Do not separate her for longer than this time as the isolation can further stress your fish. Pregnant female guppy ()Knowing which fish are male and which are female is important. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Take care to monitor the water temperature, as fluctuations can stress your female and impact the chances of a successful birth. I have 2 females and 1 male. As we said, guppies are extremely fertile fish and can breed when they are as young as one month old! Many people typically keep their pregnant female guppies in a breeder box for about 10 days before they are about to deliver. Your article will help us provide the best care. % of people told us that this article helped them. You may mistake the quick action as aggression at first, but once you are familiar with it, you will recognize it as mating behavior. "My mama guppy just had babies, was able to remove all but 4 from tank, but they have survived by being smart and. As the bulge grows, watch the spot near the back of the fish's belly, near the tail, which is known as the gravid spot. This process may repeat itself many times during labor – tightening muscles, then becoming more relaxed. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. "I'm glad you posted this article! Feed them often, up to five times a day. However, in case you miss observing the mating ritual in the tank, you can still identify if a female guppy is pregnant. The recommended ratio of males to females is 1 male to 3 females. Introduction to Aquarium Fertilization Products, Freshwater Stingray: Complete Species Profile, Reverse Osmosis Deionization: 5 Top Rated Filtration Units, Choosing the Perfect Liner for your Pond & Water Garden, Natural pH Control in a Freshwater Aquarium: a Practical Beginners Guide, LED Aquarium Lighting: 11 Great Fixtures for Freshwater, Planted and Reef Tanks. This ability has given the guppy another one of its common names: the millions fish. If you think your guppy might be pregnant, look for a bulge in the fish's stomach that continues to grow over time. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Some say that moving your guppy to a breeding box will cause stress, enough to kill the mother and fry. She may also have difficulty swimming and may breathe rapidly. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. They are one of the few species of fish that reproduce by internal fertilization, rather than the males just fertilizing the eggs. Mating can occur very quickly and often happens without the owners even noticing. Sadly, guppy parents can turn rather cannibalistic so you will need to provide the fry … You do not want leftover fish food floating around, so she should be able to finish what you give her in five minutes. https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/how-to-tell-if-a-female-guppy-is-pregnant You want to keep the pregnant female in the breeding box for as little time as possible to minimize stress. Both artificial and natural aquarium plants will serve this purpose. Notice a belly bulge. A Silent & Reliable Canister Filter: Which Brand to Trust? Breeding boxes, or net breeders, are a little chamber that hangs or sticks on the inside of your tank to isolate sick fish, aggressive fish, pregnant fish, and fry. Thank you! By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. In fact, a female guppy can become pregnant again a mere few hours after having just given birth! Fishtankadvisor.com does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. Maintain the water pH range between 7.0 and 7.6 and clean the tanks regularly. The water hardness should be from 7 to 12 dGH. References For prevention, aquarium salt applied as instructions say will kill parasites. We have what we now know is a pregnant guppy. One thing to know when keeping guppies is that they are prolific breeders and are capable of bearing up to 2,000 young in the lifetime of a single female. Fishtankadvisor.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This can even cause the adult guppies to eat their babies. When it is close to her time to give birth, she may look like she is pushing and may have an arch to her back. The guppy fry need from 8 to 12 hours of light per day for healthy development. You can tell that your guppy is very close to having the babies when you can see little dots (the baby guppies’ eyes) in the gravid spot. But if you monitor your guppy’s belly for several weeks and it continues to get bigger over time, your guppy is probably pregnant. Thank you! If you watch her closely, you may be lucky enough to see a birth in action. Close to the end of the pregnancy period, the female will display signs of the imminent birth. She might eat everything in sight or next to nothing. Thank you. Guppies, peaceful in nature, make excellent community tank fish. If unintentional guppy fry are born, or if you are preparing for guppy fry, add live plants such as Java Fern and Anubis as this will provide both a hiding place, and food. fast. how do i tell for sure and when do i know to seperate the females? It will become darker and larger as the babies grow. Install a sponge filter to keep the water clean. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Use a medium tank light, LED, or ambient room lighting. If you plan on simply keeping guppies for their look, then consider keeping a group of males only. The average gestation period (period of pregnancy) is usually anywhere from 20 days, but the pregnancy can last up to 32 days depending on the condition of your fish and the health of the fish. Once she is fairly close to giving birth, her gravid spot will appear black. A female guppy can store sperm from one insemination for up to a year and can become pregnant up to eight times from that single event! i have 4 female guppies and 2males. The gestation period of a guppy is typically 21–30 days, but can vary considerably. She may also become shy or more aggressive. You may even be able to see the eyes of the fry through your female’s belly wall. Her color may fade. To help kill bacteria that cause diseases like Ich, get an Ich/Disease treatment to put in the water. Over time, it will become orange or black, and your guppy's stomach may look like it's expanding and contracting. For tips on caring for a pregnant guppy, scroll down! You will enjoy the beautiful coloration of the males and not have to worry about any guppy fry. A “gravid spot” near the base of the anal fin is a good indicator of pregnancy. all the females have black spots in their abdomen area that the males dont. She will begin to swim among the plants and hiding places, looking for a safe place to drop her babies. Healthy fry will uncurl and begin swimming quickly. She will begin to chase fish away from her, or try to stay away from other fish. Your guppy will grow in girth considerably and may appear “boxy” shaped. The gestation period for female guppies is typically less than one month but can range from 21 to 31 days. If you observe any unhealthy or stillborn fry sinking to the bottom, remove them from the tank as soon as possible. Your female guppy is getting close to delivery time when the she is very large and has a boxy appearance. Chances are if you have a male and female guppy in your tank, you have a pregnant female! The pet store only sells male, "Had little knowledge of female guppies' reproduction and the care of their fry. Give her several small meals each day, and then just a small bit. Set up the tank. Try alternating days between regular flake food, tiny fish food pellets, algae discs, krill, bloodworms, or brine shrimp. Breeding boxes are quite inexpensive and usually last through many uses. If you do plan on breeding them, learn how to care for your pregnant female guppy throughout her pregnancy properly. https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/Can-Guppies-Have-Babies-Without-A-Male What have you found works best for a breeding tank setup? The further along your guppy is in her pregnancy, the less she will likely eat. The average age for first breeding is between three to five months. After your female gives birth, separate her from the fry, either through the use of a mesh or another tank. https://fishkeepingplanet.com/when-to-separate-a-pregnant-guppy It takes about a month for the fry to be ready for birth. Look under your guppy’s tail, toward the back part of the stomach, and near the anal fin for a dark spot, also known as the gravid patch.These fish are your females. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. While the average number of fry per birth is 30 to 60, your female can give birth to as many as 200 fry from one pregnancy. The gills on a pregnant female guppy mostly remain partly closed. At six weeks, they are sexually active. How long is a guppy fish pregnant. Setting the light on a timer will help keep a regular schedule. Read on for more information on how to know if your guppy is pregnant, how to prepare for the birth, and how to care for the baby guppies. Keep the fry separate until they are about one-half inch in length. Approved. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. ", guppies (so we thought). This article has been viewed 385,231 times. Endler/guppy hybrids do not eat their young and so are easier to take care of. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. https://waterworldcraze.com/should-you-isolate-a-pregnant-guppy ", other girls at the moment, rather then put her in the fry tank. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 385,231 times. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. The area where a pregnant guppy’s abdomen meets the tail is sometimes called the “gravid patch”, or “gravid spot”. To Trick Predators. im sure one of the females is pregnant because shes getting fat. Don't create stress for your pregnant guppy or any fish by tapping the glass, poking it in the tank, or doing anything else that will upset them. Look under your guppy’s tail, toward the back part of the stomach, and near the anal fin for a dark spot, also known as the gravid patch. Knowing how to identify male versus female guppies is the first step. ", How to Find Out if Your Guppy Is Pregnant, https://guppiesonli.wordpress.com/faq/how-to-tell-if-the-female-guppy-is-pregnant/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMU5wEsLX7w, https://guppiesonli.wordpress.com/faq/how-the-male-guppy-court-the-female-guppy/, http://www.myaquariumclub.com/guppy-pregnancy-photo-progression-when-is-my-guppy-due-is-my-guppy-in-labor-6621.html, http://guppyaquarium.com/signs-of-a-guppy-in-labor/, http://www.breeding-guppies.com/breeding.html, http://www.fishlore.com/BreedingGuppies.htm, http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Guppy.htm, Die Schwangerschaft eines Guppys feststellen, déterminer si une femelle guppy est enceinte. Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are a fascinating fish breed. A ten-gallon tank is a good size for your breeding tank. Female guppies grow to lengths of about 2 inches. Rubbing itself up against things in the tank – the wall, leaves, decorations. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. This article has been viewed 385,231 times. Excellent foods to feed your fry include: Guppy adults are from 0.6 to 2.4 inches in length. Once you notice that your female guppy is pregnant, remove her from the community tank to a separate breeding tank. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. A pregnant female guppy will have a bulging belly. If you have a mixture of male and female guppies, it's safe to say you will eventually end up with pregnant females. To determine whether your female guppy is pregnant, look for changes in the gravid spot. These fish are your females. This article received 20 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. If the guppy has been in the breeding box for 24 hours and hasn't given birth, let her back into the main tank. Other indications that your female is well along in her pregnancy are changes in her behavior. Knowing a little about guppy biology and reproductive habits will go a long way toward keeping your fish happy and healthy. Keep an eye on her because she may be ready to give birth again in another 21 to 31 days. By using our site, you agree to our. You want to control any algae or waste buildup that can impact the health of your fish. Males reach about an inch and a half and are usually more brightly colored than females. Keep the males and females separate until you are ready to breed them to maintain population control. Raise the water temperature in the tank to between 77 and 79°F (25 to 26°C) to encourage a natural gestation progression and help the birth along. The pregnancy period for guppies is usually from 21 to 30 days (within 22 to 26 days most times) according to the aquarium’s temperature, cleanliness, and the female guppy’s health. So watch for symptoms of labor and put her in the breeding box when she is close to having the fry. When he is close enough, he will quickly extend his gonopodium, a long, narrow adaptation to the anal fin. If the birthing process has stopped, return the female to the community tank for a day or so as isolation will stress your fish. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. This spreads out the chasing so that no one It’s a great investment for something that can save the life of your guppy and her fry. Guppies are beautiful, interesting fish. Preparing a separate tank or area for the fry to be born will protect them. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Since this will occur sooner or later, you should closely observe their actions and appearances whenever you have free time to determine when your guppies are pregnant. At 1 month all the babies are thriving; the ones separated, plus the 4 in the big tank. When pregnant, there is a slight discoloration that slowly darkens as the guppy progresses through pregnancy. Like women, the female guppy will get larger, as if it's being inflated. A variety of high-quality, high-nutrient foods will allow her to regain nutrients lost in the birthing process. Isolate her for one to two days. For more information, please check our, remember that a female can become pregnant multiple times from a single insemination, until they are about one-half inch in length, Explore the Hybrid Blood (Red) Parrot Cichlid, 10 Colorful Types of Tetras to Intrigue Aquarists, Five Incredible Cheap Corals for Reef Tank, Vegetables, such as lettuce, peas, or zucchini. So, look for other symptoms as well. Reading this article was very informative, and, "Now I know my female guppy is pregnant. While a separate tank is easiest, there are mesh pieces you can purchase to hang either in the birthing tank or community tank to keep the fry safe. Really helpful information. Keep an eye out to see if your guppy is swimming in place or hiding, which is a sign that it may go into labor soon. If unintentional guppy fry are born, (or if you're preparing for birth), add live plants, preferably Java Fern and Anubis, as this will provide both a hiding place, and food.