Overripe Guppy? - 04/27/2006
Hi Friends,
<Hi, Paige>
I spent several hours today online, looking for an answer, but alas, none to be found. So I turn to you.
<I hope we can help.>
2 days ago I noticed that my pregnant guppy had given birth. I only found 1 baby, so I assumed she wasn't done.  Since then, it has been 2 days and I have seen no more fry. She continues to grow. She is so huge I think she will burst before too long. I have never seen a pregnant guppy so big.  Since delivering the 1 baby 2 days ago, she has had a thin white thread hanging from her,
<Uh-oh>
and her anal area is protruding so much, so swollen, and bright pink.
<Oh dear....>
It is huge and looks almost like it is ready to turn inside out, it is so distended.  Even though her belly is so huge, her anal area protrudes out from that even.
<Very disconcerting....>
I will be amazed if she lives till morning, with how huge she is. I added aquarium salt to her tank today. She isn't eating and isn't swimming around. She is in the tank with one other pregnant guppy. My husband said tonight, "maybe she will just burst and will come a bunch of babies" Oh dear. Can you give me any advice?
<Some, yes....  I would urgently (like, NOW) add some Epsom salt (Magnesium sulfate) to the tank at a tablespoon per five gallons.  This may help her pass the fry; I fear she may have gotten a blockage....  I doubt the remaining fry are still alive....  but hopefully you can help her out.  Make sure your water quality is pristine (zero ammonia and nitrite, less than 20ppm nitrate), well aerated, and keep your fingers crossed.>
Thank you so much for your time,  -Paige
<Am glad to be of service; I hope for the best for her.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Guppy fry   4/28/06
I know nothing about guppies other than they are pretty and my kids enjoy having fish.
     I woke up this morning to 16 little delta guppies.... I know from tanks I had when I was little that the mother, etc could eat them. I took the adults out of the tank and kept the fry in there.
     Is there anything's special I should do...
  How long do I wait to add the others back in so they are all together?? Do the fry need there mom to strive ???
   <... a few weeks to grow more than mouth size and no>
  How many days does it take the fish to become bigger ??
   <Bigger all the time...>
  Thanks
     Trying to get educated unexpectedly.
   <Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/guppyreprofaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>   
  Stormie Munoz

Two Pregnant Guppies! Too little knowledge, planning!   4/18/06
Hi!  I went to the pet store yesterday and I got a 3g tank, live plants, one male guppy, and two females (This is the first time I've owned guppies, by the way).  I had an employee of the pet store advise me the whole way, to tell me what would be best, etc... So, thinking the woman at the pet store was right, I went home and set it all up
<The tank? Needs to be up, cycled... generally for days to weeks ahead of time>
and the guppies are fine right now.  The problem is, both females are pregnant and the woman at the pet store didn't say anything about the birthing of the babies:  how to prepare, how to take care of them...  So, I've been looking around on the web and I'm getting more and more stressed out because all the sites tell me different things to do and stuff.
<Keep reading... the facts will surface>
We called the pet store and they told us to put the male in another tank and, when the fry hatch, to get a 10g tank!  This is horrible because we don't have the space, nor the money for that kind-of thing.  I'm a little overwhelmed because I've spent too much money already but I want to do what's best for the fry.  
<... next time... preparation... living things...>
One of the females looks like she's about to have her baby very soon, she's still eating but she's very big and her gravid spot is pretty much black, so I've set up a separate bare-bottomed breeding tank, with two sections:  one for the mom, one for the fry.  I haven't put her in it yet, but I'm expecting to soon.  After she has her babies, should I put her back in the main tank? And then do the same with the second female?
<... posted on WWM>
Then, I was planning on keeping the fry in the separate tank until they mature (around one week?) and then give the females to the pet store and maybe some unwanted males... Because I wanted to end up with 5-7 males in my 3g tank. Is that a good number? Could there be more/should there be less? I don't think I want to keep any females, because now I know more about them and I don't want to keep getting batches of fry. But, if I do decide I want to keep one, would she be OK in the tank with all those males? Would the males fight over her?
Thanks so much for your help! :)
Summer
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/guppyreprofaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts here to learning enough to keep this system and its life going. You are learning some important lessons... mark them well. Bob Fenner>

Male Guppy and Tankmates - 05/16/2006
Hi, Summer again.
<Hello, Bob the Fishman here as well>
Well, I think at least one of my female guppies had her babies a while ago.  I (and the pet store) think the male guppy ate the babies in the middle of the night or while I was gone during the day.
<Can/does happen>
That's kind-of okay because I'm not necessarily breeding guppies but about a day after, the male's tail got pointed and he couldn't swim very easily.  Then the next morning he had died!  It was so weird.. And I've been trying to look it up but I can't find anything because there wasn't any fungus or anything! The employee at the pet store said he got sick from eating the babies. But I doubt that...  Both females have done fine and haven't had any problems.  Any comments?
<Do take a look on the Net, your books re "Columnaris"... a seasonal (this time of year) complaint of many guppies, Gouramis...>
One more thing, a couple days ago I got two small neon fish to be tankmates with my guppies.  They seemed fine but then suddenly died!  I don't understand any of this because the females never have any problems!  Our pet store isn't much help.
<Mmm, well, Neon Tetras aren't all that "tough"... it might be that your water quality didn't suit this one fish...>
Summer
(P.S. My other (younger) female just had two babies yesterday! :) They are fine.)
<Bob Fenner, who has friends who have a delightful young daughter named Summer as well>

Guppy Gestation Period    4/14/06
I need to know how many days it takes for a fancy guppy's gestation?
<Found on the Wet Web my friend.  Please do not send questions when answers are available.  James (Salty Dog)>

Baby Guppies, Hungry Mollies - 04/05/2006
Hi!  First of all, I would like to say what a great site this is for about everything I need!  
<Thank you very much for these kind words.>
I'm a starting aquarist with a non-planted, 20-gallon tank.  I bought 4 Dalmatian Mollies and 2 Female Guppies to start with, since I thought they appeared to be pretty sturdy, yet aesthetically pleasing fish.  I later found out that both of my guppies were pregnant, and both gave birth not long after.  
<Not surprising!>
My parents, being aquarium veterans, went out immediately to purchase a net breeder for my 25 guppy fry.  They've grown to about double their original length, and I know that they should probably do well in the tank with the now 7 Dalmatian Mollies, but I have conducted a couple experiments to test my theory, using some of my more agile fry.  Each time the mollies see my fry they try to eat them!!
<They're tasty.  If they're small enough to eat, they'll be gone after greedily unless the tank has ample cover for the fry.  Might want to start thinking about plants.>
The whole group is getting a little too large for the tiny breeder, and I'm beginning to worry that I may end up with 25 full-grown guppies in a breeder.  Their mothers are now dead (ammonia spike X( ), though I did buy 2 male guppies recently.  The males and the mollies get along splendidly, but I need to know if I can safely release my little babies!   
<I would add a hearty amount of java moss to cover a good portion of the tank, maybe some floating, fine-leaved plants like Riccia - if there is ample cover for them, many of them will survive without ever having to use a breeder net.  Some might get picked off, but more than likely you'll have a good number survive, again IF there is ample cover for them.>
(P.S.  I'm in the process of acquiring a couple more fish.  Any suggestions?)
<I'd hold off on any additions unless/until you figure out what you wish to do with your overage of growing fry.  Aside from that, Corydoras catfish or smaller/less aggressive Botia (like B. striata) would be great additions for activity, personality, and janitorial duties.>
Thanks!
<Good luck with your fry, I'm sure there will be many more in your future!  -Sabrina>

