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How long before fry can be with adults?
By jesshorn from the Jesshorn (newbie guppie owner and poster) department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 12:32:46 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

I am new to everything guppies! I am wondering how big fry need to be before they can be put in the general population

I currently have a small tank (4 gal) in my office with two adults guppies and one fry in a breeding tank. The fry is about one month old (his littermates all died after about a week) and about one cm total length including tail. I can't have another tank just for the fry so I am wondering how big the fry needs to be before I can add him (?) to the general population without getting eaten. He seems very healthy, swims a lot and eats well. The tank temperature hovers right around 76 degrees. I feed him two to three times a day. The adults seem healthy. I read in another post that keeping them in a breeding tank can keep them from growing. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

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How long before fry can be with adults? | 13 comments (7 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#8)
by J-ME on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 10:29:24 AM PST

I wait until the fry are about 1 month old. Longer if the look to be small enough to fit into the bigger fishs mouth. Thats kinda how I tell when they are old enough.

But also if you get plants and some kinda of decoration for the tank that has like a cave or holes in it that the fry can hide in then they do a pretty good job of keeping themselves safe.
Happy fish keeping :-)

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#6)
by miskairal on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 02:13:53 AM PST

Usually about now would be safe. I usually put mine back in with adults around the 4-6 week mark depending on how well grown they are and what hiding material there is. However, your 4 gallon tank (about 15 litres) might mean the fry has less chance of escaping so I'd be waiting a bit longer. So long as you do regular weekly water changes the fry should grow alright.

Umm, have you thought though about what you will do if more fry are born? That will mean way too many for that tank. Sorry to the bearer of bad news. You will either have to be tough and not watch as babies get eaten or get another tank or you could just keep all the fry and watch as they all slowly die off from disease caused by stress caused by too small of a tank. Been there, done that and don't recommend it.

Good luck to your one little fry and may the rest be born when you're not at work and you never know a thing about it.
--
Repeat after me,
I will read the Immediate Help

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#1)
by RaiderFan92 on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 09:06:08 AM PST

Sorry, but this has been asked a few times before. Im pretty sure (Not being sarcastic, I just dont know for sure) the answer is in the Immediate Help. And if it isnt I can tell you! (YAA! I can help somebody!)

You can usually let them back into the main tank when theve double in size from when they were first born. By then, they should be fast and smart enough to keep away from the other guppies. But if you have other fish in the tank, like a dwarf gourami, I wouldnt be so eager to let him out. Id wait a couple more weeks after hes doubled in size. But thats just me.
"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."-FDR. True, unless your playing against the Oakland Raiders.

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#2)
by jesshorn on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 11:46:22 AM PST

thanks for the suggestion. Also, I promise I did look in immediate help for this answer and every response was to put them in a different tank, which I can not do unfortunately!

But thanks for the feedback!

[ Parent ]

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#3)
by New Guppy Momma on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 12:55:01 PM PST

I have one suggestion. Next time add some extra plastic plants to the tank and just let the fry be in there. That's all I have done and within 3 months I had over 100 fish from 2 females. These tiny fish breed worse than rabbits.
So get a couple more plants, plastic works for me, and a small rock/cave with small spaces or holes that fry can hide in, and then turn him loose. He should be smart enough to dash for cover if the parents come too close. Also if it has been a month since his birth you can expect some siblings for him anytime now.
Good-luck.
Before all else fails....do a 25% water change ;)
[ Parent ]

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#13)
by Fry Grandma on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 01:00:31 PM PST

You give me hope. It wasn't until I did a partial water change yesterday that I noticed some guppy fry hiding in the floating plant in my tank. I don't know how long they have been there, but I started taking care to feed some powdered flakes to them often, and I am hoping that they can continue to hide in that vegetation. Anyone else had success with this?

[ Parent ]

Re: How long before fry can be with adults? (none / 0) (#4)
by Scott Lockwood on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 02:51:02 PM PST

This is my prefered method, in all 7 (Yes! I'm down to only 7 tanks!) of my tanks.

"I love to visit PetSmart's Tropical Fish Dept. to see what new diseases are around today." -- inkmaker
[ Parent ]

How long before fry can be with adults? | 13 comments (7 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden)

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