FishProfiles.com Message Forums

help. My supposedly male guppy died this morning. When I pulled her out of the tank I noticed this wiggling thing on her underside. I guess I squeezed a little and out popped about 15 babies. They don't move much. Only 2 swim a lot. I have some liquifry No.2 and they are in a big cup with an airstone. What do I need to do. I want to keep them alive if possible. I have a 2.5 gallon tank with a very strong filter and I have a gallon tank with an airstone. should I buy something to put them in? HELP!!! My gupies were supposed to be guys I was not prepared for this!!!

Well I put them in my 2.5 gallon with an air stone. I counted twelve babies. 6 dead 6 alive. They are very small. I have fed them the liquifry #2. I do not know what else to do. They are by themselves. I am going to try to find a sponge filter when I have some money. How often should I change the water. I have a little hand made siphon that I use to clean the poop out of the betta bowls. Is it a good way to get rid of the waste in the guppy tank without having to risk scooping out the guppies? My pregnant guppy looked like a guy when I got her. Her little bottom fin was very close to her body. I bought another guppy with her and it was also supposedly a boy (the guy said he coul tell them apart) is also pregnant now. I am hoping that she and the guppy fry will live. I had 6 guppies
(3old and 3 new) I have only one left.

Ok hun...
Sometimes females will die in childbirth, I'm sorry to tell you this, and I do know your painas I to have lost females in and just after childbirth
Now let's get down to the instance of caring for the fry that are remaining.

What size of tank did you have the mother in? Is it well planted? Are all your water perimeters in proper order? Is your tanks temperature stable? If so, I would take them and float them back in this tank. And release them in among the plants. Don't worry if they are swimming perfectly well, my fry usually just dart for the first few days...Since you already have the liquid fry #2 you can keep feeding in that area of the tank. Amazingly they will survive quite well.. If you said no to the perimeters and temp..and can keep the temp in the 2.5 constant keep them there. And as said keep feeding them...you can also feed them on whaat you feed your other guppies, just place the food in a ziplock baggy, and crush it to a powder, then sprinkle a little at each feeding...

Now for your upcoming pregnant guppy, raise the temp on the tank in the next few days (Wednesday or so) but only a couple of degrees. If your tank is 76 up it to 78...If it's already say 82/84 or more don't raise it. Just be patient, and she will be fine.

Now if you decide to keep the fry in the 2.5 gallon, the mini siphon you have created should do fine...no gravel though...I'd do like a 20% water change each day...keep track of the water changes, if they decline, increase the amount, but I wouldn't go more than 50%, and definately make sure the water is the same water temperature, etc.

Oh and make sure the 2.5 has some plants in it and your other tank. I like Anacharis and Java Moss myself, easy to care for, and fry can hide in it. If the other tank is planted it is possible that you may have some fry in that tank, you just have to look very, very closely to find them.

I wish you the best of luck, and let me know...

For future reference here are some pictures to show you the difference between males and females...

female


male


Also to just show you how hard it can be to see fry among plants, see if you can find 3 in this picture...and yes this is a close up in the plants...


Best of luck, heidi[/font][/font][/font]

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Well I now have 11 seemingly healthy guppy fry and 1 lonely mommy guppy. The 2.5 gallon is all that I can afford right now but when I get home this weekend I am trading my 5 gallon with a woman for her 20 gallon. I am putting all my other fish in it and bringing my 10 gallon to college to take care of my baby guppies. It has a heater, some gravel, I am buying new plants(recommendations on types, brands welcome)and getting some higher quality fish flakes if money allows. I have the mommy in a 1 gallon by her self til the babies are big enough that I can tell them apart. Which ever I have the most of (m/f) goes in the 10 and the others go in the 2 til i can get a better set up or sell some. I think that the pet store will take them even if not on credit or something. I am going to try and get everything set up by sunday. Any one know what I can do with two of my bettas. one is supposed to be white but he turned pink when I fed him my betta food. The other is yellow. Do you think there is a way to send him back to the pet store. I just don't have room anymore.