Sexing Guppy Fry 07.04.05
Hi,
I have successfully raised a batch of guppy fry to the age of 6 weeks.  I
was wondering at what age should I be able to tell the sex because as of now
I am thinking I have all females. I understand what  a gonopodium looks
like and the differences between the sexes, I am confused because I have
read that I should see them developing by 4-6 weeks, is that accurate? (All
the conditions are within the normal ranges)  I was also wondering at what
age would be able to mate/ become pregnant?  I would very much appreciate
any info/advice.
<The males anal fin should be pointier than the females, the females should also have a gravid spot below the tail where the fry will come out.  The females will be able to get pregnant at around 3 months old. -Gage>

Guppy Pregnant?
Hello-
<Saludo!>
I have a five gallon tank with 3 female and 4 male guppies in it.  I have a
female guppy who is excreting a long, clear string like substance from here
anus.  She doesn't seem to want to eat anything---she kind of looks like she
is attempting to, but isn't getting anything.  Her abdomen is somewhat
swollen and is clear and you can see some red in it.  She swims around at
the top of the tank and doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with the
other fish.  Is this a disease or is she pregnant?  Thanks!
Heather Veldman
<More likely a disease... you don't mention how long you've had these fish, what sort of filtration, water quality, foods/feeding... Please see WWM re keeping this species. Bob Fenner>

Guppies Dying During "Child" Birth
Hi there, I have had a look but couldn't see anything which answered the question.  I've got a 160l community tank, of which some of the populace are mixed male and female guppies.  Guppies being guppies we are getting quite a lot of fry being pumped out.  However, we have found that without fail, every single guppy that has given birth has died at or just after giving birth.  Now we are getting really worried because Sprat, the first fry to make it to adulthood is pregnant and we don't want her to go the same way as her mum and her aunts.
Any advice you could offer?  We don't use any feeding nets or anything like that, we've just got a load of plastic plants and we let nature take it's course.
Thanks,
Andy.
<Two things to try. First make sure you are feeding a mix of high quality foods. It takes a lot of energy to make babies. Also be sure she is not being picked on by the other fish. She will be weakened after giving birth and unable to defend herself or flee. Male guppies are very aggressive breeders, especially towards females that have just given birth. Don>

I Have Floaties in my Tank!
Hello all... I have 3 freshwater aquariums... one 30 gallon tank and 2 10 gallon tanks. We decided to try guppies about 4 months ago after having just goldfish in the larger tank for about 4 years. We started with just a few guppies in the larger tank but could not seem to get any to live. We then started the 2 smaller aquariums as well and then added baby guppies into all three tanks from my mom's aquariums. These fish (unlike all from the pet store) have survived very well. A few days ago, I started noticing small floating things in one of the tanks. I didn't think much of it at the time. At the same time I noticed a couple of pregnant females. 
I set about isolating these females. I then removed all of the other adult fish from this small tank and moved them to the other tanks to make room to put all of the baby fish into this small tank. I again noticed all of the small floating things. They are small tannish white specks that are either truly moving or my eyes playing tricks. I have no idea what these are, they are no bigger than the tip of a pencil and there seemed to be hundreds of them in this tank. 
We took all the fish out of this tank and completely cleaned and reset it up. There are no fish in it for now until a few days have passed. My question is.. What could these small floating specks be and how did they multiply like that? Should I worry about my other tanks as I see now there are just a few in either of those, probably from moving the other fish around? Any help would be appreciated.
<The small specks could be a number of "little life forms"... You've likely heard the term "infusoria"... there are many organisms that are labeled as such collectively. It is unlikely that the initial problems you had with store-bought guppies were/are related to this wee-life... But instead the quality of imported livebearers... is dismal... More the reason, rationale for our encouraging folks to "share the wealth"... for local breeders to sell, disperse their excess to other hobbyists. Bob Fenner> 

Small Guppy Spawn
Hi my name is Emma. My fancy guppy just had babies last night but she only had 6 and 2 already died. I read that guppies usually have 20-40 babies so I think this is unusual. I don't think she will have any more because it's been about a day since. She still has a gravid spot but it isn't as big and her stomach isn't that big any more so I don't know. My tank is only 2 gallons so I can't put the four babies in a net so I put them in a little container with warm water and a plant next to my other tank. I still have the female in a separate aquarium because I'm not sure if she is going to have anymore babies. Thank you very much. Email me back as soon as possible.
<Congratulations on the Guppy fry! It's not unusual to get a small spawn, not a worry. A lot depends on her age and size and how good a condition she is in. After 24 hours I would think she's done. Seems you have two tanks. I would free one up for the fry if possible. It's important they have room to swim and grow. Don> 

Guppy fry
3 days ago I found a guppy fry trapped in the filter of my BiOrb aquarium.  Now safely in a breeder tank how can I stop this happening again?
<Screen the intake of the filter intake/s>
Also do you think there was any more fry or maybe they were eaten for lunch? The mother guppy is still very plump.
<Maybe... but guppies do "drop" their young sometimes over days. Bob Fenner>

2-Way Breeder
Hey there WWM Crew!
My Guppy female is about to give birth to her fry, and I switched her over to a Breeder net. She seems to not like it very much, as she's constantly trying to find a way out. I'm worried this will stress her to much and disrupt the pregnancy.
<You are wise here>
In my 10-gal I have 4 platy, and along with the pregnant female, 2 more guppies 1 female, the other male (They pretty much will grab anything that's floating around in the tank). Should I give the female her wish and let her out of the breeder putting the fry at risk or should I ignore her attempts and trying to get out of the breeder and risk pregnancy problems?
<I do think it would be better to risk some of the young being eaten, have the female in your main tank, and provide live plant or faux "breeding grass" instead for the young to hide in. Bob Fenner>
Thanks, KhooX 

Guppy Births
Hi Bob, or to whom it may concern. It's Louis, I wanted to know how long does it take for a female guppy to fully grow the babies in her stomach, and when do I know if she's going to have the fry?
Louis E
<A female Guppy can give birth every four to six weeks. But that time can vary greatly. Watch for the dark spot on her underside to darken as she gets ready to drop. Don>

How pregnant is pregnant?
Hi,
I recently bought four guppies, three of which are pregnant. I have little knowledge of guppies and just need to know a couple of things. When should I separate the moms-to-be?
<A week or more before parturition... when the vent area becomes clearer... the babies eyes visible>
I bought them pregnant but have no idea how far along they are. So I am a little confused on when I should put them into the birthing net. I have read that you shouldn't leave them in the net for more than a couple of days. Yet, I really feel uncomfortable with the thought that she would deliver with all the other fish " looking for something to eat ". There is one female in particular that looks "almost" ready. She is fairly large, but not huge. Her gravid spot is dark but not "black". I am just confused on when to do what. I really appreciate all the help you could give. Thank you very much.
A Hopeful Mom
<You'll do fine. Bob Fenner>

How do I sex my Balloon Belly Guppies?
Just purchased three balloon belly guppies today at a local pet store. Of course they were unable to tell the sex of them. We have five fancy guppies and they were easy to sex. Thanks So Much, Shannon
<Sexed same way... females with fan-shaped anal fins, males with longer, pointed ones... and smaller size, longer unpaired fin lengths. Easier to tell apart when larger, older. Bob Fenner>

Disappearing Guppy Fry
Hello! I hope you can solve this mystery. One female gave birth to 21 babies two weeks and now there are only 6 left. We removed the female right after birth leaving 21 fry. The tank is a 2 gallon starter that is stable. The filter is a disposable sidewall unit that appears not to be able to suck in the fry. We just added a Cory to pick up the white gravel. There were 9 this morning and 3 have disappeared over the course of the day. My grandkids are distraught. Could the fry be trapping themselves in the gravel? Thanks in advance.
<No, guppy fry will not bury themselves in the gravel. At two weeks old they should be free swimming so the Cory would not be bothering them. I would check out that filter very closely. If you find them in there replace it with a sponge filter. Don> 

Sexing Guppy Fry - 04/01/2005
Hi,
<Hello. Sabrina with you, this afternoon.>
I am Destiny, a beginner at guppy breeding, but I have 19 from a month ago and a brand new one from a hatch just a couple of days ago...
<Be ready for more soon! These are wonderful fish.>
How can I tell the sex of my fry?
<Same as with the adults, only to a lesser degree. Males will start to show color, and the anal fin will start to become more pointed. Just exactly WHEN you'll be able to sex them will vary. It depends on how much and what they're fed, as well as water quality. Just keep looking every day, and you'll start to see males developing. It is possible, however, that you ended up with all females - but that's not terribly likely.>
I want to give some away and don't know sex....
<Just have patience, and keep watching every day!>
Thanks
<Any time. Wishing you and your guppies well, -Sabrina>

Guppy Eggs
I have what I thought was a pregnant guppy. 
<You thought she was pregnant or you thought she was a Guppy?> 
She was in the breeding separator and today she dropped about 25 eggs?!?? 
<Really? We need to rewrite quit a few books!> 
Does this mean that we put her into the separator before the male fertilized her? 
<No> 
I let her out of the separator after this and of course the male is all over her and she looks like she could still have more in there - what should I do? Thanks!
<Assuming this is a Guppy, they are not eggs. They could be undeveloped fry that she aborted. Maybe from the stress of capture when you put her in the breeder. It could also be a water quality issue. It's normal for the male to mate with a female that just gave birth. That is why it's best to have several females to a single male to spread out his aggression. If he pesters her too much put him in the breeder or another tank for a few days. Don't worry about separating them if you want fry. She can have several broods from a single mating. Don>

Inducing Parturition in Guppies
Hi I have a pregnant female guppy who seems to be have been pregnant for ages. She has looked like she is about to drop for the last couple of days but hasn't. is there any way in which I can induce pregnancy (birthing)?
<have you considered playing Pop music non-stop for like 12 hours around the tank... that would make be lose control of all bodily functions and fluids>
Thanks
Mathew O'Neill
<Hmmm... otherwise, let me share the observation that guppies have a short gestation. If it seems like yours has been pregnant for months... then what has actually been happening is that fry have been dropped (and eaten!) and the mother was promptly gravid again. Guppies like many livebearers store sperm and can/do have multiple broods (amazes aquarists that didn't know it after the male has died in the tank with each successive brood :) The birthing should NOT be induced or fry will be born prematurely. Slightly higher temperature speed up metabolic processes. Anthony>>

Guppy Babies
Hi I have set up a 10-12 gallon tank, I added fish over the last few weeks and have developed a slight nitrite problem. I am using cycle and feeding fish every 2-3 days as advised. The nitrite level is dropping very slowly, the fish I have include, 2 Plecos 2 male, 3 female guppies, 6 neon tetra, 2 catfish (Something like Doradid or something I have forgot the name).
The problem is one of the female guppies has just given birth to 43 babies. I just want to know if this will cause problems or as I suspect help to mature my filter as they grow. Also how long would it take for my set-up to mature properly. (I was told the problem would go in a week following the New Tank setup on the bottle of cycle.) This has not happened. I have already lost faith in their advice since they told me something which had led to the death
of a couple of fish.
<I am not a big fan of their fish selection either.  The guppies prefer hard alkaline water, while the Neons prefer soft neutral water.  The Plecos (depending upon species) will outgrow this tank in time.  If the tank is new it may still be cycling, hence the nitrate problem.  Cycle (the product) may help, but it will still take time to cycle (the process).  The babies will add additional fish load to this tank.  I would go with frequent partial water changes to get the nitrates and ammonia down.  Best Regards, Gage>
Thanx a lot

Guppies Stuff
Hey guy.
<<You got the girl today. :o) Ronni here.>>
I just had one or two quick questions about Guppies. When guppies are pregnant, I've heard of something called a "Pregnant Patch" that appears on the guppies, what is that and where is it located?
<<I haven't heard this term before but I'm going to assume that it's referring to the dark spot that appears on the belly of a pregnant female. If you look to the lower back of the belly you should see a dark spot, this is the babies that you are seeing thru the skin of the mother. Generally what you'll see will be an eye. Even if you can't see this spot (if you have a dark female you may not be able to) it's always pretty easy to tell when a female is pregnant just from the size of her belly. And odds are, if she's been with a male for even a tiny bit of time, she *will* be pregnant!>>
Also, I hear that it's extremely easy to get guppies to breed and I would eventually like to have a tankful of them.  
<<Definitely easy to get them to breed, they will breed no matter what you do!>>
Is there any variable I can adjust to entice them to go about it quicker other than raising temperature? Because I've heard that that help in breeding almost any freshwater fish.   
<<I've never even adjusted the temp in my guppy tank. I just keep mine at a normal temp. and my females are always having babies.>>
Oh, and one more thing, Must I isolate the fry from the parents or the other guppies?  I'm half thinking they may be eaten. Thanx for your time guys.
<<This is the hardest part but there are several options. The fry are so small that it's nearly impossible to catch them to isolate them. Once you see the babies you can catch the adults and move them to a different tank. Or you can use a breeding trap but these often don't keep the babies contained and can cause undo stress on the mother. My favorite option is just to put lots of plants in the tank and let nature take it's course. Some of the babies will undoubtedly still get eaten but many hide in the plants until they are large enough to hold their own. You can use either fake or real plants. Some of my favorite real ones for this are water sprite, duckweed, and elodea. Watch the water sprite and duckweed as they grow rapidly and can take over. Hornwort also works quite well and so does java moss but the moss is worse than anything I've ever seen about taking over a tank and once you have it it's nearly impossible to get rid of. Remember that diseases can be transported just as easily on plants as on fish so if you go with real ones a QT period is necessary.>>

