Handling Guppies

Now I only had these guys since December of 2018 but you learn a lot over the months.
I don't have a true technique to acclimating them but don't immediately plop them into another tank. I don't find putting them first thing after you buy them to be as high of a death rate but it should be avoided. Moving them from tank to another in your home can is likely where the shock of water difference is more apparent. Do not move pregnant or assumed to be pregnant guppies. I find these guys are more likely to be found dead after dawn. It always goes wrong over night.
If you want to catch them, they are more cooperative with your hands or a container. Netting them out especially in a large tank will be an absolute nightmare. Fry will not likely follow the juveniles and adults so you are more than likely to catch the 1 month or younger fry.

Dealing with guppy fry. You should never medicate them when they have ich especially when they haven't gotten their colours. Males get some markings at 1 month old but even then they are just too small to handle it. It is better to let the cycle of ich die on its own via water changes, warmer/colder water, filters, and larger tank size.
I have said this before, use some kind of glass or metal container and a rock to grind up food. If you have a mortar and pestle, that's a viable option too. Don't look at WikiHow for advice on their care. depending on the female guppy's size will determine if she is likely to kill her offspring. If her width and/or length is almost equal to your thumb then she'll have a 40% chance of killing them. Fry will stay away from the adults and flee to the presence of a female. Guppy fry do NOT need to be fed every 2-3 hours for the first month. Fry 75% of the time hangout near the surface. I recommend feeding them at least twice a day, trust me, it won't kill them. They learn faster to trust you than an adult you purchased.

Females tend to be on the timid side if you purchased some that are already mature in colour/pattern. When pregnant their bellies start to look like a Coffee Crisp. If multiple males have mated with a female, the offspring will be part of the mom and part of the male in question that fertilized that egg. No amalgamations. Females have a gravid spot, less colour and more bulk.

If you need any advice on guppies, feel free to ask me!

 

Why not follow wikI how? All the information helped me when I first started https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Guppies?amp=1

 

WikiHow isn't the greatest source compared to an in-depth Q&A/FAQ forum. Especially for breeding the information. There is a very small boarder of requirements when really guppies breed like mad no matter the water temperature, space, and/or conditions of the aquarium.

It ain't black and white. Guppies are the most bent-backwards fish in terms of how to properly care for them.

 

Why not follow wikI how? All the information helped me when I first started https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Guppies?amp=1

AJE
I decided to share information about guppies to help others in the future and for Iycho's sake. If you ain't on this thread for help don't rub in stuff like that. I'm not wishing to start a fight and I sure do not want to be disregarded.
Hopefully you understand.

 

WikiHow isn't the greatest source compared to an in-depth Q&A/FAQ forum. Especially for breeding the information. There is a very small boarder of requirements when really guppies breed like mad no matter the water temperature, space, and/or conditions of the aquarium.

It ain't black and white. Guppies are the most bent-backwards fish in terms of how to properly care for them.

Ok.

AJE
I decided to share information about guppies to help others in the future and for Iycho's sake. If you ain't on this thread for help don't rub in stuff like that. I'm not wishing to start a fight and I sure do not want to be disregarded.
Hopefully you understand.

I’m sorry if you felt like I was making fun of you or something, I had a genuine question. Which you answered. Thanks. I wanted to see your point of view

 

That makes sense. You're welcome for the feedback. I forgive you and I realize now that you probably didn't intend anything problematic.

 

Moving around fish in the home aquarium has never really been that much of an issue for me. The amount if times I've netted a fish (or guppy) and dumped it in another aquarium... I've lost count.

They always seem to handle it fine

 

Moving around fish in the home aquarium has never really been that much of an issue for me. The amount if times I've netted a fish (or guppy) and dumped it in another aquarium... I've lost count.

They always seem to handle it fine

I keep a tupperware around that's long and medium sized, relatively thin too. Just move fish into there and then set it on the surface of the tank they're going in while I clean up the mess I made trying to net them with a small average fish net.