Ok let's see if I can tell you everything I know about raising guppy fry

My favorite plants to use in general are Anacharis, and Java Moss. Both are basically fool proof (I have a brown thumb and they survive wonderfully). I left a small chunk in my 10 gallon at school by accident and it has flourished again...Java Moss though can be quite hard to find. You really just have to look at your LFS's and if you see this green mossy clump that isn't solid, as them for it...it is usually java moss. I also like to have Anacharis in my tanks. Again this is almost impossible to kill...When I first began I would plant one of the front corners of the given tank with this...depending on the size of the tank, for a 10 gallon 1-2 good size bunches will be enough. For a 29 I'd go for 3-5...I'd plant this one corner really well with Anacharis...if the plant is too long don't worry, just snap it in half or thirds (I've been lucky to get really long sections of it ) and plant them too. This is one of those that will grow from snippens of itself. Then after planting this area, I'd leave some of the Anacharis floating. I find that my newborn fry like to hide in the floating bits, they really don't seem to swim too well in my opinion in this first couple of days more of darting at this point. The floating plants are where the food can get caught, the fry can get to, and the adults won't bother. After about 2-3 days you will notice that the fry aren't just hanging out in the floating plant, but are getting a bit gutsy and swimming along the sides and bottom...don't worry they are FINE!!! By the end of the second week they will be swimming out in the open, and from my experience very seldom get eaten

OK what to feed these little newborns. You can always go out and spend $4-5 on fry food or make your own from what you have, I tend to make my own, it's easy...Take an empty ziplock bag and put some of the food you feed your other fish in it. I tend to use TetraFlakes (yellow and brown can), and some dried blood worms, and whatever else I have on hand, it's up to you, sometimes it's just the flakes that they get. Anyways take a couple of tbs of flakes, and some of everything else, if you choose, put them in the ziplock, seal the ziplock without air....and grind it between your palms, fingers, hands, whatever floats your boat...it will become a fine powdery substance...then Viola you have fry food...I tend to feed everyone from this. You can keep it in a bag, or put it in an empty fish food container...a little bit will go a long ways, and it tends to float quite well...

I'd be willing to say by the end of the first month they will have doubled their size. At about 4-5 months they can start breeding (sometimes it is more 6 months) The males tend to "develop their colors and tails" at about 3-4 months. This will happen quickly...You will go to bed one night, then the next morning they have a bright colorful tail...

I think that's it for now...oh make sure you keep up with your water changes, just be careful...the cleaner the water (but don't send it into a cycle!) and the more room, the faster they will grow, and the healthier they will be...Let me know if there is anything else...I'm here to help, and let me know how they are doing....

Heidi


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Hun, that sounds like a good idea, trade the 5 for a 20...remember you are going to have to cycle the 10 and the 20 unless you can save the filter media...Since you don't have room for the bettas have you thought about getting some nice bowls, Wal-Mart has some nice ones for a reasonable prices in the crafts department...or even a 1 gallon tank they are small...if worse comes to worse you should be able to sale them back for credit, but I know how hard that can be...I hope these two posts have helped...just let us know...Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

your posts have been great. There is so much information out there that it makes finding good working answers. So many people are just trying to sell stuff. Thanks. There are still 11. hoping to keep it that way.

Last edited by jefferysgirl at 26-Jan-2005 11:15

I've forgotten at this point, how many days old are they?

I usually figure that if they make it the first week-two weeks they've pretty much got it made, unless something tragic hits . Just keep counting, they'll probably do just fine...oh and I forgot I feed my fish twice a day. Just a dab will do, stick your finger in the food, and whatever comes off is more than enough, then dust into tank...have fun, Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

they were a week old on saturday. they are growing so fast. they chase each other around the tank. It is so cute. I was afraid that they wouldn't make it through the power outages but they all have. I have put them in a 10 gallon tank. I am buying the rest of the plants today if the weather clears up. There is so much rain and ice down here!!! I love these little guys!!

M. I'm so happy that you are enjoying them. And to think that you didn't really want fry, when you bought the guppies ;%) I'm sure your 10 gallon is beginning to look something like my 29, an ant bed that has been stirred up Remember at the beginning how hard it was to see them? Now I don't even have to have my glasses on and be on top of the fish tank...swarming is the best description for me now...I'm sure the same goes for you also, if not soon it will be:%) Just thought I'd say hi, and I'm sure they are loving all the room you've given them now. Heidi

[/font]

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle