Breeder Box or Au Naturale?

[RaygunK]

I keep reading about everyone's fry that are born in batches of 20 or 30. So my questions is, how are you getting to all these fry?

I've put some of my more preggo guppies in a breeder box and they've died. I have also let them do there thing in the tank (as i had no idea) and i end up with 2 or 3 fry.

So what's the trick to getting and keeping all the fry? Breeder box? Birthing in an empty tank? I'm just not figuring this one out. I want to keep as many fry as i can, but i don't know when to put them in a box (which i'm assuming is the easiest way to keep (and catch) all the fry or how to get the fry if they have them in a community tank w/out them almost all being eaten.

 

[severum mama]

I keep several strains of guppies and I am of the opinion that breeder boxes are just too stressful for the females. I have never had any success using a breeder box. I don't even bother to separate the females anymore. I keep my guppies in 10 gallon tanks and use hornwort, java moss, and anacharis to give the fry plenty of places to hide. You have to pack the tank pretty full of plants to get this to work IME. Since I started using plants for "fry protection", my guppy population has exploded, where I had few survivors before. I'm not a livebearer expert by any means, this is just something that I have found to work for me through trial and error. The bonus is that anacharis, guppy grass, and hornwort are all quick growers that are going to be beneficial for water quality. Hope this helps!

 

[RaygunK]

That's what I'm thinking, i need more plants! I only have a little bunch of hornwort. Do you leave your fry in the tank with everybody? Where do you buy your plants from, local or online?

 

[absolutangel04]

I agree with severum mama. IME, putting my females into breeding nets was too stressful for them. I just added some plants, let my girls drop fry in the main tank, and then I go on fry patrol and scoop out any I find and raise those in breeding nets until they are big enough to not be swallowed by the adults, then I put them back in. The more heavily planted, the more fry will survive.

 

[severum mama]

I don't even separate the fry. If you have enough plants they will hide until they are too big to be eaten.

I have tons of hornwort and anacharis growing so I don't need to buy any. I sell what extra I have.

 

[Dalmen]

I don't even separate the fry. If you have enough plants they will hide until they are too big to be eaten.

How big shall a Molly fry be before being released back on the tank? I have four fry that I have kept in the breeding net for 4 weeks already. They are almost 3/4". I tried putting a couple back in the tank and immediately the other fish tried to bite. They did swim fast but didn't want to risk it. Shall I wait a few more weeks?

 

[emerald76]

Until they ate bigger than the biggest fishes mouth

 

[Bubbles0oO]

When I re introduce my fry , the other fish will chase them around untill they get bored. Try putting food on one end of the tank and the fry in the other so they have a chance to hide. More places to hide the better, I usually wait untill the fry start to get color and are about an inch

 

[Dalmen]

When I re introduce my fry , the other fish will chase them around untill they get bored. Try putting food on one end of the tank and the fry in the other so they have a chance to hide. More places to hide the better, I usually wait untill the fry start to get color and are about an inch

I introduced the three bigger ones and they seem to be OK now. It's funny to see them explore cautiously around. Every once in a while the bigger fish will try to poke but them swim fast. They've found a corner where the three are hanging out together but do come out when I put food. Looks like they will be happier outside their net. Thank you for the advice.