Unexpected Fry!!

[IovaykInD]

The female didn't even look pregnant enough to give birth. It's crazy I just can't believe it. I didn't even think she was big enough to get pregnant. Now all I found are two babies, but they are doing great. I am feeding them crushed flake food, it's just that they aren't eating it yet. Should I just wait to see if they will eat the flakes? Also, is there anything special that I should look for, any special tips that I could use?

Isaac

 

[paige]

congradtulations on the fry
they'll eat some flakes soon when they have just been born they tend to just sit on the floor for a couple of hours.
there is some special fry food you can get for them but i'm not sure what its called though (i dont use it i feed mine crushed flakes )
what kind of livbearer had the fry sorry you didnt mention who had them

 

[IovaykInD]

Oh yea..sorry, it's a guppy. I put them into a cup floating on top of the tank. There are holes in it, so there will be filtration in the cups as well. Should I be worried that they won't eat, or do fry usually get hungry really quickly.

Isaac

 

[paige]

no dont worry about them not eating at the minute as i said the first couple of hours they just sit on the bottom of the tank/cup/breeder net watever there in. how big are the holes?

 

[IovaykInD]

Too small for them to get out...just enough for them to get filtration. Any tips that I should get? I want each and every one to survive. And why are there only two of them? Shouldn't there be more, they may have been eaten.

Thanks,
Isaac

 

[paige]

yes they could of been eaten or if you have a well planted tank they could be hiding, even if you dont get anymore out of the tank if you tank has lots of plants in it they could still survive!!
good luck!!

 

[abstract]

keep in mind that when we say crushed flakes, we basically mean powdered flakes...you should crush them as tiny as possible until they are a powder or the fry COULD choke, but most likely just wouldn't be able to eat the food...you should be feeding them 3-5 times per day..

 

[Alisha]

First of all, congrats on the fry! Your fry will probably be alright, they are hardy little guys. I have 6 fry and I have a filter that could have sucked them up, dirty water, and have stayed in with the mom the whole time. And don't worry about them not eating right away, they will eat when they are hungry. And the only tip I really have for ya is to keep the water pretty warm like 80's. This helps them grow faster, I just think it's better for them. Good luck!

 

[IovaykInD]

Thanks for all the help. I hope I will find more fry in the meantime. Right now, they are about hmm...half a centimeter. Question: What size do they have to be before I put them back into the main tank?

Isaac

 

[Annastasia]

Too big to fit in the biggest fish's mouth.

Congrats on the fry! Try feeding them some fry food, and some very finely crushed up Live, Frozen, or Freeze-dried foods. Fry need some high protein foods too...and you wouldn't want to eat the exact same thing everyday, would you?

Anyhoo, there may only be two, but it's more likely some are hiding, or got eaten. I'd keep an eye out for some to appear, especially around feeding time. Also, if you want each and every one to survive, water changes. Lots of water changes...if you want them to be healthy and grow well, they need good water quality.

And congrats once again, have fun raising them!

 

[abstract]

Thanks for all the help. I hope I will find more fry in the meantime. Right now, they are about hmm...half a centimeter. Question: What size do they have to be before I put them back into the main tank?

Isaac

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a lot of us put our guppy fry in the main tank right away...in my experience it is pretty unlikely for the parents to eat the fry, especially guppies...

 

[IovaykInD]

Not in my case, I found the fry in there, because the guppies were chasing at them to eat them. I put them into a cup with holes in it for filtration, because my fry tank wasn't set up yet. I was just setting it up while I saw the fry in there. I have freeze-dried bloodworms. Would powdering that to give the fry a good protein supplement?

Isaac

 

[dwarfgourami]

Eating or not seems to depend entirely on the individual. When my female guppy gave birth, the other female was right behind licking her chops, and I never saw the fry again. I also suspect that she ate a fair few herself. This morning both guppies and both platies were giving chase. I have come to realise that the only way I can ever see any fry is if I assist as a midwife at the actual birth, net in hand.

 

[abstract]

well that is why it is recommended to have such things as java moss and plants in a livebearer tank...mine start chasing the fry right away too, because they think it is brine shrimp, or some sort of food...but then they ALWAYS realize it isn't food...and by then i'm sure a coupel of fry might have gotten eaten, but the rest instinctively head for the moss and close to plant leaves and, it is my opinion that the other guppies can't see them at ALL when they take this positioning

 

[IovaykInD]

There are only two fry in there, so I was wondering if they would be aggresive a bit. Would one fry be dominant and the other fry harrassed? Would I have to seperate them, or what?

Isaac