Want to make a new strain of fancy guppies

[Mebbid]

I am new to breeding fish but decided that I want to create my own strain of Fancy Guppies. I would prefer to to a double swordtail but am not sure what the best place for me to start is.

Would it be better to pick a double swordtail and breed it with a few random guppies? Or would it be better to pick a guppy with nice coloration to breed with the double swordtail?

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

I am new to breeding fish but decided that I want to create my own strain of Fancy Guppies. I would prefer to to a double swordtail but am not sure what the best place for me to start is.

Would it be better to pick a double swordtail and breed it with a few random guppies? Or would it be better to pick a guppy with nice coloration to breed with the double swordtail?

I thought it was rare occurrences that swords and guppies breed until i recently bought a female lyretail swordtail i have her in with my guppies no male swords. The male guppies keep trying to mate with her and now she is quite visibly pregnant. However it may have happened at the pet store when she was with others swords. I will have to wait and see. I wonder if the guppy x sword combo would lead to living healthy fry or if they would come out dead. Or would they have a hard time swimming due to the finage?

[Mebbid]

Sword tails are a type of platie if I'm not mistaken and shouldn't be able to successfully breed with guppies. I am referring to a different tail type of fancy guppy.

This is approximately what I mean by double swordtail

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

Sword tails are a type of platie if I'm not mistaken and shouldn't be able to successfully breed with guppies. I am referring to a different tail type of fancy guppy.

This is approximately what I mean by double swordtail

My mistake there have been accounts of swords and guppies breeding successfully as well as platies and guppies. So i thought maybe this was what you were speaking of.

The double swordtail you speak of is more correctly named a lyretail guppy

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by PolyptRus

My mistake there have been accounts of swords and guppies breeding successfully as well as platies and guppies. So i thought maybe this was what you were speaking of.

The double swordtail you speak of is more correctly named a lyretail guppy

That's surprising. I wouldn't imagine that species that are that far removed from each other would be able to create successful fry.

I also found a picture that shows all the different guppy tail types, it should explain what I'm trying a little better. Spear tail would be my first choice but from what I've heard its a really really hard tail type to keep.

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

That's surprising. I wouldn't imagine that species that are that far removed from each other would be able to create successful fry.

I also found a picture that shows all the different guppy tail types, it should explain what I'm trying a little better. Spear tail would be my first choice but from what I've heard its a really really hard tail type to keep.

I don't know how true the stories of swords and guppies breeding is i seen it online. :p

I too am always interested in breeding guppies and any other live bearer i just find it hard to think of all the variations there can be and how i could make my own. I guess its all trial and error to see what you get.

[PolyptRus]

I had one very nice fish randomly occur once it was a leopard spot lyretail guppy very pretty.

I think it would be interesting to breed endlers live bearers with fancy guppies. Have you ever thought of trying that?

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by PolyptRus

I had one very nice fish randomly occur once it was a leopard spot lyretail guppy very pretty.

I think it would be interesting to breed endlers live bearers with fancy guppies. Have you ever thought of trying that?

I did actually think of that but from what I've been reading intentionally crossing an endler with a fancy guppy is generally frowned upon since there are issues with the purity of available strains.

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

I did actually think of that but from what I've been reading intentionally crossing an endler with a fancy guppy is generally frowned upon since there are issues with the purity of available strains.

Yes the whole hybrid thing but what people forget is that pretty much every pet available to us is some form of hybrid even humans are hybrids.... Just my opinion though but i know there is a big fuss over the whole thing i don't really get it.

[oscarchic11]

I am creating my own strain of gups starting with wild type feeders. My first batch are starting 2 get their colors.

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by oscarchic11

I am creating my own strain of gups starting with wild type feeders. My first batch are starting 2 get their colors.

Would love to see pics in the future

[oscarchic11]

I have 4 batches of fry totaling 30 something... the oldest boys are modifying fins and getting colors right now. Here is a pic of a couple males...

[oscarchic11]

Those were my breeding males... cant wait 2 see their babies in full color!!

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by oscarchic11

Those were my breeding males... cant wait 2 see their babies in full color!!

They look awesome

[Mebbid]

Those do look awesome. I guess I decided to go with the feeder Guppy route. Now to find some females to mate them with

[oscarchic11]

I chose feeder females 2... if you look close so.e will have more of an iridescent shimmer on the fins... those are the girls i chose...

[oscarchic11]

One of my little males is showing blues and aquas in his body!!! No fin coloring yet... but he is gonna be pretty i think...

[PolyptRus]

Originally Posted by oscarchic11

One of my little males is showing blues and aquas in his body!!! No fin coloring yet... but he is gonna be pretty i think...

can't wait to see what it turns out like

[Mebbid]

I can't find feeder yuppies anywhere but I have 12 mixed fancy females coming soon so we will see what I can get from them

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

I am new to breeding fish but decided that I want to create my own strain of Fancy Guppies. I would prefer to to a double swordtail but am not sure what the best place for me to start is.

Would it be better to pick a double swordtail and breed it with a few random guppies? Or would it be better to pick a guppy with nice coloration to breed with the double swordtail?

I recall an article in TFH magazine sometime in the 1980s or 1990s about the creation of the PINGU pink Guppy. You may want to research that article. I recall it showed pictures of the progression of the strain. The breeder started with one fish with one pink scale and bred the line until he got totally pink fish. I also recall it took many years (10-15 maybe?) to acheive this goal.

Hope this helps