Need Help...guppy fry...

Hi, I have 2 male/female guppies, now I am worried already about the fry's , even though none look very pregnant at the moment, I am wondering if any body has any suggestions. What you do with fry's. Does petsmart or petco take fry's (I don't mind giving them for free). I have a 5 gallon and an 12 gallon (new) that is all.. Has any body has any experience handling fry's. I feel bad to let the fry's get eaten by big ones...but is there any other way I can overcome this problem..please share your ideas...

 

well first you need to decide if they are male or female, males are smaller and have large tails, females are longer and have small tails. A female wil be pregnant if there is a gravid or dark spot below her tail. Their carrying period is approx. 28 days.

Now lets decide where your gona put your fry. Yes most lfs's take the fry for free, some will give in-store credit. you can ask them now if you'd like. What do you have in each tank?

 

sorry I did not explain properly. I know how to identify them. I have 2 male guppies and 3 female guppies now, they will soon be in 12 gallon tank, currently they are in 5 gallon hex. I will then use the 5 gallon hex for fry's. that is the plan. But I know they put lots of fry's for which I don't have any place. so I want to know the alternatives which you guys have used.

 

Well a five gallon tank will be ok for awhile then they will outgrow it. An option is to buy some breeder boxes or nets and put fry in there for two weeks and usually they are big enough to not get eaten by the adults, just don't overstock the boxes and provide lots of hiding places for when you release them. the five gallon will work but you will need to find a lfs that will take your fry at about a month old which might be too early depending on your lfs. Another alternative to buying a tank is to buy a large rubbermaid or some big plastic pond type thing, but a heater and put in a large sponge filter or two and liet your guppies grow up in there. Let me know what you'd like to do, feel free to ask any questions.

 

hI atm, thanks for the reply. I saw from another thread, that you also are into guppy breeding, how do u manage, how many tanks you have for them, even if put them in a big rubbermaid tank as you suggest, what next once they become big, please advice. also where can I get this big rubbermaid tanks you are referring too.

 

Indeed I am back into it again, so is Dino and Butterfly I believe. I do it now as I enjoy it, not for profit or anything. I have a 29 gallon and a 5.5 gallon. My parents don't let me get anymore tanks so what I do is buy large breeder boxes and line them up in my tank and put only a few guppies in each so they aren't crowded. Once they get so big I move them back into my large tank and provide plenty of places for them to hide so they don't get eaten. Usually in 2-3 weeks I let them out. Everyday I use this thing I'll take a pic for you and clean out the junk on the bottom of them and feed them several times a day(as much as possible but with school I can't feed that much) I am going to work on creating a large breeding net to put in my tank instead of dividing my tank up so I can just have one box not many. You can get a rubbermaid bucket probably at target, wal-mart or a store like that. I'll look online to show you what I'm talking about this weekend. Once they become big I give them to my lfs, though this time I'm trying to improve my relationship with store owners and get some store credit for them, you have to find some way to get rid of them. Any other questions feel free to ask, I'l take pics of some things for you this weekend, ask for any certain specific ones.

 

Thanks Atm. I will wait for your update. But how many can you keep in a 29 gallon, are u just having guppies in it. I am kind of trying to find out, even if you breed, how many it is possible to keep,How you work it out. I can't even offerred 29 gallon tank :-(..I have a 5 gallon now, I am planning to buy a 12/15 gallon, that is max, so 2 tanks.

 

No with the breeding boxes most junk put out by the guppies sits on the bottom so I suck it up everyday thus making me a fitler. I just keep them until they have color and I can sex them then I give them away, if I don't wait they are taken as feeder guppies

As in how many guppies can you keep forever it really matters how much tank space you have room for. I would suggest buying a 20 gallon long if possible if not buy as large as possible, basically if you want it to be a fry tank you want a sponge filter. so if you want to keep your current tank as adult tank you can buy a 15 gallon tank, divider, two sponge filters, one on each side and two heaters for one on each side. You can leave the tank bare for easy cleaning and finding fry, you can make one side newly born and small fry and other side larger fry. they you would have a total of two tanks and the 15 tank wouldn't cost too much. Look on ebay and craigslist for cheap tanks. You can use some hornwort for floating plant for fry to hide in also.

 

is light and hood essential also, coz in petsmart I see top fin glass tanks for $9.99 for 10 gallon ones. so I buy this plus, sponge filter and heater, with some live plants is that OK. or hood /light is also needed. that looks like expensive item