A Couple Guppy Questions

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

i just got new fish today (to put in the 10 gallon tank my fishy friend got me for Chistmas) and i got three guppies - one male and two female. both females are pregnant but not very large. i just had a few questions to throw out there.

one
how long are the female guppies pregnant?

two
around how many fry do they have?

three
this was a question my sister asked and i was curious to find the answer. i wasn't sure if it belonged here or under another board but...
what's the difference between livebearers and the other fish in the ways they breed and the fry are born?

 

[chibi]

1.) About a month, give or take a few days
2.) Anywhere from 1-100, even more. Mine usually have about 20
3.) Livebearers's eggs are fertilized internally. Other fish lay eggs outside the female and are fertilized that way. Edit: Oh yeah! When eggs are hatched from non-livebearing fish, they normally have egg sacs that they absorb food from for the first 2 or 3 days. Livebearer fry don't have those. I've noticed livebearer fry are also bigger when they're born.

 

[helterskelter]

Idearly i should leave the water to mature befor adding fish, this dose take 30 days or so but usinf water from a exacsting tank speeds the process up, or the fish may polluat their self in a small tank quite quickly.

One.
Guppies cary their fry for around 28-32 day at 78F the cooler, the longer it takes.

Two.
Between 5-50 just depends on the fish and and their always differnt amount's.

Three.
May i point you to my article called "What is a livebearer"
http/www.livingfish.co.uk/forum/article.asp?art=347

Livebearing means fish that has internal fertilization, all livebearing (Viviparous) fish must have this, in species such as guppies the males have modified anal fin called the "gonopodium", this organ is used to insert packets of sperm into the females genital opening and then the two gametes (egg and sperm) join to produce the zygote (first stage after fertilization). This is similar in all Poeciliidae species.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

thanks much=]. i'll have to send the article to my sister. my tank's around 80 degrees and i just added the guppies today.

 

[Zafirah]

one
how long are the female guppies pregnant?

Normally 28 days

two
around how many fry do they have?

First moms normally have around 30 fry, give or take a few,
and experienced moms can have up to 150+

three
this was a question my sister asked and i was curious to find the answer. i wasn't sure if it belonged here or under another board but...
what's the difference between livebearers and the other fish in the ways they breed and the fry are born?

For one, the fry are born live, while most fry are born thru eggs. Also, female Livebearers can storm sperm for up to 7 breedings. Also, males have a gondopodium, which goes into the females private areas during breeding. This fertalizes the eggs inside the female. In a way, they are just like humans

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

thanks. great help =]

 

[helterskelter]

Also, males have a gondopodium, which goes into the females private areas during breeding. This fertalizes the eggs inside the female. In a way, they are just like humans

Just correcting a minor falt, the male dose not incert sperm into the female.
Packets of sperm are placed on the genetal opening which the females then take's in.


And ye they can store the spend for several months, so even removing males will not stop them from dropping fry.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

i see. so if i bought a female from the store that wasn't pregnant there, put her in without any males, she could still have the babies. that's kinda...cool?

 

[helterskelter]

To buy a vergin female from a shop would be very rare as well
Thier almost always pregnant already.

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

yeah. i noticed when i was at the store last time. there weren't any that weren't pregnant. it's like...50 for the price of one.