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I bought a guppy pair a some time ago, shortly after the male died for unknown reasons. I moved the female into another tank where she and one of her fry I managed to save were the only guppies.

Until last week, when I first added a single male, then a M/F pair.

These are the only guppies I've ever kept. This female has always looked big to me, almost as if she were pregnant. Literally months went by though where she had no contact with a male.

This is what she looks like today. She's active and eating, doesn't show any signs of illness. Does she look normal or should I be concerned?
Theresa_M attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/391142.jpg"]

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

She sure looks like she's about to have a shlew of fry, that's for sure! I would say any day now...

She looks very very pregnant to me. Female guppies can store sperm and give birth something like six times after her last contact with a male. Species survival and all that.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Any day now, any day... However, sometimes fish can get "egg bound", and if she starts to have problems, the question is, what to do? Honestly, I'm not sure, but at one time I read something about adding a little epsom salt to their water. Anyone have an opinion on that idea?

Well it looks like fry may be on the way...now she's hanging out in the back corner of the tank near the heater.

I knew they could store sperm but I didn't know for how long. It'll be interesting to see why these fry look like, if I manage to save any.

She was purchased as a metallic blue guppy pair, but since they were in a tank of every color imaginable I had no idea who the father of her first fry was. It was exciting that it turned out to be a mirror image of her.

Now I'm getting excited

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I would also try turning up the heat to about 80-82 degrees, when they are "that" fat, this usually sends them right into labor...

Thanks, I didn't know that.

The tank had spread out floating plants but I grouped them all together at one end, hopefully I'll be able to save a few fry.

Would lights on or off make a difference? I'm so impatient I work odd hours, got home at 9am today and really should be sleeping but I keep checking the tank for any activity

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

All of my guppies have given birth early in the morning. I wake up around 6:30 and they are there. The last time though when I left for work at about 8am she had only had 5 fry and by the time I came home there were 50+. I guess it just depends on the guppy. The "turn up the heat" trick never fails. Good luck!

Edit: BTW, this was the second time for her to have fry with out a male present. She is already starting to get "plump" so I figure she is pregnant again...

[span class="edited"][Edited by Phone'sMate 2004-07-07 12:00][/span]

For my guppy's first drop, I woke up to one fry in the tank and pretty much stared in fascination until I simply HAD to go to work. I came back to eight fry. (This was her first drop.) I'd say that like any animal, she'll have her fry at the most incovenient time... most likely when you're not their to watch.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~