is she pregnant or FAT?! No Gravid Spot

[itiwhetu]

What do you mean? Can you elaborate

I am replying to Rocky not you. Keep on doing what you are doing.

 

[justqu3]

I am replying to Rocky not you. Keep on doing what you are doing.

Ooooh hahaha I was so confused for a moment. Sorry! I am new to this forum thing.

 

[itiwhetu]

Ooooh hahaha I was so confused for a moment. Sorry! I am new to this forum thing.

All good. I don't like breeder boxes and think the fish are better just left alone in the main tank

 

[justqu3]

All good. I don't like breeder boxes and think the fish are better just left alone in the main tank

Honestly, that’s how I feel… my “Big Momma” gave birth in the main tank and all of the fry survived and are not interacting with the bigger guppies. I just wanted to try something different with the yellow one, until I get the other tank ready. But I just don’t think she’s pregnant. It’s weird. She has no gravid spot

 

[kiko]

she is def carrying....endlers look pretty much the same and if you leave her in the main tank you will only have 1 maybe 2 fry VS having 15-20 in the box...
I usually just leave mine in the box with some java moss as I currently have her...

and if you look around the box you will still see males trying to follow her..and if she's in the tank you'll see them following her from behind as if they want to go inside her and eat the fry
so yeah...just ler her be in the box until she craps them out and then leave the fry in there for around a month before putting them into the tank

 

[itiwhetu]

I understand what you are saying, I would just let her swim free and see what happens. I don't know that she will give birth, but her best chances are in open water.

 

[Essjay]

I'm with itiwhetu and connorlindeman on this. Those breeder boxes are so small they are stressful to a pregnant female. If she must be isolated it needs to be in another tank (and the female left there for around a week after giving birth)
If there's only one tank the best way is to have lots of plants in the tank so the fish have somewhere to hide then once the fry are born move them to the breeder box.

 

[Rocky998]

What do you mean? Can you elaborate

He was talking to me... I haven't kept live bearers but I do keep egg layers.
But what I have said is true and I don't know why @itiwhetu disagrees. I'm speaking from what I've seen happen to others and stories I've heard where the mother fish is pregnant and then gets bullied to the point she dies.

 

[Rocky998]

Honestly, that’s how I feel… my “Big Momma” gave birth in the main tank and all of the fry survived and are not interacting with the bigger guppies. I just wanted to try something different with the yellow one, until I get the other tank ready. But I just don’t think she’s pregnant. It’s weird. She has no gravid spot

Wait... Did she or did she not give birth? You ended it kinda weird by saying you don't think she is pregnant. Or are you speaking of another fish?

 

[connorlindeman]

But what I have said is true and I don't know why @itiwhetu disagrees. I'm speaking from what I've seen happen to others and stories I've heard where the mother fish is pregnant and then gets bullied to the point she dies.

The might happen at times, but the majority of the time the mother is fine. Under no circumstances would I put a pregnant fish in a breeder box.

 

[Rocky998]

I'm with itiwhetu and connorlindeman on this. Those breeder boxes are so small they are stressful to a pregnant female. If she must be isolated it needs to be in another tank (and the female left there for around a week after giving birth)
If there's only one tank the best way is to have lots of plants in the tank so the fish have somewhere to hide then once the fry are born move them to the breeder box.

While I do see the point being made, I wouldn't be as concerned about the breeder box as I would be about other fish in the tank being a nuisance.
I just feel the risk factor of something happening is high is all...

 

[emeraldking]

I myself am not a breeder box fan as well. But that's just because there's not that much space in there if a female has to stay in there for long. But I also have to be honest that back in the 1970's and 1980's, almost everyone used such breeder boxes for those pregnant livebearers. That was quite normal for that spirit of age. We were not any different and used those breeder boxes. And believe it or not, in general, everything went well with those females and fry. So, I'm gonna say that it's not instantly stressful for such a female. But if someone chooses to use such a breeder box, I'd recommend to let her stay in there for not a long time.

I just wanted to put this out here for I do get the feeling that people tend to say that it's too much stressful for a female livebearer to put her in such a breeder box, just because they've read it almost everywhere. And live with the copy of that story. And not really saying this by long time experience. But again, my own reason why not to use a breeder box is just the small sized environment for a longer period of time. And specifically when you use a divider and put two females in there. But again, we did that a couple of decades ago as being a normal thing to do. People of my age and older will recognize this for sure...

 

[emeraldking]

Que here! So I started my fish dad journey again three weeks ago and one of my females gave birth on July 3, 2022, to 9 little fry. Well, I noticed my yellow guppy is huge all of a sudden (Or maybe I just never paid any close attention) I am not sure if she is pregnant or just fat because I do not see her gravid spot. To be on the safe side I have placed her in a floating nursery container.

Attached is a photo of her tell me what you guys think. … (that’s “big momma” in the back- she have birth to the divine nine & that’s “Shy” beside her… who is pregnant as well. That’s “Blue”…the male; he’s been stalking “Big Momma” nonstop since she gave birth.)

(Disclaimer: I give my guppies brine shrimp three times a week)

Although, this guppy looks phenotypically a female... I do doubt wether it is a real female. Yes, the anal fin is V-shaped but no gravid spot is to be seen which is unnatural for a female guppy. There are males that grow up large but look phenotypically female and won't develop a gonopodium or just a semi developed gonopodium. Most of the time those are XX males instead of XY.
Yes, the belly is large but that could also be bloat, an internal swim bladder problem or even worms.

But give it some time and see what happens...

 

[Essjay]

I think the temptation is to put a female in a box as soon as a pregnancy is suspected and she can spend days if not weeks in there.
I had endlers many years ago and I too used those boxes for a while until I made my own from craft mesh inside a 25 litre tank with silk plants (before I got into live plants). When the female gave birth the fry swam through the mesh, then I removed her and the box and left the fry in the tank.

 

[justqu3]

Wait... Did she or did she not give birth? You ended it kinda weird by saying you don't think she is pregnant. Or are you speaking of another fish?

Lol she has not given birth… she went from thin to super big in like 7 days, I’m thinking it’s because of the food & because I don’t see a gravid spot. But I also think she’s pregnant. I’m keeping an eye on her