And on to guppies.
Thanks so much for the advice, now I've got yet another problem that something seems FISHY.  lol Anyways, I also have a 10 gal. with guppies and one of my guppy gals is pregnant I mean pregnant she is BIG very big.  I can see the eyes of the fry.  I've had her in the breeding box and nothing.. I've let her out to swim for exercise but the males harass her what should I do?  How can I help her have those babies??  
The best thing of all to do is to have a completely separate tank for raising the babies in, and to put her in there to have the young.  At this stage in her pregnancy, do not net her, as that can damage or kill the young in her.  Instead, use a cup to scoop her up if you have to move her around.  In any case, for right now, it'd probably be best to keep her in the breeding trap and put some small floating plants in there, or a couple sprigs of elodea/anacharis, just something for her to have some cover and hide, if she needs.  Don't let her in with those males, they'll drive her nuts, I'm sure!  It does sound like she's about to pop, so I wish you great luck with your soon-to-come little ones, and have fun!>
Thanks again Love the site.  Keep up the good work.  Dena in Indiana.
<And thanks again for the kind words :)  -Sabrina>

Baby guppies
Hi Guys,
<Hi, Dawn!  Sabrina here.>
My name is Dawn. I am based in Hamilton, NZ.  
<And a hearty hello to you, from sunny silicon valley, in California!>
One week ago my 9yo daughter purchased 9 guppies (5 male, 4 female) for our 40 litre tank. The females were pregnant and we are now the proud parents (surrogate) of approx. 30 fry.  
<Congrats.>
We have partitioned off about a third of the tank for the fry to live in for now.  How often should we feed the fry and what would be best to use?  
<There are commercial fry foods available, but guppies will grow beautifully on a small amount of crushed flake food a couple of times a day (crush the flakes into almost a powder).  Adding some floating anacharis/elodea will help feed them as well, and give them cover to hide in.>
How often should we do water changes now that the load has increased.  
<I'd go for weekly, or more often, if you can manage it.  Just test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate regularly, and keep the ammonia and nitrite at zero, and nitrate as low as possible.>
How quickly will the fry grow?  
<Depends on water quality, feeding, etc. - should be pretty quickly, though.>
We have also purchased a new filter for the tank which we are running concurrently with the existing filter. I am hoping to avoid going through the new tank syndrome by keeping the biological filter going in the old filter while the new filter sets up it's biological filter.  Will this work?
<Sounds like an excellent plan.>
Thanks for your time and for such an amazing, informative site.  Dawn
<And thank you for the kind words!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina.>

Guppy pregnancy
Hello. I have a female guppy that is/was very pregnant. I moved her into a breeding box and she immediately began dropping clear bubble like things. What are they? She slimmed up a little, but is still quite round and her black spot still shows. Help please!  Thank you,  Tami
<It sounds like some (possibly all) of the young came out prematurely or were aborted or stillborn.  This could have happened due to stress from moving into the box, stress from being hassled by the males (men.... sheesh), possibly water conditions like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate out of whack.  Check your water parameters, and do water changes if necessary to correct.  Let's hope for now that she's still got forming young to have, and see how things go.  Good luck!  -Sabrina>

Have got some guppy fry (8)
<Congrats on being a new parent.>
- 4 are losing their tails? They are about 4 weeks old. Do you know why? & If I can save them. Thanks in advance, Di.
<If their tails are looking sharply cut, then the larger male might be nipping the fins because he thinks they are competition.  But, most likely the fish are suffering from something called Fin Rot.  You can treat with Tetracycline (from Mardel Labs), which can be found at most pet shops.  Hope that helps. -Magnus>

Guppy Gender
I recently just purchased 2 tequila sunrise guppies... I was wondering what the female looks like different to the male I think I have both males but their top fins look totally different!
<The fin on top, the "dorsal" fin, doesn't really aid in determining guppy gender.  Guppies come in such a wide variety of color and patterns, the color of the dorsal fin doesn't necessarily have anything to do with gender.>
On one it is orange with a little red on it.  On the other guppy it is just clear with very little pale pale orange on its top fin, so I was wondering if I had a male and a female tequila sunrise guppy?
<Look at their anal fin, that's the fin on the fish's belly just in front of the tail.  If this fin is pointed and held next to the body, the fish is male.  If it is fan-shaped and spread open, it is a female.  Females will typically be less colorful overall than males are.  Wishing you and your guppies well,  -Sabrina>

Gobs of Guppies
Hello, about a year ago I started out with 4 baby guppies.... 4 male and 1 female.  Well... today I've got about 15 full grown males and about 10 females.  I currently have a 10 gallon tank with nothing but babies,
<Guppies might be a great tool for explaining exponents....>
a 15 gallon tank with the females and just recently moved the males to a 39 gallon tank.  How many guppies would be a good number for the 39 gallon tank?  
<20 adult guppies or so would probably be comfy, if it's well filtered.  If you are extremely diligent about water quality, maintenance, and have it heavily filtered, you could probably keep more than that.>
Also at what age should I be sure that the females are removed from the male tank to prevent unwanted breeding? (I just put about 15-20 larger babies in the big tank with the males).   
<As soon as you can recognize that they're females, it'd be best to pull them out.>
In another 5 gallon tank I have 4 Long Fin Leopard Danios and 3 Danios that I'm uncertain what they are.  Their entire bodies are cream color and their bodies are much bigger then that of the long fin leopards.  Any idea on what type of danio that these fish are?  
<They sound like giant Danios - these will very, very quickly outgrow a 5g tank - I would consider the tank "full" with the four leopards.>
How do I know what gender the Danios are?  
<That can be very, very difficult.  Once mature, females will be a little more robust in the belly, and males a little more slender.  Pretty tough to tell.>
Also, I know that the 5 gallon tank is not big enough for the Danios and have considered putting them in with the male guppies in the 38 gallon tank but.....I'm unsure if they are compatible with the fancy tailed guppies.....  
<Danios are pretty nippy, but for the most part, they keep it to themselves.  I think you could try this.  Be prepared to remove them, though, if it doesn't work out.  Just watch for aggression and nipped guppies.>
I how have an empty 20 gallon that I was going to use for the babies....I guess I could use that for the Danios if they would not be compatible with the guppies.  
<A good idea.  Might want to try them with the guppies, and fall back on putting them in the 20 if it doesn't work out.>
What larger fish would be a good tank mate for the male guppies?  
<You could try dwarf or pygmy Gourami, or if you want some active bottom-dwellers, loaches, Botias, and Corydoras catfish are all nice.  In the 39g tank, a few weather loaches might be a lot of fun!  Do keep in mind that any fish you add to the 39g tank will reduce how many guppies you can fit in there, as well.>
Every time I get a tank I intend to get rid of one of the others.....it's not happening.... always seem to need the extra one :-)  Thanks,  Donna
<That's certainly the way with guppies!  Why not consider trading in/selling some of the guppies at a good, reputable local fish store?  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina

Expectant Mother Guppy - 03/12/2004
I recently purchased a female guppy who I thought was pregnant. When I got her home, I noticed her gravid spot was a red color. It seems to be getting darker, and she looks like she is going to pop. Is she pregnant or is she sick? Please help.
<Sounds to me like she's pregnant.  Hopefully she'll be providing you with some babies quite soon!  They do tend to get utterly huge before finally giving birth, so what you're describing sounds normal, no worries.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Pregnant Guppies
Hi, I have two pregnant guppies (it was three) that I have had for about 4 months. I bought them when they were very pregnant.  They still haven't had their fry.  My water temp. is 76 F. I have been feeding them every once and a while frozen brine shrimp.  I try to change the water every week.  Please help. I think one more is on her way out.
<<Dear Jacob; Pregnant guppies do not always mean fertilized guppies. The females will grow eggs in their bellies, but without sperm, the eggs are simply re-absorbed back into the females body. Then she will grow another batch, until a male comes along to fertilize them with his gonopodium. Some males will attempt to impregnate the females, but they could be sterile males. If your females are dying, you need to check a couple of things; first, are your females getting enough protein in their diets? Female livebearers are constantly making eggs, this requires a varied diet using high quality foods. Read the labels! And buy good quality, you get what you pay for, cheap foods are made with cheap ingredients! Also, make sure your water quality is good. Ammonia should be zero, nitrite should be zero, and nitrates kept as low as possible with regular, partial water changes. If you don't have test kits, get your LFS to test the above parameters for you, and keep track of what they are. I would recommend you at least buy a nitrate test kit, and use it to figure out how often to test your water. Nitrates should be kept around 20-60ppm for guppies. -Gwen>>

Guppy Sex
Dear WWM, How or when can I find out the sex of my baby guppies? I have three that
survived to be big enough to roam around and I don't know how to tell
male from female. I'm not a breeder, I just have a female that is popping
them out like crazy! Please let me know if there is a way. Thanks, Aube
<<Dear Aube, yes there is a way. If the fish are mature enough, the males will be smaller, their bodies more colorful. The females will be much bigger, with full, round bellies, and a dark spot under their bellies, near the tail. Females also have much less coloration, most are solid gray, but the more fancy species have colored tails with gray bodies. -Gwen>>

Fish Fry 
hi chuck its Anthony again you know you said that I should get a male guppy well I have I had 3 all ready and she still hasn't her fins are turning blue which is a big difference and she has been going in the castle and the it is very dark could it mean she is going to give birth?
<It could be or else she is sick and trying to find a calm spot to rest. Only time will tell.>
I have 1 other swordtail but this one is red and she was small this morning and now she is very big I put in a breeding trap and she swam to the bottom with it and got out can you tell me which is better let her give birth in the trap or let her give birth in the tank I did with my other one and I found 17 to start with then I found 2 others then I just found 1 other now I have 20
< If your fish are well fed and there are lots of hiding places for the fry, like lots of floating plants then it would be ok to let her give birth in the tank. If your tank doesn't have much cover and lots of fish then I would place her in a breeding trap. Chuck>

Guppy Sex
Hi there,
A guppy of mine has recently spawned some fry, and I was wondering; at what age can you tell if they are male or female. At the moment all the baby fish seem to have normal anal fins. Does the fin modification occur later in life? Thanks, Liam
<<Dear Liam; male guppies will develop gonopodiums later on, at sexual maturity. I can't really say at what speed they will grow. But with frequent partial water changes, good nutrition, (proper husbandry), the fry should grow quickly. -Gwen>>

Boy Guppy + Girl Guppy = Baby Guppies!
you know you said that I should get a male guppy well I have I had 3 all ready and she still hasn't her fins are turning blue which is a big difference and she has been going in the castle and the it is very dark could it mean she is going to give birth?
and how long does it take until I get your emails?
>>Hello. I just placed a reply to your message last night, Chuck I believe was the person who gave your message attention. I must ask you to please punctuate with proper capitalization and periods, commas where appropriate, as you're making our job more difficult by forcing us to retype the queries. All message get archived onto the site, and for uniformity and readability sake we much prefer proper punctuation (this site is an international resource, and lack of punctuation can make reading very difficult for non-native English speaking folks).
Also, if you would please, look on the Daily Questions/FAQ page. There you will see a notice I have put up regarding our crew and current status during this year's Interzoo show in Germany. We are operating with a fraction of the normal number of volunteers, and cannot give non-emergent messages priority status. A guppy that is not making babies is not a priority for us, even though I'm sure it's causing you some worry. Please understand that we are all doing our best to keep up with all queries, that this will not be a permanent situation, and that, as an all-volunteer crew, we must spend only a certain amount of time each day on messages. We all thank you very kindly for your understanding.
>>Now, to more specifically address your question, you may very well have an IMMATURE male guppy in your tank. There are new strains coming out all the time, and you may be forced to rely solely on the anal and pelvic fins, as well as coloration of abdomen of the fish in question to determine sex and whether or not it's gravid. Female livebearers ALL have rounded pelvic and anal fins, whereas ALL males of the group have very pointed fins (to aid in delivery of sperm). There should be pictures and/or illustrations to be found via Google (though I'm not sure if we have such on site) showing very clearly what this looks like to help you determine sex of your fish. Believe me, if you have even ONE female guppy in a tank with even one male, you WILL have baby guppies coming out of your ears before you know it (unless you also have certain types of catfishes and little cover for the babies). I've never seen guppies demonstrate furtive or secretive behavior prior to birthing, as, say, horses do, I think the fish in question just likes the cave. If you don't have about 2/3 of the tank thickly planted, this will continue. I always strongly recommend that folks thickly plant their tanks, either real or faux plants, in order to see most natural, comfortable behavior for their tasty little fishes. I hope this has helped, and again, I and the rest of the crew thank you and everyone else for their understanding when messages aren't answered as quickly as hoped for. 
Marina and the WetWebMedia Crew

Boy Guppy + Girl Guppy = Baby Guppies! - II
>Sorry for the trouble I have caused but I am not Fiona I'm her son Anthony and I'm 12. Could you please send the emails a lot easier to understand as some of the stuff I don't Quiet get.
>>Alright, Anthony. But first, let's cover a couple of points. If you're twelve, you're at least in the 6th grade. Capitalize and punctuate your messages from now on. If you can't do it, have your mom help you. The only word in that whole thing you capitalized was next to last! Alright, I feel much better now.
The title of my response is telling you what you need to know. If you have one girl guppy in that tank, and just one boy guppy, then I can guarantee you that you WILL get baby guppies. Let the other fish eat them, or you'll have more than you know what to do with. Your problem, I think, is that you're not actually sure which ones are boys and which ones are girls. If it's a fancy guppy (all pretty), it used to be that ONLY the pretty ones were the boys, and the girls were all plain looking. But NOW that's not true anymore. NOW even the girls are pretty looking, so you have to look at tiny fins by their butts (where they poop). And that's hard to do if you need glasses. Go to this site and look at this picture 
http://home.comcast.net/~chimbolo/bulletin.htm 
http://home.comcast.net/~chimbolo/images/logomain.jpg 
The guppy that is #2 counting from the left is a girl guppy. I can tell because of her bottom fins, especially the ones by where she poops. They're bigger and rounder than the boys' fins, which are pointy. Also, the girl is bigger than the boys, with a bigger belly, too. 
Make sure your tank is planted thickly in areas, about two-thirds (2/3) planted. Don't feed the fish too much, only what they can eat in a couple of minutes once or twice a day. I think that's it for now. Marina, someone else's Mom (well, two someone else's') 

