Guppy Fry In With Adults

[Fraoch]

hi, i noticed when i was at my lfs a while ago that they kept all their guppy fry(looked to be of all ages), in with adult females and i wondered if the adults leave them alone or if the babies were being eaten. Is there a certain age when you can put the babies in and the adults wont eat them?

also, i have a few pregnant guppies and wondered how much stress does it cause them to be put in a breeding trap for a couple of days? as i have no other way of saving the fry!
thanks

 

[KittyKat]

That "certain age" is when the fry won't fit into the adults' mouths. If you want to keep babies and parents together, I would recommend mossy plants and keeping the fish well fed.

I would personally say that breeding traps are not a good idea for pregnant fish.. I would say that on average, they are too stressful for fish. If you want the babies to not get eaten, it would be a much better idea to have a second, small tank which you could use.

 

[helterskelter]

I'll totally back up Kat on this one. I never use traps and reap almost all of my fry along side the adults.

Or a give a females her own tank 18"x12"x12" and leave her there for 2-3 weeks till she drop's, the remove her back to the main tank.

Also yes they do eat a few fry, but i often get 20 fry survive in a shared tank with 4-5 pairs of adult fish.

 

[Fraoch]

i tryed in the past, leaving my fry in a separate tank for 1 month and then putting them in my comm. tank, but sadly they all got eaten except 2, which i caught and for now are living in a breeding trap, till they are older.

i have a small 3 gal tank, which has been cycling but has no heater. Would this be ok to put my mothers in till they drop their fry or will they need a heater?

thanks

 

[helterskelter]

No need to cycle if you have a sponge filter running, just fill the fry tank from then main tanks and move the sponge filter. Do not use a power filter with fry.

If you water is over 68f then you be fine as mine don't have heater's.

What fish are in your main tank are the tetra's then these are known to attack on occasions but though it should be ok.

 

[Fraoch]

No need to cycle if you have a sponge filter running, just fill the fry tank from then main tanks and move the sponge filter. Do not use a power filter with fry.

If you water is over 68f then you be fine as mine don't have heater's.

What fish are in your main tank are the tetra's then these are known to attack on occasions but though it should be ok.

there is a hagen elite mini underwater filter running in the small tank is that ok for fry?
in the main tank there are 6 female guppies,1 male guppy, 2 black neon tetras, 5 neon tetras, 3 harlequin rasboras,1 pregnant platy, 2 glowlight tetras nad an otto.
i dont quite understand what you said, do you mean tetras are known to attack fry?

 

[helterskelter]

No need to cycle if you have a sponge filter running, just fill the fry tank from then main tanks and move the sponge filter. Do not use a power filter with fry.

If you water is over 68f then you be fine as mine don't have heater's.

What fish are in your main tank are the tetra's then these are known to attack on occasions but though it should be ok.

there is a hagen elite mini underwater filter running in the small tank is that ok for fry?
in the main tank there are 6 female guppies,1 male guppy, 2 black neon tetras, 5 neon tetras, 3 harlequin rasboras,1 pregnant platy, 2 glowlight tetras nad an otto.
i dont quite understand what you said, do you mean tetras are known to attack fry?

What fish are in your main tank are the tetra's

Typo and poor grammer.
What fish are in your main tank, if it's the tetra's (as in your signature)

I dont use any power filter these just eat fry, you can enclose them in stocking or something to try top stop fry from being sucked in. I just use air powered sponge filters as these also culture bacteria and other microscopic food the fry can also eat

 

[Fraoch]

yes its the same as my signature but with a pregnant platy aswell.
i will cover the filter with tights, and put the mothers in in the next week or so, as im usin the tank at the moment for some sick fish.