Guppy Ratio Male To Female

[Taridan]

Hello, I have a 30 gallon tank that I was thinking of adding both more female betta's too and maybe some Guppies. (I originally wanted mollys, but seeing as they need salt an I've read Pleco's dislike salt, it wouldn't work.)

So, if I was going to add guppies, what would be a decent ratio of male to female -prefferably no more than 9 fish total- and if the females get pregnant, can I just let the fry get eaten if I don't want to breed them? Anyone know if Female Betta's will get along with Guppies, and/or try to eat their fry?

 

[Qays]

1 male too 2-3 females

You could get all males, as long as there is more than 5.

 

[Annastasia]

If you want to keep them with female Bettas, I'd go all female. The Bettas may pick on the male's fin, or harrass them because of their bright colors. It's still going to be risky with female Guppies, because Bettas can be aggressive. If you want to try it, make sure you have a means of seperating them, should the aggression become bad. And yes, it's fine to let the fry get eaten. Survival of the fittest. If you have some hiding places in the tank (which I'd recommend, with your fish) some fry may still survive, so it's good to have a back up plan for a place to put/sell/give them.

 

[Taridan]

Okay, so list of things to buy before comtemplating Guppies:

1) Several Silk Plants
2) Terra Cotta pots
3) Maybe try some more live plants
4) Finish getting my Betta girls and making sure they all get along
5) Possibly sell/exchange my Pleco for some Ottos and Corys
6) Contemplate a DIY air bubble screen along the back
7) Get Guppy's and perhaps seperation/birthing net in case of fights.

Its going to be a while before i buy any new fish, since I got a speeding ticket which will eat into my fish budget.

Any other ideas/things I should know? Female Guppies have smaller tail fins, right? asides from the normal -no ick, look lively- any other tips for picking out healthy females?

 

[Annastasia]

Yes, they tend to have smaller tail fins. I'd also look for blander colored ones, just so the female Bettas don't seem them as "flashy" and another Betta.

I go through a system when looking at them.

• Body: Any healthy livebearer's abdomen should look convex, when viewed in a profile. The female usually looks more convex then the male. These fish have a "chubby" look to them. This should also appear in females that have just given birth, even though they may look very slender. They should appear well-fed. Be careful of fish with protuding scales, and bloated bellies! Most times, if not all times, these fish are incurable. A large head, that looks disproportionate to it's body, is usually a sign the fish has undergone long hunger periods. This doesn't mean the fish will die, per se, but it isn't good.
• Gills: Healthy fish breathe slowly, although they breathe somewhat faster in a densely populated tank. As the fish breathe, they expose the gill cover. This should appear a pale reddish color, in healthy fish.
• Fins: Missing or partially developed fins are usually a bad signal. Frayed edges on the fin are usually the sign of a disease, although there may be other causes. In a healthy fish, the fins should visably stick out from the body. A fish that clamps it's fins, and maybe rocks from side to side is definatly not feeling well, and may easily get a disease.
• Eyes: The eyes should appear clear, and never protrude unnaturally from the head.
• Skin: The skin should not show any white spots, mold, fungus, or white film. The scales should hug the body, and look smooth. Be sure to examine the tip of the mouth with extra care, to be sure there is no white film.

Another sign to look out for when buying healthy fish is avoid it if it seems to hang around on its own near the bottom of the tank alot as this is a common sign of a sick fish. Also avoid getting a female livebearer that is heavily pregnant(although this can be hard to find!) because not only is the move from the fish shop to your tank twice as stressful (i.e she will be more likely to abort her fry, become ill and/or die)but that there may be a sudden difference in water stats like ammonia/pH/nitrate/etc. Coming from the LFS tank water to yours, this can also cause stress, which can result in birth deformities in the fry, still born fry and/or miscarriages.


Sorry about the ticket.

 

[Taridan]

Good points, all of them. I'm not too worried about the color as my Females are in with some Rosy Red Minnows who are a nice shimmering pink color and they don't bother them. Also, I've put the a male in ther before to help instigate bubble nest making on the males part, and while here was flaring and circling, there was no nipping. I observed/supervised for about 15 minutes, then put him back in his tank, which before had no bubble nesting in it, and now has random bubbles all over the top of it. I figure another week or so for him to realize it helps if they're all in the same spot.

 

[Kairi]

mollies don't *need* salt, but a little never hurt any fish (i don't think. my pleco doesn't mind a little salt).

 

[dwarfgourami]

mollies don't *need* salt, but a little never hurt any fish (i don't think. my pleco doesn't mind a little salt).

Afraid I disagree on both counts:

some mollies do need brackish water

a little salt added on a regular basis is not good for certain fish; it is too much for their organs to deal with

 

[Taridan]

mollies don't *need* salt, but a little never hurt any fish (i don't think. my pleco doesn't mind a little salt).

Afraid I disagree on both counts:

some mollies do need brackish water

a little salt added on a regular basis is not good for certain fish; it is too much for their organs to deal with

That is why as much as I like their looks, I decided to look into Guppys instead... Although, after looking around a bit more, I'm begining to think I would rather have Platy's... the males tails don't seem to get as big as a male guppy's tail.

Correct me if I'm wrong in that?

 

[Annastasia]

Their tails aren't as big and flowy, true, but they still have bright colors which might cause an issue with the Bettas... As I said before, it depends on your Bettas. Also, Platies can be known to nip fins on Bettas (Though since you have females, it might not be as bad)...so you'd have to watch them too.

 

[Taridan]

Hmmmm so its either the slightly larger finned Guppies, or the potentially Nippy Platy's.

Do they have to be kept in groups of 2-3 or could I get one of each and see which my girls like better? The LFS has a decent return policy, So I could get one of each and see which gets along better, unless they would act differently alone as compaired to in a group of 2-3?

I was thinking to start off with all females, for my peace of mind, and depending on how that goes maybe add a male or two depending on how many females I get.

 

[Annastasia]

You could get away with one for a bit. They do like company, but as long as you get more of their type once you decide, it should be okay. What species were you thinking of getting the males in? Platies? If so, males can be more nippy then females, so that's something to consider too.

Sorry, I don't mean to make this difficult on you...I just don't want something to take you by surprise, and you won't be prepared!

 

[Taridan]

Well, went to the store today to look at silk plants... and came home with three fish.

So, after taking the two girls out in seperate containers, I re-arranged the tank a bit, then added the male and female Platy, then the -three- betta girls. Thats right I saw a girl there that was in almost tip top shape... she had some leftover food at the bottom of her little cup, but was otherwise fine and dandy looking, and this great purple color with paler juvinile stripes...

Well, Flame nipped her tail, and I think they're about done establishing dominance again. The male Platy (Freckles) keeps going over to play in the current from the filter, while the girl Who I'm fairly sure is pregnant, is hanging out near the 1 fake plant that reaches almost to the top. So far aside from the initial oooo whats that, they are all behaving nicely towards each other.

The male is a golden yellow color with black freckles ALL over his body, and a black tail with a translucent/white tip. The female is a flesh colored body with a slightly darker tail.

 

[Annastasia]

You'll want to get a couple more females, if you're going to keep the Platies. The ratio should be 2-3 females per male, to prevent undue stress on the female, from the male wanting to mate all the time. I'm glad to hear it seems to be working out though! Just keep an eye on it.

 

[Taridan]

I thought of that but the books I took to auction didn't sell as much as I was hoping for, so my funds weren't as much as I thought. Plus, they were a little more expensive than I thought they'd be. Now I know, so next time I can bring the right amount of $ with me.