breeding guppies?

Question

i want to breed guppies but need to kno wat i need to do so. i have a 55 gallon and how can i tell male by female when i buy them? will my filter suck them up? what do i need to keep the fry safe? any other info will be appreciated!!

Answer 1

Guppies are very easy to breed. The male guppy is always much more attractive than the female, they have fancier tails. You can always ask the pet store attendant, they'll know. I've just always setup the tank the way I wanted it. Then I'd buy my fish, put them in, and they do the rest. The only thing you would have to buy that I can think of at the moment is a nursery or breeder tank. It's a small plastic(they come in mesh too) tank that you hang on the inside of your tank, so it is using the exact water as the rest of the population while keeping the little-ones safe. When the female is very pregnant, and you'll know, you put her in the nursery until she gives birth so the other fish don't eat the new born guppies ( they are born live, not eggs). The mom will also eat them so you would need to be sure she's done giving birth to the little swimmers then remove her and put her back into her population. She can have alot, like 30 or maybe less it's been awhile since I've done this so be really sure she's totally done before you put back or you may lose a few. You'll know when it's been quite awhile since she's had anymore, plus she will also lose her big belly. Lots of luck to you!!!!!!! Have fun!!!!!!

Answer 2

Guppies are one of the easiest fish to breed. Most pet stores will keep males and female separate for this reason. If, however, you do get stuck trying to decipher the difference, look at the anal fins. Females will keep this fin down, so that it looks very triangular in appearance. Males, however, have an anal fin that is held close to the body, with part of it being very tubular and stick-like. This is used to deposit sperm into the female. Don't go solely by color-- more and more breeders are breeding much more colorful females in some gorgeous shades of yellow, red, and blue. Males still typically have slightly longer tails, but it's best to look at the "equiptment," so to speak, to be absolutely sure. You'll want 2-3 females per male, to ensure that males don't fight over potential mates. In my opinion, I would forgo a breeding net or nursery type enclosure all together. Place a lot of thick, small leafed natural (live) plants throughout the tank. Your fry will hide in these. Remember that the object of breeding is to come up with the best, brightest and most beautiful specimens. Not relying on separation the adults from fry will ensure that your end result is only the healthiest of your stock. It may sound cruel, but remember that professional breeders cull fish from time to time due to genetic defects, disease, etc. You're simply allowing nature to run it's course this way. At most, you usually only loose 5-10% of fry this way. Keep the adult fish fed well and you'll avoid them eating your healthy fry. Just remember, don't stock your tank to heavily at first, guppies breed and mature quickly, and before you know it, you could have 60-70 or more guppies in your tank from just 3 or 4 successful breedings.

Answer 3

The gestation period of a guppy is 22-30 days. The average gestation period is 28 days. After the female guppy is inseminated, a dark area near the anus, known as the gravid spot, will enlarge and darken. Guppies prefer water temperatures of about 28 °C (82 °F) for reproduction. After giving birth, the female is ready for conception within a few hours. Guppies are known to exhibit supervention, that is, the maintenance of batches of embryos at various states of development. The female guppy has drops of between 2-200 fry, normally about 30 to 60.

buy plants where the fry can hide in. that would keep them safe. you could also transfer the fry to another tank to make sure they won't get eaten up.

Answer 4

Here are some pics that should help you out


http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=ks-ans&va=female+guppy&sz=all (female)

http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/livebearer_guppies/guppies_page_4.htm (male)

you need on 1 male 2-3 females

The filter will not suck them up
Put a lot of real plants in your tank, these are good hiding places for your fry

If you want to put them in a breeder that's fine too, but buy the 3way plastic breeder, the net breeder is dangerous for the fry.

After your babies are born, feed them with "First Bites" the first 2 weeks, after that you can feed them crushed up flakes
And if you have them in a breeder, you can let them into your tank after about 4 weeks, that's when they are big enough not to get eaten by other fish.

Good luck
Any other questions feel free to email me