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pregnancy questions
By heyheymama from the heyheymama department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 02:50:04 PM PST

hi! i'm new. rescued this tank 22 days ago. it was abandoned for four months, no filter for much of that. the guppies were fed crackers periodically.

the water was dark brown, you couldn't even see the fish! we cleaned it, set it up with new stuff. there were eight fish (one a tiny baby!). i have one pregnant one, very pregnant with the two dark brown spots, etc. the male fish acted hostile toward her a few days ago all day, she seemed to want to get away from them, kept resting at the bottom. so i thought it might be the pregnancy (she's about to birth?). i bought a net cage; it's pretty big actually. i can't afford a separate tank. well, three days later, she still hasn't birthed, is doing some swimming, not eating much, and resting at top or bottom. today, the others are swarming around her net cage. she seems calm, not sick or anything. she was pregnant when i got her and is probably nearing the end of the incubation period, right? i hate to have her secluded, but i want her to feel comfortable enough to birth. what's going on?

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pregnancy questions | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 hidden)

SIX BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (none / 0) (#23)
by heyheymama on Fri Feb 27, 2004 at 06:35:37 PM PST

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! we took every single thing out of the tank and - guess what?!? - we found SIX fry. so six survived! so it turned out better than i thought. we can't believe it! so happy....

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#16)
by guppy1mommy4ever on Sun Feb 22, 2004 at 08:53:05 AM PST

I don't know whats going on becuse Im new also but I do know one things for sure. She probably is pregnant but is for some reason stressed and is aborting the birth. Where did you rescue the tank from?

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#17)
by heyheymama on Wed Feb 25, 2004 at 06:44:40 PM PST

we rescued the tank from an abandoned apartment. the water was dark brown; you couldn't see into it at all. one of the fish swam against the glass. that's how we knew something was in there.

[ Parent ]

Amazing! You are to be applauded just (none / 0) (#19)
by unclescott on Wed Feb 25, 2004 at 09:58:15 PM PST

for saving the fish and restoring the tank!

[ Parent ]

Re: thank you!!! (none / 0) (#22)
by heyheymama on Fri Feb 27, 2004 at 04:27:25 AM PST

[ Parent ]

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#1)
by Angelee on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 11:14:03 AM PST

Hostile? Do you mean the incessant chasing around the tank and the flaring fin dance? Or is there actual tail nipping and chasing away?

"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#2)
by heyheymama on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 07:00:39 PM PST

just chasing, no biting or anything. they were following her around and when she would try to rest (hiding behind things), they'd get their faces really close to her sides until she moved. no visible biting though. it seemed like they were bullying her. i didn't notice any fin flaring, but that doesn't mean they weren't doing it. why? what's going on? thank you for replying!

[ Parent ]

Re: Ahh the mating dance... (none / 0) (#5)
by Angelee on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 08:00:24 AM PST

It is pestering but, not bullying. They are trying to attract her interest for procreation. They will do this endlessly. I've found that the males, if given the opportunity, will choose the bigger females and ignore some of the less colorful or smaller females. Nothing to worry about, set your female into the general population and I might suggest adding a few more females to 'share' the chasing.
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#3)
by gupppies on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 10:27:59 PM PST

What you're describing is very common and happens all the time. It's simply the male trying to mate with the female. That's why you need more females than males to give some of them a rest for a while.

[ Parent ]

Re: pregnancy questions (none / 0) (#4)
by heyheymama on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 05:11:51 AM PST

i have two males, three females, and two babies who look like females. i don't know if their looks change when they mature. my mother still hasn't birthed. i am worried and unsure about what to do. she's still in her cage. the other fish (males and females) are staying close to the outside of her cage. what do you make of that? by the way, i cannot believe how much i love these guppies!!!

[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#6)
by Angelee on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 08:02:23 AM PST

how old are the babies?
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#8)
by heyheymama on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 08:45:23 AM PST

and yes, she's definitely my largest and most colorful female. one of the two babies is a little older than the other, who was just an eye and a tail when i got him!

[ Parent ]

Re: Largest and most colorful female = (none / 0) (#12)
by Angelee on Sat Feb 21, 2004 at 02:10:04 PM PST

the most popular in the tank. (Well, at least in my experience.) The fry from my largest female (a very colorful variegated 1/2 black cobra, a monster at that) are as popular, colorful and as big as their Mom was. They are consistently harrassed by the males to mate with them. Some of the smaller, not as pretty females get more of a break. Don't worry about it too much, the larger and more beautiful females may sometimes get nippy if they've had it with the attention and the males will cease for a few minutes.
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#7)
by heyheymama on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 08:42:55 AM PST

i have no idea how old they are. at least 3-4 weeks. can anyone answer my question about when my fish will birth and if i should keep her in the separate area much longer? should i just put her into the normal population and hope for the best with the birth and welfare of the new fish? also, why are my fish hanging around the net cage she's in (males and females!)? they are all loitering outside (floating and not moving)and sometimes pecking at the sides of it here and there. okay, that's two questions, but i need help!!! thanks!