Pregnant Guppy?
the dealer at the shop said my female guppy was pregnant but it has been 2-3 months and she still has not given birth. she definitely has not had an abortion, her scales have turned shinier and her anal fins have turned dark and blue is she ok because I have a breeder and I have been putting her in there recently and still nothing but I had a swordtail that I got then same time as her and she hasn't given birth will my guppy be ok?
< If the guppy has not given birth by now then she probably won't. She may still have the "eggs" inside her and need a male to fertilize them get a male guppy and wait and see.>
also my swordtail just gave birth is there any way I can make them grow faster ?
< Keep the waste products down like ammonia , nitrite and nitrate with water changes and feed foods high in protein. Higher temp.s in the 80,s will help too.-Chuck> 

Guppy Growth - 06/03/2004
Hi again,
<Hello. Sabrina with you, today!>
I have another question on guppy fry growth.... I've searched the web for a guide to average fry growth but haven't yet found one.
<Not very surprising; growth of the fry is dependant upon many, many factors - most of which are under the control of the aquarist, and easily influenced, like water quality, temperature, food, and perhaps even light cycles.>
My question is this: In my experience male guppies are a lot more colourful then the females, the females having drab bodies with patterned fins.
<Essentially correct.>
So, am I likely to be able to sex the fry in this way?
<Not likely. Once you begin to see great amounts of color and modification of the anal fin, you can be pretty sure you have a male. However, females are a bit trickier - males can look just like females if they are not yet fully developed. Some males will take much longer to develop than others, and it may be well into growth before they begin adopting the changes that would indicate male gender. So, basically, if it looks like a male, it's more than likely a male, but if it looks like a female, it may go either way.>
Thanks for all your time, Liam
<Thanks for writing in! -Sabrina>

Guppy Sex
Hi, this is Lauren and I have a 10 gallon tank with 1 male balloon belly
molly, 1 male guppy (was 2), 2 female guppies, 1 glass fish, and 1 sucker fish. I
think that both of the female guppies are pregnant, they have the gravid spot
but they are both still small. I have noticed in the past 2 or 3 days that the
only male guppy left has been following 1 of the female guppies constantly and
won't leave her alone. Should I separate the male from the females since they
are pregnant or just let nature be? Thanks a bunch ~Lauren
<<Lauren, it would be best to separate the female, otherwise the male will harass her to the point of exhaustion. Buy her a breeding trap, available at most decent LFS's. Also, make sure you have lots of plants so the fry will be able to hide from the adults, who will eat them. Plastic plants work fine for this. Some companies even make floating plants specifically for fry to hide in, check your local fish store! Good luck :) -Gwen>>

Pregnant Guppy
I have a pregnant guppy and she looks like she will have her babies anytime.  
I was wondering if you are able to put a pregnant female guppy in with the
baby fry that are in the fry net?  Or will they eat the babies?  The babies are
about 1 week old.  Thanks, samnow2001
<<Hello. Yes, she might eat the fry that are already in there, it depends on how hungry she is and how big the fry are. You can try putting her in and then see if she goes after any of them, if she does put her back into the main tank. Another idea is to get her a breeding trap (fry net) all for herself. -Gwen>>

Pregnant Guppy Question
I know you have been asked a lot of pregnant guppy questions,( I read through the FAQ's, but I couldn't find the exact answer I need), and I am sorry to ask another one.
<You don't have to apologize for asking questions...that's what we are here for! I'm Jorie and I'll try to help...>
I bought a female Blue Mosaic guppy on 8/11/04, she was
at least a week pregnant then.
<Am curious how you know how far along she was then?>
She is still pregnant now. She had one live fry 5 weeks ago.
<Sounds like she is rather young; livebearers, incl. guppies, tend to have smaller batches of fry (even single babies, as in your case) the younger they are.>
She is very big right now and I can see the eyes and part of the
babies bodies, but she still has not given birth. I originally put her in a breeding net, that is where she had her one baby), then I moved her to a 5 gallon tank all by herself. She has been there for 4 weeks and still no babies.
<It's very difficult to say exactly when a livebearer will give birth.  Generally, the gestation period is around 4-6 weeks, so I'd expect any time now. And, especially so since you can see little eyes through her gravid spot.  Best thing you can do is keep her in a stable environment with as little stress as possible - the 5 gal. tank you've set up for her sounds perfect!>
I have put her back in the breeding net in a 10 gallon tank with ballooned-belly mollies. I have put a plant in the breeding net for the babies to hide in and for her to relax better in the net. She does not seem stressed at all and my water chemistry is perfect.
<Well, hindsight is always 20/20, and as I said above, I would have left her in the 5 gal.  But since you've moved her, I'd give her a few days (do make sure she isn't being harassed and doesn't become stressed by the breeding net).  If no fry in a few days, I'd put her back in the 5 gal. (maybe throw in the plant, if possible - you are right, that may indeed comfort her) and be as patient as possible. You'll likely wake up one day to lots of little teeny tiny guppies swimming around!>
Why isn't she having her fry? Is she going to have
her fry? I would really appreciate it if you can help answer my questions.
<Hopefully I've answered your questions. Just be patient, my friend; as long as she's eating normally, not stressed out and you keep up the good water conditions she'll be just fine, I'm sure.>
Thank you
<You're welcome.>

Pregnant Guppy
       Thank you again for answering my questions.<MikeD filling in> To answer your question on
how I knew she was about one week pregnant when I got her, I have done a lot
of research on breeding guppies. I found pictures of pregnant guppies from
start of gestation period through almost delivery time.<While I applaud your determination and ingenuity, that just doesn't work.  Exterior appearance is subject to too many variables...age of the fish, size/bone structure of the fish, number of young in the batch, etc., etc.>
       I have moved my guppy one last time. I took her out of the breeding
net and put her in the 10 gallon tank that the breeding net was in.
Unfortunately, I have her in with 5 ballooned belly mollies, but she is eating very well
and has all this time and she is getting along well with the mollies.<not all that bad an idea. If the mollies are well fed they tend to be far less cannibalistic on their young, with the mother still the main danger.> The reason
I moved her out of the 5 gallon is I just got really frustrated with her, ( I
have stayed up many nights watching and waiting for her to have her babies)<I know that feeling well....3 children and hundreds of litters of young and clutches of eggs in innumerable creatures with actual deliveries witnessed at about five-ten over 50 years.>,
and I went and bought 2 green-spotted puffer fish and I had to put them in
their own tank, and trust me I feel really bad that I got frustrated and bought
the puffers and took away my guppy's tank)<Has one killed the other yet?>. So my plans with her is just to
keep a good eye out for when she has her babies and try to save as many babies as
I can. The good thing is with the 10 gallon tank, there is plenty of really
good hiding places for the babies to escape from being eaten.<I hope that you're referring to floating plant life or a nylon mop, as the babies are generally drawn to the surface and rarely make use of rockwork, caves and such.> Well, I think I
have taken up enough of your time, Jorie. Again, thank you for answering me
back and in a quick period of time.<Good luck to you.....I still have to admire your persistence.>

