fry from getting sucked up in a HOB filter people place something over the intake.)

 

[alia258]

You can put pantyhose over the tuby part of a regular filter, or just cut a sponge open and shove it on there, that way it costs less and the fry will be safe. Just make sure that if you buy a sponge that there's no soap or cleaning solution on the sponge and when you buy either one you need to boil them and the rinse under warm water to get any derbis and unwanted bacteria or anything else that might be hiding in them out (people have touched them before usually, and there's lots of things on your hands that might irritate fish if left in the tank for extended periods of time)

And yes, that tip was originally from artist! That smart cookie