 

Moving around guppies that were already at my place to other tanks or small containers hasn't been an issue thusfar throughout the years overhere.
If I have new guppies purchased or given by someone, they won't be released right away in one of my tanks. They'll stay in a separate tank or container for a couple of days. And I'll check out whether there's something wrong or not. And if needed, I'll treat them.

 

Few q's

1. Isnt it safe to assume all female guppies from a pet shop are already pregnant so does that mean they shouldn't be moved?

2. How is wikihow wrong? I had a quick look and can't really see anything wrong with it other then how often to feed.

3.how are you catching the by hand that's easier then a net?

 

1. Yes you should assume that they are pregnant, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move them. They will probably reabsorb the fry and that’s probably the worst that will happen
2. I agree with this
3. Can’t answer this

 

I wasn't going to add anthing but feel like something needs to be said to the amount of potentially damaging

Now I only had these guys since December of 2018 but you learn a lot over the months.
I don't have a true technique to acclimating them but don't immediately plop them into another tank. I don't find putting them first thing after you buy them to be as high of a death rate but it should be avoided. Moving them from tank to another in your home can is likely where the shock of water difference is more apparent. Do not move pregnant or assumed to be pregnant guppies. I find these guys are more likely to be found dead after dawn. It always goes wrong over night.
If you want to catch them, they are more cooperative with your hands or a container. Netting them out especially in a large tank will be an absolute nightmare. Fry will not likely follow the juveniles and adults so you are more than likely to catch the 1 month or younger fry.

Dealing with guppy fry. You should never medicate them when they have ich especially when they haven't gotten their colours. Males get some markings at 1 month old but even then they are just too small to handle it. It is better to let the cycle of ich die on its own via water changes, warmer/colder water, filters, and larger tank size.
I have said this before, use some kind of glass or metal container and a rock to grind up food. If you have a mortar and pestle, that's a viable option too. Don't look at WikiHow for advice on their care. depending on the female guppy's size will determine if she is likely to kill her offspring. If her width and/or length is almost equal to your thumb then she'll have a 40% chance of killing them. Fry will stay away from the adults and flee to the presence of a female. Guppy fry do NOT need to be fed every 2-3 hours for the first month. Fry 75% of the time hangout near the surface. I recommend feeding them at least twice a day, trust me, it won't kill them. They learn faster to trust you than an adult you purchased.

Females tend to be on the timid side if you purchased some that are already mature in colour/pattern. When pregnant their bellies start to look like a Coffee Crisp. If multiple males have mated with a female, the offspring will be part of the mom and part of the male in question that fertilized that egg. No amalgamations. Females have a gravid spot, less colour and more bulk.

If you need any advice on guppies, feel free to ask me!

I wasn't going to add anything to all of this but I feel like something needs to be said the amount of misinformation and potentially dangerous information in this post. (I'm Guppygirl for a reason) Alot of people join Fishlore with serious concerns looking for good advice for answers to serious problems.This is not a good representation of the knowledge this forum offers.
We all try very hard to be polite and that is one of the very best things about this site. Sometimes though things need to be said.

 

1. Yes you should assume that they are pregnant, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move them. They will probably reabsorb the fry and that’s probably the worst that will happen
2. I agree with this
3. Can’t answer this

1. I was curious to her reasoning, I know moving them won't kill them.

 

Moving them, especially if your aquariums have all got different chemistries can kill them if you don't acclimate. Females under too much stress can become EGG BOUND. Guppies are ovoviviparous. I didn't really think this through but WikiHow is an ok source but it doesn't give you insight on the smaller aspects.
I have attempted chucking them into another aquarium and always found a lot never survived that strategy. I lost a female because of moving her back and forth between tanks.

I'm more interested in the adaptation, evolution and genetics of guppies. I was originally going to make this thread a guide on how to pet guppies. I noticed threads are created in question of fry and I thought I would make an area for that. One thing I struggled with was/is gay guppies (don't kill me for this), Sheik and Marrow have little to no evidence that they have genes linking to any fry currently. Anyways yeah, I'm kind of reckless and nerdy.

Have a nice day.