Guppy Babies 12 Aug 2004
Please Help. <Hi Rachel, MacL here with you and I'll try my best.>
I'm wondering, my guppy has had babies, 4 of which look to be about 4 five days old as they have developed the black in their tails, but she still seems to be continuing to give birth as I am finding very tiny fish every day. <Its possible for her labor to continue on for a while but I think four days is a long time. Usually in my experience its over within 24 hours. I think what you are seeing is different growth rates of the guppies based on water quality and how much food they are getting.> How long will she be 'in labour' for and how many is she likely to have. She is still quite fat. <She could have a second delivery time or its possible that she's just not gone back to normal after her birth.>
I did not know she was pregnant as I only have 1 female and 1 male. <Congratulations Rachel, its a fun experience raising the babies. You might want to provide something that floats near the top for cover for the babies.>
Rachel Heath

Guppy business/breeding in PA 9/24/04
We are a new aqua farm in the Northeast (Avondale,
PA) starting up in production guppy culture.  However,
we are running into some breeding problems and are
looking for people already established in
production guppy culture. Do you have any experience
in guppies or do you know of anyone in this business
who would be willing to talk with us and share their
expertise? Any help at this point would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you. Monique LaBarge -Avondale Aqua
Farm Avondale, PA
<cheers, Monique... Anthony Calfo here - fellow
Pennsylvanian :) I'm not sure exactly what kind of
advice you need, but I suspect you can find your
answers in several folks regionally who have large
established fish rooms that have emphasized guppy
production through the years. I'm most familiar with my
hometown FW club folks. Chuck Bailon and Dr Sallie
Boggs (national grand master BAS breeder) are just two
folks to tap for info in GPASI (Greater Pittsburgh
club). DO try to network with such folks in-state and
abroad (do keyword searches for their sites/members
directories online). Perhaps even better - there are
Guppy enthusiast associations (national)... advertised
in popular mag.s like Aquarium Fish Magazine (in the
back/index/classified ads). These are the places I
would start. Don't hesitate... most of these folks are
like-minded as you and generous with information. Best
of luck, Anthony>

Guppy stock
Dear Dr. Fenner, <MacL here with you tonight>
We are a new aqua farm in the Northeast (Avondale, PA) starting up in
production guppy culture.  However, we are running into some breeding problems and
are looking for people already established in production guppy culture.  <Have you seen this site? multiple links for guppy clubs and people breeding guppies. http://www.deltaguppies.com/links.htm>
Do you have any experience in guppies or do you know of anyone in this
business who would be willing to talk with us and share their expertise?
Any help at this point would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you. I think the guppy clubs will be able to help you substantially with stock. Good luck, MacL>
Monique LaBarge
Avondale Aqua Farm
Avondale, PA

Guppies, Chuck's go
Dear Dr. Fenner,
We are a new aqua farm in the Northeast (Avondale, PA) starting up in
production guppy culture.  However, we are running into some breeding problems and
are looking for people already established in production guppy culture.
Do you have any experience in guppies or do you know of anyone in this
business who would be willing to talk with us and share their expertise?
Any help at this point would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.
< Many of the guppies found in the US come from farms in Asia. Check Aquabid for specific breeders or do a Google search for American Livebearers Association and they may be able to point you in the right direction.-Chuck>
Monique LaBarge
Avondale Aqua Farm
Avondale, PA

Huge Guppy
Dear WetWebMedia,
    I have a 10 gallon tank and 4 fish (1 male guppy, 2 females, and one white fish <??>). One of my female guppies has a dark spot on her belly but she's not very big, and one is huge but there's no dark spot. <"Huge" Are you sure this is a guppy? If you mean fat, then there should be a black spot. It will get darker as she readies to give birth. If it is a guppy, fat without the dark spot, it may have an internal infection or be constipated> I bought them 2 weeks ago and they were in the same condition that they are in now. <Not a long time. Most give birth in about 3 to 5 weeks. Was the tank running prior to getting the fish?> I put the big one in a net breeder, <Good, if she does not seemed stressed> but I still see no babies. <give it time> When can I expect them to have birth. <As above> Are they even pregnant? <Most healthy adult female guppies spend their lives pregnant, so I would guess "Yes"> I have searched the internet for two weeks and have still found no answer. pleeeeese help me. <Give her time. Meanwhile, if this is a brand new tank, start doing small water changes. About a gallon or two a day. Match temp and use a dechlorinator. Do you have a heater? Guppies do best in the mid to high 70's. Cool temps can slow birth. Don>
                                                -Jason age 14
GUPPIES!
Hi!
First off let me say that I love your site!
< Thanks>
Anyways I have a 20 gallon tank with 9 guppies and 5 small goldfish (who will soon have there own tank!). one of my female guppies very big and soon I will move her into her own 10 gallon tank. the 10 gallon tank is at 80* F and the tank she is in now is about 75* will this cause a problem?
< The warmer water will increase her metabolism but is well within her normal range and she will be just fine.>
also will she get lonely?
< No not really.>
she's only had her black gravid spot for 2 and a half weeks. is it too soon?
< It is very difficult to say. Some females with few fry don't get too large while others get really really big before they give birth. You probably should have something happening within the next week or so.-Chuck>
please respond very soon I need to know.
Thanks a bunch:
Lena

Guppy reproductive behavior
Hi:
My name is Christopher. I brought some common guppies as a starter for
my 10 gal tank, I didn't go with goldfish cause they are to messy. Ok the
fact is that I bought about 30 and one is giving birth and has 2 fry
stuck midway and has not come out all night and I do not know what to
do. Also I know nothing about guppy breeding at all and the only thing I
have found on the net are some vague description of the event but
nothing to clear on the event. This is the scenario : I have a 10 gal
tank with florescent hood, heater, 4 live plans, gravel, bio filter, 2
carbon filters, four catfish, water conditioner, stress enzyme, stress
coat, cycle; do I have everything I need? Do I need more? And what do I
do about the fry? Please help? :-<
<This all depend on what you want to do. Guppies are livebearers and will eat the fry if they are not separated. If you do not want to keep the fry then the adults will simply eat them and they will spawn again very shortly. If you want to keep the fry then put the pregnant female in a breeder net or breeder trap and when she gives birth the fry will be separate from the parents. The fry can then be moved to a different tank where they can be raised on baby brine and crushed flake food.-Chuck>

