I'm wanting to start breeding guppies again. I have got a 20 gal. long, that i can set up with filter and heater and i might be abe to devided it to seperate males and females. And then for the breeding tank i have a 5 gal. I'f raise the guppies in that until about 4 weeks old and then seperate into the male or female side of the tank. Would this work. I'm not trying to get any particular strains. Just want to have fun. I do have 1 goal though and that would be getting long tailed female. Would that ^ be enough tanks. And how many males and females should i start out with? I was thinking 4 males and 6 females. They won't be together though.
Wanting To
- Thread starter Zafirah
- Start date
theotheragentm
Fish Herder
Long tanks are great. They're better than the standard shaped tanks. I would run your filter return the long way. If you use sand as a substrate, it will push all the waste to one end, making it easy to syphon out. I would use some kind of plastic grating rather than netting so the fish can't get through but the waste can flow to one end.
cheesy feet
Fish Aficionado
There is only a point in having no substrate if you are trying to pick up waste as soon as you see it and doing water changes daily (like when you breed Discus).Guppies however can have a substrate,and breed very well in a decorative aquarium.
theotheragentm
Fish Herder
Substrate is not necessary, but the benefit is that it provides surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow to handle the bioload. If you are going to keep up with water changes, it is not necessary. If you're not going to have substrate, an undergravel filter is actually not a bad idea. I normally don't recommend undergravel filters as they are a pain to clean when they clog up, but without substrate you don't have that problem.
Were you thinking of potted aquarium plants or plants with just their bottoms in the water? Choosing plants is relatively important. There are a lot of plants that will do well in low lighting and are easy to maintain. Others take a lot of care, fertilizer, and possibly CO2.
Were you thinking of potted aquarium plants or plants with just their bottoms in the water? Choosing plants is relatively important. There are a lot of plants that will do well in low lighting and are easy to maintain. Others take a lot of care, fertilizer, and possibly CO2.
I would go with the bare bottom tank, very few breeders bother with any substrate unless it's necessary for that particular species to breed. It's nothing but a filth collector, and takes up space that could be used for stocking more fish. It holds more dirt than nitrifying bacteria.
Plenty of breeders have bare bottom tanks with a few potted plants, these are easy to move around to clean, and offer the benefits of live plants without the liabilities associated with gravel or other substrates. You don't have to do water changes daily with a bare tank, most all my tanks are bare and only fry tanks get water changes daily. A friend of mine is currently breeding guppys, in bare tanks with potted plants. He has over 500 atm, running 25 or 30 tanks last time I was there.
You can't run ugf without gravel, without the gravel it's just some plastic plates with water moving past. It would be no different than running any other filter with no media.
Plenty of breeders have bare bottom tanks with a few potted plants, these are easy to move around to clean, and offer the benefits of live plants without the liabilities associated with gravel or other substrates. You don't have to do water changes daily with a bare tank, most all my tanks are bare and only fry tanks get water changes daily. A friend of mine is currently breeding guppys, in bare tanks with potted plants. He has over 500 atm, running 25 or 30 tanks last time I was there.
You can't run ugf without gravel, without the gravel it's just some plastic plates with water moving past. It would be no different than running any other filter with no media.
iairj84
Fishaholic
I keep my breeder tank substrate free. It just adds to the trouble of cleaning. I do however have marbles in half of it to give the fry someplaces to hide and I actually find that fry love upturned plant pots with a couple rocks to weight them down. They only fit in them for the first month or so but after that they wont try to get in them.. during that time though it gives them a little refuge.
cheesy feet
Fish Aficionado
Looks cool.You could try some riccia for a floaing plant,it's supposed to grow really fast 
As for potted plants i would go with some crypts & swords 
As for potted plants i would go with some crypts & swords 
slipperysucker
Fish Fanatic
Hi! Im also breeding gups...I just started out about 6 months back and now I have a custom made 73 litre long tank. I just keep a breeding net to place babies that survive in the main tank...they get raised in that then are transfered back to main. I just have mixed female and males in the main...and make it survival of the fittest...then i know my fry are strong. I have had disease probs though from gups purchased from mlfs so when starting out make sure you have quality stock. Also I would have 3 females to 1 male. This gives the females a break from being chased constantly. I have found with plenty of java ferns and plants, hiding holes etc...The baby has places to hide until you see them and transfer into breeding net. I have many teenage gups i have raised one is a blue tuxedo male...he is about 4 months old now. Hes my fav. I also have many different age fry in net. But due to Columnaris bacteria ive had to treat tank. All my water stats are perfect, I have tested last couple of days, as I own a water chem test kit.
I just find it easier than having seperate tanks...if you just want to have a bit of fun with the hobby there is no need to go so big...that just creates more tanks to deal with...very costly indeed. Im about to set up a qaurentine tank for any new fish purchased in the future. It is only 1ft so easy to maintain...I plan to purchase 20 gups and quarentine them and treat if ness, what ever survive will go into main tank and no more gups will be purchased...this will be my breeding stock as welkl as any fry that grow into teens. I will choose the best colours then sell rest to lfs. I know by doing this disease is kept to minimal and I will also have virgin fry i can seperate into quarentine tank which will become mating tank...for breeding strains.
I know your probably already into this too far to go back...Im not saying to...I would go bigger if I had the space and Money. Just thought I would share some of my experiences....read some more of my posts if you want to share my ongoing battle with disease in guppies...and desperate measures ive taken to fix it. Im almost at a close with it i think...well i hope anyway.
Cheers, cathy
P.s. I look forward to hearing about your progress with breeding.
heres a pic of my tank.
I just find it easier than having seperate tanks...if you just want to have a bit of fun with the hobby there is no need to go so big...that just creates more tanks to deal with...very costly indeed. Im about to set up a qaurentine tank for any new fish purchased in the future. It is only 1ft so easy to maintain...I plan to purchase 20 gups and quarentine them and treat if ness, what ever survive will go into main tank and no more gups will be purchased...this will be my breeding stock as welkl as any fry that grow into teens. I will choose the best colours then sell rest to lfs. I know by doing this disease is kept to minimal and I will also have virgin fry i can seperate into quarentine tank which will become mating tank...for breeding strains.
I know your probably already into this too far to go back...Im not saying to...I would go bigger if I had the space and Money. Just thought I would share some of my experiences....read some more of my posts if you want to share my ongoing battle with disease in guppies...and desperate measures ive taken to fix it. Im almost at a close with it i think...well i hope anyway.
Cheers, cathy
P.s. I look forward to hearing about your progress with breeding.
heres a pic of my tank.
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