 

Moving them, especially if your aquariums have all got different chemistries can kill them if you don't acclimate. Females under too much stress can become EGG BOUND. Guppies are ovoviviparous. I didn't really think this through but WikiHow is an ok source but it doesn't give you insight on the smaller aspects.
I have attempted chucking them into another aquarium and always found a lot never survived that strategy. I lost a female because of moving her back and forth between tanks.

I'm more interested in the adaptation, evolution and genetics of guppies. I was originally going to make this thread a guide on how to pet guppies. I noticed threads are created in question of fry and I thought I would make an area for that. One thing I struggled with was/is gay guppies (don't kill me for this), Sheik and Marrow have little to no evidence that they have genes linking to any fry currently. Anyways yeah, I'm kind of reckless and nerdy.

Have a nice day.

Well, you've made a point there. If the water chemistry differ a lot in each tank, I would totally agree with you. But guppies (even fancy guppies) should be having a decent marginal tolerance under those conditions. But weaker specimens could have problems with it for sure. Maybe because of too much inbreed or just weaker genetics.
But in general most guppies will do well when they''re being moved to another tank. They adapt pretty well under new water conditions. But it's wellknown that most (so, not all) guppies with big tails like delta-, triangle- or even flagtails are a bit more vulnerable due to water fluctuations in comparison to shorter tailed guppies.

There's not that much to critize when it comes to WikiHow. But it only gives information which is narrowed down. To make the essential items a bit more clear to a novice reader, without going into specific details. For general information it's sufficient.

I'm not really reckless but I can be chaotic from time to time. And yes, I'm proud to say that even I'm a nerd (not even in just the field of aquaristics).
Guppies are the best known livebearers that have a great adaption ability. One of the reasons why they have been introduced to other kinds of waters on this globe. I've been working with guppies (both fancy and wild strains) for over 4 decades now. I've been always interested in the differences between wild and fancy breeds (not just guppies but several kinds of livebearers) when it comes to phenotypes, behaviour and genetics. Besides that I'm keeping myself busy with these issues, also our national society of livebearers (where I'm an editor and board member) have a specific focus on these three issues.
Also my own website (not commerical but informative) will go into this for most livebearer species I've ever owned or even still own. I also give my own vision which doesn't always agree with info you'll find in an average commercial aquarium book.

As a serious guppy keeper and breeder I also dare to say that not all guppies need the same care in order to keep them well and get them to breed. Serious breeders may recognize this remark.

It's funny that you're mentioning that guppies are ovoviviparous for most people call them viviparous. But you're right, it is ovoviviparous. I've been mentioning this a couple of times on this forum as well. Most livebearing toothcarps are ovoviviparous. And there are viviparous livebearers like e.g. goodeids, halfbeaks, etc... And viviparous livebearers are actual livebearers. Technically, ovoviviparous livebearers aren't livebearers.

 

I think pure colours (especially yellow, red and orange) are more immune. I don't know the whole entire science behind what goes on with transferring them, all I know is I always wake up to find dead ones that were transferred into other aquariums. I'm mainly circling around Snakeskins as that is the majority of fry I moved around ending up dead. My blue female and male died while I was on spring vacation but the others never did. I do agree with what you mean though.

I will admit I bought Mamba and Echo the day before they gave birth. Yet they both survived and gave birth. The only thing I wouldn't recommend doing to a midway pregnant female as I've learned is touching the belly often. I think that was 1/5 things that caused Echo to die.

(About the livebearer thing) For example snakes, such as garters and rattles "give birth". Rattle snakes are the same as what guppies are and garters are classified the same as halfbeaks.

I don't like hiding secrets so I'm being full on honest because I have made stupid mistakes with guppies in the passed 6 months.

Guppygirl88
I'm no expert, just someone that observes lil wormy fish all day. Would it have been best if I made this a guide on how to pet guppies? I wasn't trying to misinform people. I kind of have puzzle pieces click in over time on how everything works. I don't have footage of this but try catching specific guppies in a 29 gallon. Yeah it's a pain to do so I thought maybe I should share a better way. I'm more hands-on with learning, meaning I learn the harder way with things, such as don't pull your dog's whiskers out (don't ask, I was 12 when I did that).