Guppy Birth
My guppy is having fry right now but I have no idea when she is done having them? Does she lose the gravid spot completely? If you could help, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Melissa Putman
<Hi Melissa, Don here. No, the spot will not disappear. The only way to tell is to watch her. If she's dropping every 10 or 15 minutes, then goes a hour without any more fry you can be pretty sure she's done. Congrats on the fry!>

Lustful Guppy
Hello WWM. My question is can guppies and mollies mate? My male guppy is swimming around with my female orange molly.  He makes circles around and sticks his lower fins out like he's trying to poke her in the belly. I have a pregnant female guppy which he currently isn't as interested in. Is this normal or is he going crazy? Thanks for your
help.
Mrs. Robzilla
<As you are seeing, male guppies are randy little fellas. Best to keep 3 or 4 females with him. Will he mate with the molly? Yes. He'll mate with a bubbling plastic mermaid, but no offspring will result from either encounter>

Guppies, young
Hello,
I have 5 female guppies in a 10g tank and 4 males in a separate tank. I recently moved all of the females (about 2 weeks age) One of my females was getting rather large. Last night when I looked at her, the black gravid spot was gone and no babies. I guessed that she had a miscarriage. Then the next morning when I was feeding them her gravid spot was back! I was very surprised. Since then that has happened a few times and with a few different females. I don't understand! All my reading are good and there not in a high traffic area. What could be causing this, and where do the babies go? I would greatly appreciate any information you have on this strange occurrence. It would be very appreciated.
< The black spot you are referring to is actually the eyes of the fry. If she is giving birth then the fry may be eaten by the adults or sucked into a filter. If she has room the fry move back up into her body and the eyes are less noticeable. After being fed the fry may be displaced by the food in the females gut and once again moved back to the rear of the body cavity.-Chuck>
Thank You:
                     ~Lena~

Breeding guppy male & female ratios
After about 20 years of not breeding fish, my husband and I are again buying tanks, etc.  We have chosen to breed 6 kinds of fancy guppies.  After 3 months, I am noticing an "imbalance" in the male/female ratio in the fry.  At least 3 of the breeding trios are throwing far more females than males.  It is about 2 males to 18 females.  Is there any environmental reason for this?  These fish, being show quality, are inbred quite seriously.  Is that fact a more reasonable explanation?  The fish are in hard water/reverse osmosis water half and half.  Ph is 8.4  They are getting a variety of excellent foods. Do you know of any references or source of info, where I can research this?  Thanks, XXXX@sbcglobal.net
< Fish have no sex chromosomes like humans so their sex is determined by external factors. Unfortunately you are going to have to play around and find out what they are. Temp? Possible, water temps in excess of 80 degrees creates more males than females in some dwarf cichlids. pH? Could be, some west African cichlids have sex ratios determined by pH. The higher pH creates males while the lower pH creates females. To determine what is going on I would recommend only changing one factor at a time to find out what is needed. If you lowered the pH while changing the water temp then you don't know what is causing the skewed sex ratios.-Chuck>

Pregger Guppies
I emailed you earlier about my pregnant guppy and how longs would the pregnancy take...
<Gestation period is somewhere around a month, but it's really hard to pinpoint exactly.>
Well she has had one baby so far and she is having spasms which just look like she is trying to get out of the tank
<Have you tested the water parameters? If she's trying to jump out of the tank, that may be a sign of ammonia or nitrite poisoning...check ASAP and do a water change if needed.>
I'm not sure what to do and how long its going to take for the others to be born ...HELP>
<Best thing to do is not stress her out by moving her around. Keep her calm and keep the water clean.  Do you know if she's a juvie? The younger the fish is, the smaller the batch of fry...if this is her first pregnancy, you may only get one or two little guys. Just be patient, my friend!>
<P>( she isn't on her own in a tank she is in a Birth tanks ) is that ok?
<By birthing tank, do you mean her own separate tank, or a birthing net of sorts? If it's the latter, I think that's great, and in fact, I just had a platy give birth to about 8 fry in a similar set-up.  I'm not a huge fan of the birthing nets, but please let me emphasize that you should NOT move your pregnant fish at this late stage in the game...that could needlessly stress her out and cause problems.  Again, just keep the water conditions good and keep her calm...everything will be OK! If she seems really stressed, perhaps turn off the tank's light for a while...>
<Good luck, Jorie>

Guppy Fry
Hello, I have 4 guppy fry that were born Dec 21, 2004. They are in a net box. How long before I can put them in the main tank?
Thanks,
Liz
<The short answer is as soon as they're big enough not to be eaten. Many factors control growth rate so there is no way to give you a time period. Personally, I do not like keeping fry in the breeder. I want them out in the main swimming and getting strong. So if it was me, I'd wait until they are swimming strong and you're sure they're eating, then release them and cross my fingers. Adding plants like Java Moss will give the fry a place to hide. Overfeed a little so the adults don't get too hungry. Or you could but in a divider and raise the fry in one side. Don>  

Breeding trap
Hi,
<Hello...Jorie here>
I have 5 female guppies in a 10 gallon tank.  I think one of them is about to have babies soon because it is a lot fatter then the other ones.
<Likely so...>
I have a breeding trap but there is nothing to separate the mother fish from the baby fish.  I have checked other sites and some have said that the mother must be separated immediately, and some sites say that the mother fish wont eat their babies for a couple of days because of  a hormone.  I thought I would ask you.
Can you tell me if I should get another breeding trap that separates the fry from the mother or do I just keep the mother in the breeding trap I have now.
<I've never had any of my livebearer (either platys or guppies, don't have personal hands-on experience with guppies) moms eat their fry...usually it's the other fish in a community tank that will do so.  You should be OK leaving the mom and the babes together, but do be aware fish behavior is never a completely certain thing! Worst case scenario, with livebearers, rest assured there will likely always be more little fry...soon, more than you know what to do with...>                                                                  
-Jason
(this site has given me a lot of info. about fish, Thanks.)
<It sure does...I still learn new things from WWM on a daily basis! Good luck with the fry, Jason...welcome to the world of fish (livebearers) that puts bunny rabbits to shame!>

Pregnant Guppy Questions
First of all great site, it has helped me a lot. I have got a really fat guppy and her gravid spot is black but I'm not sure if she is pregnant. Could you please help? Also how long does it take for the fry to be born?
Thank James
<It sounds like she is preggers. Most adult female guppies spend their lives this way. Keep her water warm (78 or so) and give her time. Most will give birth in 3 to 6 weeks. Many factors involved though, temp being at the top of the list. Don>  

Baby Guppies!
Hi!
Thanks to you guys I now have 3 beautiful two week old guppies. However I do have one quick question, two out of the three babies have very large round tummies. They are pooping regularly pooping and the colour of the poop is fine. The other baby who does not have a large tummy is a bit small then the other two a follow them from a distance. Is there any need for alarm or is every thing ok? Thanks for any advice. Lena
<Grind their food fine between your fingers if it is flake, twixt two spoons if pellets... and all should be fine. Bob Fenner>