[ Parent ]

Re: gestation is usually around 28 days. (none / 0) (#13)
by Angelee on Sat Feb 21, 2004 at 02:11:58 PM PST

If the fish are nbewly acquired however, you may not be able to judge. Incidentally, the time of gestation can vary depending on much.
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#9)
by heyheymama on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 09:19:58 AM PST

okay, i'm replying to myself. i just took her out of the net cage and put her in with the normal population. she really stirs things up! now the males are chasing her and another female. stir, the big girl is the life of the party. how dark should her spots be for the pregnancy to be near the end? are we talking dark brown or nearly black? she's at dark brown, but they're not as close to the surface of her outer skin as i first thought.

[ Parent ]

Re: The gravid spot (none / 0) (#14)
by Angelee on Sat Feb 21, 2004 at 02:14:09 PM PST

It will be black or dark brown and very close to the opening. You should be able to see the eyes of the fry shortly before she gives birth. Use the flashlight method. At any rate, it's a waiting game, and remember that a watched pot never boils.
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

Re: The gravid spot (none / 0) (#18)
by heyheymama on Wed Feb 25, 2004 at 06:49:41 PM PST

sadly, the gravid spot looked lighter this morning and it looks like there's some red under the skin in that area - so she must have birthed during the night. they must have eaten them because i can't find any fry at all. very disappointing. poor babies.

[ Parent ]

I'm sorry if you don't have any fry. (none / 0) (#20)
by unclescott on Wed Feb 25, 2004 at 10:10:02 PM PST

What did you do to assure that the parents were not hungry? Were they full of meaty foods and that the fry had places to hide? (I know, now they ask that!)

That red business isn't good either. You are perceptive to see it. It could be indicative of internal protosoans or worms.

For protecting fry please do a search here under fry and pregnant. Look for what we have on Camallanus and Capillaria as representative parasitic worms. The good news is that there are several anthelmintics (look for those too) which will deal with all internal and external worms.

If you computer is retarded like mine and you don't get over 30 hits searching for "fry" and "pregnant" here, go to www.google.com. Do a search for Guppylog and fry or Guppylog and pregnant or Guppylog Camallanus and so on.

[ Parent ]

Re: I'm sorry if you don't have any fry. (none / 0) (#21)
by heyheymama on Fri Feb 27, 2004 at 04:16:22 AM PST

didn't know about the meaty food thing. you'll never believe this, but i just found one little fry beneath the rock surface, against the glass! he is the cutest baby!!! i am going to remove my fish today and clean my tank, so i will be able to do a thorough search for fry. i have all flat, marble type stones at the bottom, and i have read the fry can hide there, though i would've liked to have them sequestered at birth. i have lots of plants, too. not overcrowded but comfortable and homey (haha). and i have some of those bottom suckers, cleaning fish, but i don't know what they're called. very friendly, but they still probably sucked up some of my poor little fry. also, a week ago i read (and saw photos) about the parasites you talk about and have searched for signs since. i have not seen any worms, etc., but i have noted a pinkness around the gills and rear of some of my fish, but only the palest females. i can only see it when they're very near the light. maybe it's just their internal organs? i just don't know if this is normal or if they already had the pinkness when i got them, because i notice more about them as i get more sensitive to the fish's appearances and get to know them and more about them. maybe i'm overanalyzing their appearances. that's characteristic of my personality. one time on one female i did see stringy feces, but only once, and she's been solid since (i read that was a sign of parasites). everyone is acting happy. what do you think? no real signs, but.........? could the pinkness be normal?

[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#10)
by gupppies on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 01:35:31 PM PST

In answer to your question when she will give birth - you'll just have to wait and be vigilant. Once she has given birth, you will know that in about 4 weeks time she's due again. I have never found the colour of the spot to be a great indicator as every fish is different. One thing I look for though is her backside. When they're about to drop fry, the anus sort of sticks out and becomes squarish, you'll know when you see it. Once again every fish is different, so it may be more prevalent in some.
Quite often I will keep my females with the main population rather than stress them out by separating them (sometimes I overlook one). Then I'll sit next to the tank with a little net for hours fishing out the fry. Hope that answered some of your questions.

[ Parent ]

Re: Is the female you separated more colorful and (none / 0) (#11)
by heyheymama on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 03:26:55 PM PST

thank you so much! i needed that. i thought the same thing about separation being stressful. i felt terrible about doing it. she's definitely happier now, back with everyone else. thank you to everyone who replied to me. any information is greatly appreciated!

[ Parent ]

Re: Anytime. Also the four week gestation ... (none / 0) (#15)
by Angelee on Sat Feb 21, 2004 at 02:16:07 PM PST

isn't always a rule. Keep that in mind, especially with the popular females in the tank. I've seen them give birth two weeks after the first. It depends on the female.
"The Rocky Mountain Gupster" ANGELEE
[ Parent ]

pregnancy questions | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 hidden)

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