 

I think pure colours (especially yellow, red and orange) are more immune. I don't know the whole entire science behind what goes on with transferring them, all I know is I always wake up to find dead ones that were transferred into other aquariums. I'm mainly circling around Snakeskins as that is the majority of fry I moved around ending up dead. My blue female and male died while I was on spring vacation but the others never did. I do agree with what you mean though.

I will admit I bought Mamba and Echo the day before they gave birth. Yet they both survived and gave birth. The only thing I wouldn't recommend doing to a midway pregnant female as I've learned is touching the belly often. I think that was 1/5 things that caused Echo to die.

(About the livebearer thing) For example snakes, such as garters and rattles "give birth". Rattle snakes are the same as what guppies are and garters are classified the same as halfbeaks.

I don't like hiding secrets so I'm being full on honest because I have made stupid mistakes with guppies in the passed 6 months.

Guppygirl88
I'm no expert, just someone that observes lil wormy fish all day. Would it have been best if I made this a guide on how to pet guppies? I wasn't trying to misinform people. I kind of have puzzle pieces click in over time on how everything works. I don't have footage of this but try catching specific guppies in a 29 gallon. Yeah it's a pain to do so I thought maybe I should share a better way. I'm more hands-on with learning, meaning I learn the harder way with things, such as don't pull your dog's whiskers out (don't ask, I was 12 when I did that)

It is very important though especially in this forum not to go to0 far out of the box because there are so many people who use this site when they are having a serious problem ie. BAD DAY, and they trust all of the information they read here so maybe the next time you explain something as a"hands on way" then they will understand you better and know that you mean well

 

Thank you for the feedback.

 

No offence but I've not had any of the above mentioned things happen to guppies.
As to the size of the female and eating the fry I have had it go both ways. Some of the bigger ones ignore the fry while the smaller females are fry eating machines.
I've not had guppies die from just moving them either. Maybe give birth but they sure didn't die.
Again no offence but you have had your tank for about 6 months (per your profile), and this is what you have learned I'm assuming. Which is fine seeing you went through this, but the things you brought up are not tried and true in most cases.

Maybe just saying...This is what my experience has been with guppies...instead of stating it like a fact that your way is the correct way.

Again no offence intended but sometimes we read messages in the wrong light. Any folks new to aquariums may or may not see it as fact. In most cases all of our tanks are different. For example like I said, I have not any of the things in your post happen, but that is just in my case and not saying it didn't happen to you

 

Why not follow wikI how? All the information helped me when I first started https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Guppies?amp=1

I wouldn't trust wikihow for anything. Someone posted on facebook once the ridiculous how-to on cleaning a horse's foot. We were all laughing because of how the horse's back leg was drawn, it was drawn just like the front leg. If you're unfamiliar with a horse's leg, it's just like a dog's leg, they don't have the same knee joint like the front legs do. We were all laughing that we've all been doing it wrong because we apparently all need to break their legs before we clean them. That was about a year ago. I haven't gone on wikihow since.

 

I have trouble getting a point across or explaining things properly as seen by many of my messages. I can't keep my hands off my fish they are just so cute.
About that ich thing... Mamba (one of the females) died of ich and I had an otto with the fry in 3.5 gallon so when I moved them into the 29 gallon, a week later the fin rot and ich was gone.

Catching guppies in any sized tank has always proven a challenge. The advice with the hands or cup uses the fish's trust or physics.

I usually mess up on the first 1-4 months of any animal's care. Down the road I learn on how everything works and learn. I don't know if Calgary's or even Pisces' source of guppies comes from mainly surrendering owners.

Schools usually say to stay away from wikipedia. For me, I would stay away from WikiaFandom because I've compared some other sources and other wikis have more detail for national releases of games. WikiHow has errors like for teaching your betta tricks to use a mirror or pipe cleaner. They also recommend the use of pingpong balls which is very bad.

A lot of external sources including WikiHow say to keep the female away from the fry at all costs. Guppies aren't the smartest thing I own so in reality the fry would hide in the roots of frogbit and would be seen too often. Usually my guppies eat or swallow anything that'll fit safely into their mouths.

I understand what you guys mean now. Thank you.