Tisaann Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 I have 3 pregnant guppies and 1 pregnant Zebra fish. They are all about ready to give birth and 1 of the fish has done just that. However the birth consisted of just 1 baby fish ALL 4 fish are STILL pregnant so I am confused as to what is going on. The baby fish was first seen 2 days ago and is still alive and well. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_cwmpodd Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 I think that guppies give birth slowly over a certain amount of days. What zebra fish do you have? is it a zebra convict cychlid? If so they are egg layers and will lay in ornaments etc. Although please beware that they become VERY aggressive when the babies hatch. Mine killed all the other fish in my tank :o Good luck with them x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafrisk Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 I have 3 pregnant guppies and 1 pregnant Zebra fish. They are all about ready to give birth and 1 of the fish has done just that. However the birth consisted of just 1 baby fish ALL 4 fish are STILL pregnant so I am confused as to what is going on. The baby fish was first seen 2 days ago and is still alive and well. Any ideas? They can give birth over days, as previously posted Not sure about what kind of zebras you have, as already stated if cichlids or danios, they're both egglayers. I would think with guppies present they'd be danios as I'd be worried putting guppies in with any cichlids. The guppies can give birth again without the presence of a male after the first mating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tisaann Posted June 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Oh good lord I thought this fish keeping was going to be a breeze. The Zebras are danios so thanks for the warning on them. With regards to the guppies something weird has happened. The most pregnant of all the fish is now suddenly slim again but apart from this one baby there are no others to be seen so I have no idea what is going on. The baby hides and only comes out at feeding time and it seems to have a protector in the form of one of the sucking fish. Looks like a trip to the bookstore at he weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_cwmpodd Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Are the Danios in the same tank as the guppy? As most fish will eat small fry. So i am thinking they have eaten the rest ... perhaps?! It is always a rule to seperate the babies from the bigger fish until they have grown to a size where they are no longer bait to the others. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_cwmpodd Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Guppy>> http://members.lycos.co.uk/guppyinfo/ Zebra danios>> http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/fishspecies/l/aa060799.htm Also found this>> They readily eat their fry, so the parents should be moved once the eggs are laid. Fry hatch in 48 hours and grow rapidly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilRed Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 When my Zebra Danios bred I put the male and female in a small plastic tank floating in the main tank with a good layer of glass marbles in the bottom. The eggs are fertilized as they are laid and then fall between the gaps in the marbles which stops the parents eating them. Remove parents once the breeding is over, the eggs will develop into fry which will require a special food while very small - you can get this from a pet or fish shop, just make sure it is for Egg Layers. It will be a while before they are big enough to go into the main tank without been eaten. The Guppies will eat their young as soon as they are born given half a chance. Fish shops sell special plastic tanks for live bearers (fish that give birth to little fish rather than eggs) which act in a similar way to the marbles described above - the babies fall into a trap where the parents cannot get them, you can then rear them until they are big enough to fend for themelves. Other than that heavy planting or lots of rocks or ornaments in the main tank will help to provide cover for the babies. However without any of those methods Guppies will breed at such a rate that the tank will soon be over run with them and you are giving them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafrisk Posted June 27, 2008 Report Share Posted June 27, 2008 You can make your own feed, either by cooking eggs until boiled and feeding the crumbled yolk (not too much though!!!) Or you can get a lettuce leaf, scrunch it up until it's battered and pop it in a small jar of water on the windowsill. Don't ask me what it is that grows off it as it's been years and I lent my fishkeeping books out and never got them back, but you tip small amounts in to the tank each day and they eat it. Probably a form of algae. With the fry traps, if you find the eggs slipping between the bars or fish sucking them through, you can cut the foot of an old stocking and wrap it round the bottom (but remember to remove it and swill it out in the big tank periodically to get rid of detritus. (rotten food and poo in layman's terms). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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