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can a guppy 'hold' a fry?
By ShannyG from the ShannyG department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 12:31:36 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

My first litter of (surprise) fry were born two weeks ago today. Since then I have purchased an additional female, also pregnant. Since my original female dropped two weeks ago, I didn't expect her to drop again until mid-April, and she didn't look 'ready' anyway. I would have guesstimated (again, with two weeks' experience :-) that the new female was about a week behind the original female.

Today, in the opposite side of a divided ten gallon tank from the two aforementioned females, I found one ENORMOUS fry. It is nearly the size of the two week old fry. I watched for a long time and neither female dropped any more.
I have read that females can drop biweekly but I swear this fry was intended to be a littermate of the ones that were born two weeks ago. Could she have 'gone long' on just one baby?

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can a guppy 'hold' a fry? | 9 comments (9 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

(Comment Deleted) (none / 0) (#9)
by rossi on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 05:26:06 AM PST

This comment has been deleted by unclescott

Re: can a guppy 'hold' a fry? (none / 0) (#8)
by guppity on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 05:32:02 AM PST

All i know is that they should only have the fry in their stomach for 21-26 days.

Sorry i coulnt get you all the info.
guppity

Re: can a guppy 'hold' a fry? (none / 0) (#3)
by Nancy4Fishes on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 12:22:20 PM PST

i'm pretty sure they can. but are you sure it isn't a youngster of another species? maybe a hitch hiker from a plant?

Re: can a guppy 'hold' a fry? (none / 0) (#1)
by New Guppy Momma on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 09:48:41 AM PST

I think they can. At least I have read that somewhere on here. I think one of my females is doing just that. She dropped a few fry on the 24th but still looks very pregnant. I'm watching for more fry next week. At least they can't eat the "giant" fry.
Before all else fails....do a 25% water change ;)

Enough Guppyloggers have observed that (none / 0) (#2)
by unclescott on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 11:28:43 AM PST

their females have dropped over a little more than a day. Certainly I have had platies drop over the course of a week.

However, if your enormous fry is a half an inch long or larger, I wonder if it is the product of (and survivor from) a previous batch of fry. People have been astonished by the ability of a fry (or several) to hide away and appear when larger. I even pulled close to a dozen fry (of another species) from under a filter plate.

When stories of fry survival start up at a gathering of fish heads, it almost sounds like tall tale time. :)

What's that line from Jurassic Park? "Nature will find a way." ;)

All the best!
unc

[ Parent ]

Re: Enough Guppyloggers have observed that (none / 0) (#4)
by ShannyG on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 01:15:45 PM PST

Unc, I would be tempted to believe this was a fry I missed but I've only had this tank for a week and I vacuum it two or three times a day. I just don't think I could have missed a fry in all those vacuuming sessions. It is just the strangest thing. We are referring to it as the 'alien fry' until we are disproved.

[ Parent ]

Re: Enough Guppyloggers have observed that (none / 0) (#5)
by miskairal on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 01:38:37 PM PST

How did you setup that tank Shanny? Did you use some water that you had syphoned out or the original tank or some gravel that you may have scooped up?
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help
[ Parent ]

Re: Enough Guppyloggers have observed that (none / 0) (#6)
by ShannyG on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 02:06:33 PM PST

I didn't use any gravel or plants from the original tank. I did use some water, but I always check my water for 'surprises'.

[ Parent ]

It the tank with the mystery fish near any (none / 0) (#7)
by unclescott on Mon Apr 03, 2006 at 12:18:45 PM PST

other? Jumping fish are not unknown. Some gardneris I sold to a pet shop were found four tanks down the row. ;)

Just a thought. :)

ATB!
unc

[ Parent ]

can a guppy 'hold' a fry? | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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