26.5.12
Guppies are probably the most popular tropical freshwater aquarium fish as they are easy to keep and attractive. They are adaptable to a wide range of conditions and get along well with other community tank species. The males have highly colored, flamboyant tails although the females are much duller so it's easy to tell if you have male or females, unlike some other species! Guppies are livebearers and in this article we'll explain how to breed them successfully. Guppies are livebearers and produce live fry. A female guppy can store sperm from the male so can produce batches of offspring from the same insemination. She will produce fry thirty days after insemination and may have as many as sixty fry in each batch. An older, larger female will have more fry than a younger, smaller female. How should you prepare the female? The female needs to be in top condition to produce healthy fry so her diet should be supplemented with live food such as blood worms, daphnia or brine shrimp. Should you separate the female before she gives birth? if the fry are born in a community tank they will provide a meal for the other fish! it is much better to have either a separate tank or a breeding compartment within the tank to move the female to prior to the birth. As a precaution, or if you can't provide this, make sure there are plenty of floating plants to provide hiding places for the tiny fry. A breeding compartment can be purchased which separates the female from her fry as soon as they are born and can be placed directly in the aquarium. How should you look after the fry? The fry can be fed on tropical flakes that have been finely crushed supplemented with brine shrimp. The water in the tank should be partially changed at least once a week. Fry will grow rapidly and will be adults in two months. Conclusion Although guppies are one of the easiest tropical freshwater fish to breed you will need to take care of the female so that she produces healthy young and take precautions in your aquarium to prevent the fry ending up as a meal for your other fish. Although it is not essential to have a separate breeding tank it will make it easier to care for the fry and to breed your guppies successfully.
