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How to Breed Guppies

Published by Nanni on Thursday, August 02, 2012

Photo credit by Alice Chaos

Guppies are so easy to breed and such engaging fish that new hobbyists are often tempted to save every batch that’s born. Eventually, however, they might discover that without controlled breeding, the offspring are small and deformed. They might also find out that to continue breeding the fish, they need a pond or two in the back yard.

Getting stock to breed

The first thing you should do if you are interested in breeding guppies is to get the right stock. The fish found in pet stores are often bred out of the United States or are the culls from others’ tanks. For this reason, it’s important to buy only from a reputable guppy breeder.

Your first decision should be the color your prefer because it will be around for years. Albinos are normally a poor choice for beginning breeders. You need fish that have homozygous genetics. This means that all the offspring from each drop resemble the parents. It is recommended that you start with either a trio or two pairs of fish. Younger males show more interest in mating than their older friends.

How to receive your fish

Guppies typically arrive stressed and susceptible to disease. This is because they are shipped in a dark box in a small quantity of water and experience temperature changes.

To avoid losing fish, have at least a five-gallon sterile tank ready for them. It should have an inside box filter. Check with the breeder to get water parameter information such as pH and try to duplicate the conditions in which the fish were kept before shipment.

Early drops

Some females might be pregnant and ready to drop right away. The supplier should have this information. You’ll need to decide whether to discard the drop if the father isn’t the male you wanted.

If all the offspring look alike, the fish probably weren’t damaged from X-rays to clear customs. If they’re various sizes and colors, you should cull the drop and make sure that the male of your choice sires the next one.

Breeding tank

It is essential to move females to a bare-bottomed breeder tank after around 20 days. This tank should hold 2.5 to 5 gallons. The guppy gestation period is 28 days but can vary from 21 to 40.

When you set up the tank, the water must be contain at least 50 percent of the female’s original tank water to minimize stress. Plants and netting make great places for the fry to hide from a cannibalistic female after birth.

When the female is done giving birth, her inflated body will become much thinner. It’s important to remove her and make sure that she isn’t stressed.

The new offspring

The new fry are typically hungry right away. They need tiny food, such as Baby Brine Shrimp, newly hatched, to fit their mouths. Other options are cooked egg york and microworms. As the fry grow, they’ll need to be moved to a larger tank.

Culling and separating

Culling involves discarding inferior fish. With good breeding stock, it should be necessary only infrequently. You should immediately remove any dark-colored fry and belly sliders unable to swim. At the six-week point, you’ll see that some of the fry aren’t growing like the rest. They also should be culled.

When a male’s anal fin grows pointed – usually at three to six weeks after birth – you’ll need to remove him in a glass, sometimes assisted by a net. In the case of harem breeding, if you breed the fish true, you don’t have to separate them according to sex. You’ll need to save any virgin females if you want to always know who the father of a drop is. This requires additional tanks.

Selecting fish to breed

You will want females with large, stout bodies. They should have thick caudal peduncles. The caudals should have an even color and shape. The fish should be between three and four months old. Using highly colored females typically results in mediocre male offspring.

Males should mirror the results you want for your line. Each should have a nicely shaped caudal, a good color and a dorsal fin that is a close match. The fish should look strong and energetic, with a good body shape.

Breeding techniques

Inbreeding keeps a strain pure. Typical combinations are brother-sister and father-daughter.

Line breeding / line crossing is another form of inbreeding. The process starts by keeping the fry from two females apart in order to start two breeding lines.

Outcrossing is the opposite of inbreeding. You mate unrelated fish to produce what’s known as a hybrid guppy of superior vigor, color and health.

One of the reasons guppy breeding is such an interesting hobby is that it requires varying and perfecting techniques for every strain of fish.

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