Hi! I hope someone can help me quickly. After completing a 20% water change, I noticed one newborn fry in my guppy tank. I wasn't expecting them yet so was not yet ready with the breeding net, but I quickly set it up and put momma in there. But she completely freaked out in there even after several minutes. She was trying to swim through the bottom of the net and I feared she'd kill herself from stress. I released her but I am afraid the male in the tank will eat the fry and I have waited a long time for fry from this particular male so I don't want to lose any. I have removed mom to a small (1/2 gallon or so?) betta tank that has no filtration or aeration (or heater). How long can she stay in there? I don't know what to do- it is too late to go to a pet store for a tank divider or anything like that. If she gives birth quickly I can put the fry into the breeding net in the main filtered tank. But how long do I give her? What should I do for her? Advice is appreciated!!
2007-09-17 18:59:37 · 4 answers · asked by Michelle M 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Guppies can live in little containers for quite a while. As for her fry, do you have a tank of 20 gallons and a microworm culture or some other suitable food source? She should give birth to between 6 and 20... maybe more.
But now you have a big problem on your hands. Guppies have a sperm bank. So she can fertilize her next 5-8 batches of babies with only that one mating. You have a LOT of fish on the way.
2007-09-17 19:05:53 · answer #1 · answered by agarwaen_neithan 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
First of all, to solve this completely, just make sure that you have corner of your tank well planted with lots of plants. The babies will hide there so there will really be no point in handling the mom or dad at this point. The babies will be born and they will go there to hide from the parents.
Also, since you moved her as she was giving birth, it quite possible that you over stressed her and she will abort the rest of the fry that she was going to give birth to and perhaps die herself. But, there is a chance that she will be okay. But, the fact that you have in a small unheated tank will cause additional stress so if possible heat the tank. Allow a couple of days before moving her again.
Guppy females can mate one time and have a batch of fry about every 28 days for the next six months. Just thought that you might want to know that.
2007-09-18 02:00:37 · answer #2 · answered by pacifia1977 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well, most likely she will abort the rest of her fry now, since you really stressed her out, or she will die because of it
you can't put a guppy into a non heated an non filtered bowl, that's like murder for a guppy
you should have just left her in the main tank, if you have live plants in there the fittest will survive
i never took my females out after having 2 die after giving birth
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/breeding_tropical_fish.html
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
2007-09-17 19:07:04 · answer #3 · answered by Kribensis lover 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
remove the male
2007-09-17 19:22:14 · answer #4 · answered by red 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