Pregnant female guppy – care tips

If you’re a guppy enthusiast, you are aware of the thrill that comes with seeing your fish develop and flourish. Taking care of a pregnant female guppie is one of the most fascinating aspects of keeping them. It can be exciting and a little overwhelming to witness a guppy expecting fry because these little fish are renowned for their prolific breeding. It can go more smoothly if you know how to support a pregnant guppy—a benefit that benefits both you and your fish.

Guppies that are expecting need to receive a little more care in order to protect both their health and the health of their offspring. You can help your guppy get through this stage by taking a few important steps, like changing their diet and creating a safe space. We’ll go over helpful hints in this post to help you give your expecting guppy the best care possible so you can enjoy a fruitful and fulfilling breeding endeavor.

These care guidelines will guide you through the thrilling process of guppy pregnancy, regardless of your level of experience with fishkeeping. You’ll be ready to help your guppy every step of the way and relish the excitement of seeing new life appear in your aquarium if you keep yourself informed and organized.

Tip Description
Separate the Female If you know your guppy is pregnant, consider moving her to a separate tank to reduce stress and prevent other fish from bothering her.
Provide Hiding Spots Add plenty of plants or decorations where the guppy can hide. This will make her feel more secure and give her a place to rest.
Keep Water Clean Maintain high water quality with regular water changes and proper filtration. Clean water helps the health of both the pregnant guppy and the babies.
Avoid Overfeeding Feed your guppy high-quality fish food but avoid overfeeding. Too much food can pollute the water and harm both the mother and her fry.
Monitor Temperature Keep the tank at a stable, warm temperature that suits guppies, usually between 74-78°F (23-26°C). This helps with the healthy development of the fry.
Prepare for Fry Consider having a separate tank or breeder box ready for the fry once they are born, as adult guppies might eat them.

Duration of pregnancy

In fish that are viviparous, pregnancy starts after mating. Since the female can keep the male’s milk for a very long time, if the fish was purchased from a pet store and the males were swimming in the same aquarium as the female, the female is probably pregnant.

The ideal temperature range is thought to be between 24 and 26 °C. Pregnancy lasts between 21 and 40 days. The higher the temperature, the shorter the pregnancy period, but the fry will be smaller.

How to determine pregnancy

The woman will initially not look pregnant; she will eat healthily and be happy, but her belly will swell.

The anal fin and anus are the "birth spot," and these can be used to predict when to expect offspring. The closer the birth, the larger and darker the birth spot.

An impending birth is indicated by a dark birth spot in the back of the abdomen.

Care recommendations

Although guppies are not showy fish, they still need extra attention during this vulnerable time.

You must adhere to a few basic guidelines in order to give the developing young the proper support:

  1. Nutrition. During pregnancy, the female needs an additional amount of nutrients, so to reproduce healthy offspring, you need to choose a high-quality diet. To do this, you need to use protein-rich frozen or live food (brine shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex), plant food (zucchini, cucumber, lettuce leaf scalded with boiling water). If it is not possible to give raw food, then you can use high-quality, well-balanced dry food.
  2. Cleanliness of the aquarium. Females during pregnancy are especially sensitive to the quality of aquarium water. It is necessary to promptly remove uneaten food and carry out regular water changes – 30% once a week.
  3. Salinity. In nature, pecilia live in semi-salted waters, so for adults, water can be salted (1 tbsp. spoon per 25 liters of water). It is not recommended to keep fry in salt water. Although they die less in salt water, eat better and grow faster, but then they will not be able to get used to fresh water.
  4. Neighborhood. Constant stress will not do the mother any good, so it is better to protect her from aggressive, pugnacious neighbors or too pushy males.

Behavior before birth

In order to promptly remove a guppy from a typical aquarium, you must keep an eye on it. It usually starts acting erratic before birth, searching for cover or, conversely, just lying quietly on the rocks.

When and where to remove

Set up a container before you take in the offspring. As a spawning tank, a tiny 10–20 l aquarium or a 3-5 l jar will work. Filling the tank a few days prior to delivery is necessary to allow the water to settle and establish a bacterial balance. It is preferable to use a portion of the fresh water and a small amount (one-fourth) of the old water from the shared aquarium to fill the spawning tank.

