Is She Pregnant?

[les_251181]

Recent addition to the Guppy tank look bigger than the others. She has a very dark patch near her back end (i'm sure theres a more technical term!) have had a good look, it's not markings on the outside, but looks more like a cluster of black ball like things - could this be the fry?

if it is and she is pregnant, it's not from one of my males, but will be interesting to see what she has in her fry.

two of the other females have smaller black clusters.

and one female who a male was bothering the other day has a orange/pink mass at her back end that wasn't there before.

...should i be preparing to be a guppy mammy?!

heres hoping!

 

[lilfishie]

she does sound pregnant and the black clusters are the gravid spot, most females have them even when not pregnant, but it will get bigger as the fry develope

 

[les_251181]

her back end is pretty much black, and the other fish are chasing her a bit. should i put her in the fry net now? just in case she drops soon?

i wasn't sure if i would be putting her in too early at this stage, and i didn't want her to get stressed.

she is darting round the tank now and then.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

It is more likely that she is pregnant than not...... Seldom you find a female live bearer that is not pregnant at any stage of her life..

The orange/pink mass you describe, means that she had just given birth (within the past 24 hrs) which you had not noticed) The black clusters you're talking about, are the eyes of the fry developing within the female. They do not give live birth, but the eggs merely develop within them and they release them when the time is ripe....... On average (after 1 impregnation) a female - releases fry about 4 times at approximately 26 - 30 day intervals (depending on the temperature).

 

[les_251181]

so with the mass being so black, should i seperate her now?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

so with the mass being so black, should i seperate her now?

Only if you have a lot of (other) fish in the tank and not enough floating plants - or other hiding space for the fry.... BUT,!!! if you're gonna remove her for the delivery purposes, yes... rather sooner before delivery than at due date. They tend to deliver undeveloped fry or even still born if moved too close to due date..... There is a rule of thumb that pictures can show, which I do not have access to at the mo, so someone, post a pic of a female ready to deliver. (it bassically comes down to a 90 degree angle directly behind the gills to the stomach area)

 

[les_251181]

have moved big blue to the fry net.

am watching another female, little blue. her gravid spot is dark too, but no where near the size of big blues. but have spotted her lurking at the bottom of the tank today under a plant. unsure what to do with her.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

have moved big blue to the fry net.

am watching another female, little blue. her gravid spot is dark too, but no where near the size of big blues. but have spotted her lurking at the bottom of the tank today under a plant. unsure what to do with her.

I Personally have never been in favour of breeding nets for the average live bearer (except for mosquito fish) & would prefer the regular breeding trap if I have no spare breeding tank to put her in....

 

[les_251181]

have ordered a breeding trap online, but am waiting for it to arrive. until then, the fry net was the best option to stop the harrassment from the other fish.