So. Is my fish going to give birth yet?

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Spilk

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Ok, I have a preggo gold swordtail and black molly. They've both fry'd all over my tank before, but the only survivor was one lone black molly which just started surface feeding.

I only have one of those stupid breeding tanks which sit inside your tank with almost exactly no room at all for the mom, so I want to put her in there at exactly the last moment possible before birthing happens. You know, avoiding most of the stress.

So, my question is pretty much; what signs are there that she's REALLY close to giving birth? They're both really fat, they both . . . are really really fat. What other signs are there? I know there has to be something I can look for (aside from the fountain of fry sure to follow).

Also, my plan is to let all the fry swim around in the breeding . . . box . . . for about a week (can I put both fry in there simultaniously? Last time they gave birth within a few days of one another, so I assume it'll be close this time too) feeding them germ-things I'm rasing with tankwater sitting in a bottle on my window-sill. Is this going to work?
;)
 
;) Hi Spilk welcome to the forum. Ain't no surefire way to tell exactly when either will drop, they seem very close now. If you can, use lots of floating plants, I mean lots and the fry will take refuge in them. Keep an eye open for birth and transfer fry to the trap. Sword and molly fry are large enough to take finely powdered flake, (germ things) unfusoria is a bit too small for them. Let us know how you get on. :thumbs: Mac.
 
Hmm, well this sorta ties in, and maybe you could help decide whether this is a good idea or not.

I was thinking about getting a couple panes of glass about 4" wide and about three inches shorter then my tank is high. I want to seal them to make a tall glass box in one corner, having three 1/4" slats horizontally on both panes (near the top, middle, and bottom) and filling the bottom with marbles (up to the first slat) having a hornwart (that's the name of that rootless, eventually floating, needle leaved plant, right?) planted at the bottom in the gravel under the marbles, and a mesh covering layed over the top (the nylon mesh holes being about 1/6 an inch wide).

Would that provide adequate hiding and so forth for my fry in the future so I wouldn't find myself constantly trying to protect and herd both my moms and fry so I can actually create a self populating tank?

Also, if I did virtually the same thing on another corner, only have it about 2" inches tall and without the mesh, would my yellow barbs have a chance at successful breeding without my having to create a seperate breeding tank? I know most of them would get devoured anyway, but I'd only want 1 or two to survive just to start a small school (I only have a breeding pair now).

Thanks for the help. I hate being new at things that could make things stop living, expensive and kinda cruel.
 
Well thats a very complex arrangement you have got there, fish in paricular guppies are not the smartest and I reckon you'll get casualties no matter what you do, what "I" would do cause I am lazy is just plant up one or both corners a large number of fry will survive long enough to be netted and a few left alone should make it to adulthood. If you are really keen on keeping the fry you say you have a breeder net, well just wait for the babies then put them in ;) I recommend a net (mesh) breeding net as the fry can't escape from the slats.

Even with just one corner planted you should be able to keep a selfpopulating tank - guppies are just that prolific (called million fish :lol:) I would guess it would be much harder with the barbs though being egg layers even when the eggs hatch the fry are gonna be a lot smaller, perhaps someone whose bred them can help a bit more ;)
 

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