You must construct shelters to keep the "guppy" from scavenging its own young. For these uses, hornwort is the best option. It’s easy for the fry to hide in, and the female won’t notice them.

In the event that the female cannot have a spawning tank:

  • It is enough to create dense thickets in the common aquarium, which will increase the chances of survival of the fry.
  • In addition, you can pay attention to special hatcheries that are sold in pet stores. They consist of a plastic frame and fabric with a very small mesh, through which the fry will not be able to penetrate into the general aquarium. Such a device will help save space.

The abdomen’s shape and the birthmark will aid in determining when it is best to hatch:

  • Before hatching, the spot becomes very dark and large.
  • The abdomen becomes very large, with convex sides and takes on a rectangular shape. You can correctly assess the shape of the abdomen before the morning feeding, on an empty stomach.

It’s time to consider the fish’s future progeny as soon as its abdomen starts to take on a rectangular shape.

Since guppies are schooling fish, it is best to hatch the mother right before spawning, as she will go through stress alone. The male is another factor supporting the recommendation to delay the transfer. The male can trigger the spawning process by repeatedly jabbing the stigma and gonopodium into the birth spot area, which can cause difficulties for some women giving birth.

It’s important to gently capture the female without startling her or applying pressure to her stomach. The temperature of the water in the spawning tank and the main aquarium shouldn’t be all that different.

A dark cloth must be used to cover the fish once it has been placed in the tank. This will soothe the animal and keep it from noticing and consuming the fries.

She will start to give birth after the transplant at some point. Depending on her size, a female guppy can give birth to anywhere between 10 and 200 fry. The number of fry she gives birth to at a time determines how long labor will take.

The guppy itself needs to be moved into the main aquarium once the female’s abdomen has become flat and she has stopped giving birth. This indicates that the labor is finished.

After giving birth, the mother’s abdomen returns to its original form.

Although caring for a pregnant guppy can be rewarding, there are certain difficulties involved. Your fish can have a smooth pregnancy with a little planning and care on your part. Make sure the tank is kept clean and has lots of hiding places. Given that guppy births are frequent and occasionally tense, the female will feel more secure if there’s a place she can retreat to.

It’s important to keep the environment steady. Maintain a constant temperature and cleanliness of the water. Good filtration and regular water changes will help avert any potential problems. When in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution and seek advice from a local aquarium store or fish care specialist.

Keep an eye out for indications of labor and be prepared to assist if required. Pregnant guppies occasionally require a little extra assistance, particularly if they’re having trouble giving birth. Having a separate breeding box or birthing tank can be extremely helpful in these situations. With this configuration, you can keep a closer eye on the birthing process and prevent the adult fry from consuming the newborn fry.

Lastly, keep in mind that your best resources are observation and patience. Since every guppy is unique, some may be easy to deliver, while others may require more assistance. You can assist your pregnant guppy through her pregnancy and take pleasure in seeing the offspring of guppies flourish in your aquarium by continuing to be vigilant and proactive.

In order to protect both the health of the pregnant female guppy and the welfare of her fry, special care must be given to her. Every action you take to support her during this delicate period matters, from giving her a large tank with lots of hiding places to making sure she eats a healthy diet and keeping an eye on the water’s quality. By being aware of these care recommendations, the mother and her future children can live in a supportive environment, which will facilitate a more successful and seamless process.

Video on the topic

How a guppy gives birth. #animals #aquarium #guppies #birth #newlife

PREGNANT female GUPPY in an AQUARIUM! Guppy fish gives birth to fry in an aquarium!

Pregnant guppy fish how long does it last when we take them

How to understand that a female guppy fish is pregnant / determining the sex of a guppy fish. 🐠

Pregnant guppy ? When a guppy will give birth ?

What part of aquarium maintenance do you consider the most difficult?
Share to friends
Anton Popov

A professional aquarist with over 15 years of experience. Main specialization - marine aquariums and creating optimal conditions for keeping rare species of fish and corals. I am fond of aquascaping, actively participate in international competitions. I love to share knowledge and experience to help others create the beauty of the underwater world at home.

Rate author
InfoProekt24.com
Add a comment