Guppy Just Gave Birth

[oxfordmark]

Hello

Noticed our female guppy was able to now swim at the top of the tank and slimmer. Resulting in me finding 5 babies. How long do they take to grow big enough other fishes won't eat them?

We have fake plants they can hide in. I quite like the whole survival thing. We had survivals in the past.

 

[mattbleasby]

I would just make sure there is lots of cover in the tank for them to hide in, 

If not possibly catch them and place them into either a fry tank or a breading trap. 

I never seperate FRY but have always had heavily planted tanks so that they can hide well. 
 
Good luck! Pictures? 

 

[DiddleBug]

It takes a few weeks for them to be big enough to not get aten.  Usually 3-4 weeks.  I let my swordtail fry out of the trap at 2 weeks usually and the adults leave them alone. 
 
You can feed them crushed flake.

 

[oxfordmark]

Okkk how many fry does a female often give birth too? I have counted 9!

Will they keep breading? Or stop when the fry are big enough?

 

[DiddleBug]

Females can have 60-80 fry per batch, and have numerous batches after one breeding.  And no, they don't stop after their fry get big, livebearers just keep breeding!  

 

[oxfordmark]

Females can have 60-80 fry per batch, and have numerous batches after one breeding.  And no, they don't stop after their fry get big, livebearers just keep breeding!

Had fry before and they only bred once. What do we do if they have too many???

 

[DiddleBug]

The adults usually eat the fry.  You could always sell any though to LFS or something... but usually if you don't save the fry they "disappear" soon enough.

 

[oxfordmark]

Is it safe to have all male or all female guppys?

 

[DiddleBug]

I've never done that myself, but I believe a group of 6 or more males is fine and only females is fine with whatever number. Many people just keep males for their color and they really make the tank look nice. And that was there is no fry to mess with. I always like to have both genders, but to each his own. Either way works fine.

 

[oxfordmark]

I've never done that myself, but I believe a group of 6 or more males is fine and only females is fine with whatever number. Many people just keep males for their color and they really make the tank look nice. And that was there is no fry to mess with. I always like to have both genders, but to each his own. Either way works fine.

But doesn't your tank become over stocked?

 

[DiddleBug]

Yes, it can get overstocked.  Either I let the parents eat the fry or keep the fry and sell them to my LFS.