Hostile guppy fry

[SRC]

I recently purchased 5 feeder guppies for my FBT tank.

I really don't expect the toads to eat them, although if they want them they are there...I just though having some in there would make the tank a little more..natural.

Well unfortunately one got squished in the bag on the way home (it got caught in the corner and the bag must have rolled over on it poor thing).

So that left me with 4, but the next morning (before I could put them in the tank) another one was dead.

Now there are 3, 2 are very docile and usually stay together but the other one it terrorizes the other 2. Biting them, chasing them, nipping them.

I have always been under the impression guppies weren't like that...any reason this one is postal? I mean these things are small...like less then a 1/2" big...and it's already mean as a snake. I'm thinking that's probably what happened to the other one..it killed it .

They are in approx 4 gallons of water with plenty of hidey spots and room to get away from each other.

 

[guppymonkey]

I have always been under the impression guppies weren't like that...any reason this one is postal? I mean these things are small...like less then a 1/2" big...and it's already mean as a snake. I'm thinking that's probably what happened to the other one..it killed it .

No its not the guppy that killed the other one, its you keeping them in a bag overnight. Thats just asking to kill your fish. Guppies are like any other fish, they need room. You are not giving them any room so its no surprise at all that they are a little bit claustrophobic. Its basically the equivalent of trying to live in a closet with no bathroom. So, its no wonder that one has become more dominant over the others in the tank.

Unless you filter the water and change it regularly I can pretty much guarantee that your guppies will probably die. Its just not practical in most terrariums.

 

[SRC]

no no..they didn't stay in a bag overnight. I put them in one of my gallon hospital tanks, with some fake plants, until morning came. Then I put them in the larger tank.

I changed their water out from that from the pet store and all that too. I'd never leave a fish in a bag overnight. *yikes* Give me a little credit..I do have 13 Bettas, a community tank, and all. Jeeze
I've just never had guppies before..and wasn't aware that they would be so hostile towards each other, especially at such a young age.

The tank is also filtered..I just covered it in rocks so it looks more natural ...the filter is the waterfall feature.

I can't honestly see how they would be clausterphobic, them being less then 1/2" each and in 4 gallons of water.

I know they don't have a gallon to each fry when they multiply like rabbits in your tanks, right? So I highly doubt three 1/2" fry in 4 gallons is a bad setup for them.

 

[SkiFletch]

can you discern their sex at their current size/age? often times male guppies seem overly "forward" towards females...

 

[SRC]

As small as they are..I have a hard time spotting them at times lol...so I'd imagine that sexing them doesn't come until much later in life.

I know that one stays by itself and the other 2 stay together. If they get close to the lone one..it goes after them both. It makes me think it's part betta it's so nasty.

 

[imouse]

Guppies are one of the easiest fish to sex. Sexing can be done from birth.
Look for a gonopodium (penis) on the males.
The males develop body colour at around 6-8 weeks and the females sometimes develop tail colour at 6-10 weeks.
Guppies will 'peck' at each other to determne the 'Alpha' fish (not always a dominant male, sometimes females take the crown)

Cheers
Mouse

 

[SRC]

I just found this article

Watch out for Gambusia females. We sometimes see them mixed with feeder guppy females. They’re the larger ones. They will beat up your breeder males. In fact, they survive fairly well with African cichlids up to three inches long. They are tough fish best avoided except as food. If you ever looked into the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., you'll find it wall-to-wall with gambusia.

http/www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Livebearer,%20Guppies.htm

Coudl this be going on?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Typically Gambusia Affinis(common mosquitofish, not guppy) have brown spots on the body and fins. Gambusia Holbroki look similar to dalmation Mollys, and Gambusia Gomezi have a dark grey stripe running down their body along the lateral line.
The females typically also have a black stripe at the back of their belly and are usually larger in size to female guppies.
Check out wether you have any female mosquitofish as this could be your case.

 

[SRC]

They are so tiny..it's really hard (for me anyways..I'm in dire need of soem new contacts TBH lol) to tell much about them. They are pretty much just a light brown/clear coloring.

I will try to snap some pics of them tonight. I need to change the water in the terrarium, so while I do that I'll just pull them out and put each one in a holding tank and snap some pics and post them later tonight (might be tommorrow though..I dunno lol).

 

[SRC]

Man I've tried for 3 nites in a row to get some pictures of these little guppies and none of the pics ever turn out where you can see anything. They are so clear/light brown that they just blend in with the rocks and gravel .

I looked, as best I could, and from what it appears..I have 3 females..I didn't see anything "hanging" down from any of them that would indicate I have a male..since you said it would be blatently obvious lol. And I hope I'm right..I really don't want a bunch of guppies to house, feed, and find homes for lol.

I would like to report that they seem to have established a "pecking" order now and I haven't seen nearly as much hostile behaivors. The 2 still pal around and the 3rd stays alone alot..but when they come in contact now they don't try to gnaw each other up aaas much.

I would like to note though...when I got these little ones...they were in about a 40-50 gallon tank and I would venture to say there had to have close to 1000 in that tank....all the lady did was stick the net in the tank and pull some out..she didn't even move the net, just dipped it in and pulled it out.

I got to thinking about that and wondered if that might have been the problem...that they were use to being all jumbled up and then went to where they didn't have to be pushed up against another guppy..and they got kinda teste..whatcha think?

 

[Annastasia]

From what I can see of them in your pictures, you definitely have three females. However, that doesn't mean you won't have fry, because female Guppies can store sperm from one mating with a male for up to seven pregnancies.

And yes, they will get a pecking order. Even females who are fairly peaceful need a pecking order. It is possible that they were used to being with others and fighting for everything. Just give them a little more time, they should calm down more once they get used to your tank, and get used to not having to fight for everything. Just make sure you give them enough food.

Good luck!

 

[SRC]

As little as they are..they can be preggers? They look like no more then "Fry" to me. If they can get preggo that young..I feel sorry for them .

Oh great lol...well I'm gonna given em to you guys if they come up unwed teenage mothers

Yeah..after I got to thinking about how many were in that tank..I wondered if maybe that was it...cas there sure were a heap of them in there...more then I would think should be..but well..they are "feeders" ..so I guess they aren't as "important" to some people.

I still think, feeder fish or not, that they are really cute.

 

[Annastasia]

They can get pregnant at 3 months, sometimes earlier as long as they have a male with a gonopodium. And yes, it isn't good for them to be bred that early, or be pregnant. They may not be pregnant...were there any males in the tank, do you know?

Some people on here are looking for fry, so you might be able to sell some or give them away, should they have fry. And feeder Guppies are so much hardier then Fancies..so it's all good.

Yes, unfortunatly, feeders aren't considered all that important. However, they are great in the fact that they actually have immunity, and are somewhat hardy, compared to Fancies. The Fancies are giving Guppies a bad name...by being so fragile. I still love all my Feeders, they have great attitudes and when you cross them with Fancies you get some pretty, yet hardy Guppies.

 

[SRC]

Well finally they are big enough to be seen properly on film. They are still itty bitty things though...not over an inch long, if that.

One has develped some very pretty coloration to it...I still think they are all girls though..as I've not seen anything "hanging" down that looks out of "place" .

2 are golden/tan colored the other is golden with some green/blue/black coloration pattern to it...it's real pretty.

The prettier one

The other 2

All together

They aren't "as" hostile towards each other..but the 2 golden ones still prefer to stay away from the pretty one ...maybe they are haters lol.

 

[Annastasia]

The two golden ones are definitely girls. However, it's hard to say on the pretty one...I would lean towards male though.

They are very nice though, SRC! Lovely coloring.