The guppy fish, also known as million fish or lebistes (Poecilia reticulata) is a species native to South America, but it is currently possible to find it in all corners of the world, due to the ease of its care, which make it a very popular fish among aquarists.
However, reproduction of guppy fish is often somewhat difficult, especially among people with little experience in this species, or when carried out improperly. Find out below how to raise guppies responsibly and properly.
How do guppies mate?
The guppy is very popular, not only because of the little care it requires, but also because of the ease with which it reproduces. However, this is also a drawback and one of the main causes of irresponsible breeding: they have tendency to overpopulation So that this does not happen to you, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the mating ritual.
The guppy is an ovoviviparous animal, this means that, unlike most fish, it does not lay eggs, but that the female matures them inside until the fry are born. During mating, the male chases and harasses the female, who hides from him among the plants and objects in the aquarium. When she allows him to come closer, or she is distracted, the male inserts hisanal fin, thereby releasing the sperm. This is a quick action, which often goes unnoticed by humans.
The female stores the sperm; on average, during heat she will ovulate every three days, so she can use the same sperm days after storage. Once fertilized, gestation lasts between twenty-eight and thirty-one days.
How do I know if my female guppy is pregnant?
Even if you were not able to observe the mating ritual, if your female guppy is pregnant you will notice some specific signs. It can also happen if someone has offered you this fish for adoption without knowing that she was pregnant. In any case, you need to know if she is pregnant or not to take the necessary measures and care.
One of the main signs of a pregnant guppy is that they get visibly fatter over the weeks. When the guppy is pregnant with eggs, you will notice a dark spot on her abdomen, which is called " gravid spot "; this spot darkens when the eggs are fertilized.
Also, many females lose their appetite and become nervouse restless; It is also common for them to rub against objects in the aquarium, such as plants and the glass of the tank itself.
During this stage, stress should be avoided for the mother-to-be, otherwise a spontaneous abortion could occur. Avoid hitting the walls of the tank and be sure to separate the guppy-compatible fish that share the tank with her, especially if they show hostile attitudes.
How do I know if my guppy is going to give birth?
Although the delivery is simple and not very risky for the mother and the fry, if there are other fish around they can devour the newborns, therein lies the importance of detecting promptly when the female starts work Of childbirth. Gestation lasts about 28 days, it doesn't matter if you don't know the date of mating or you didn't realize when it happened, knowing that the female is going to give birth is not hard.
First of all, in the days before, you will notice his abdomen more swollen even losing its round shape to become a little square. The pregnant point, which has been getting darker during the wait, will look bigger. You will also see many tiny black dots, which are nothing more than the eyes of the fry that are about to hatch.
Other signs are loss of appetite and even throwing food back, as well as a nervous behavior. Contractions, described as small tremors in the female's body, are normal during labor. Seeing a female guppy giving birth is, without a doubt, a unique process.
If the female is in an aquarium, either in the company of fish of her species or with different companions, it is preferable to move her to a breeding aquariumwhen you perceive that it is not long before delivery, in this way you prevent the newborns from being eaten by others.
The litters are large, up to a hundred individuals, and the female can take up to three days to give birth to all of them. Do not forget that, being oviparous, what the female gives birth to are not eggs, but fry that are already alive and independent. Once hatched, she returns the female to the community aquarium and keeps the fry in the breeding tank, because her own mother is capable of devouring them
How to take care of guppy fry?
From the moment they are born, the fry are completely independent, so taking care of their care will not be difficult. After three months they acquire complete maturity, before this time it is advisable that they remain in the breeding aquarium.
Keep the water at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and change it weekly during the growing period with great care. Add plenty of plants, as well as a filter sponge with protection so it doesn't suck in the fry.
Feed the young two to three times a day, with food specially ground for them. As with the adult guppy, the fry need food to be deposited on the surface of the water so that they can reach it with their upper mouths. It is recommended to use artemias and small worms, as well as flakes.
Remove sick or dead fish from the tank as soon as you spot them, to avoid infecting others.
How to raise guppy fish responsibly?
Indiscriminate reproduction is one of the main problems faced by this species. Either due to ignorance of the mating ritual and the reproduction process, or because they are unscrupulous people, because many take advantage of the fertility of these fish to reproduce females regularly, regardless of the conditions of the aquarium, or the high rate of mortality when the right conditions are not provided.
In addition, the search for certain color combinations, carried out by amateurs, has contributed to weakening the genetic load of the species, no matter how interesting the specimens may be externally. This results in weak specimens with low life expectancy.
The same happens when aggressive males mate, something somewhat unusual in the species, but which is transmitted genetically if the fish manage to mate.
By reproducing so easily, if care is not taken the aquarium will soon fill with hundreds of fishTo avoid this, it is best to adopt only females or only males, keep them in separate aquariums or have them live in a community tank with other species, a situation that usually inhibits them from reproducing. Even so, if you notice that the males harass their partners and you do not have the capacity to provide good care for more fry, you should separate them until the oestrus phase is over.
