Guppies are also known as million fish. That is because guppy fish can breed out of control right after releasing the fry. A female guppy stores the sperm of a male guppy and then uses that sperm multiple times throughout their life to get pregnant.
Male and female guppies in the same tank will result in unlimited breeding. Therefore, we must know the signs that indicate our female pregnant guppy is about to give birth when keeping guppies in our tank. So, let us find out the 8 signs Guppy is about to give birth.
Darker gravid spots and an angular belly are the primary signs of guppy about to give birth. Other signs include hiding, refusal to eat, and staying at one spot. Provide your guppy, stress-free environment and a water temperature between 78-82°F to ensure the ideal condition for giving birth.
This article will discuss the signs of a pregnant guppy about to give birth. Also, we will learn how to take care of a pregnant guppy and guppy fry. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Is my guppy fish about to give birth?
Many signs indicate that your guppy is about to give birth to fry, of which the primary sign is a darker and enlarged gravid spot.
Other signs, like aggression, hiding behaviour, and refusing to eat, indicate that your guppy fish is about to give birth.
The average gestation period of guppy fish is 30 days, depending on the aquarium’s condition.
Consider providing your guppy fish stress-free environment and adequate water temperature to create an ideal condition for your pregnant guppy to release the fry.
Also read: Is My Guppy Pregnant?
8 signs female guppy is about to give birth.
These are the signs that indicate that your pregnant female guppy is about to give birth:
- Your pregnant female guppy will have a darker gravid spot.
- Your pregnant female guppy will have an angular shape belly.
- Your pregnant female guppy will show hiding behaviour.
- Your pregnant female guppy will show aggression.
- Your pregnant female guppy will refuse to eat.
- Your pregnant female guppy will swim in one spot.
- You will notice rapid breathing.Â
- You will notice your female pregnant guppy is shaking or shivering.
Gravid spot
Female guppies have a dark gravid spot near the anal fin.
The female guppy’s gravid spot becomes darker when they get pregnant.
Also, the gravid spot will get enlarged.
A gravid spot becoming darker and more enlarged is a sign that a pregnant female guppy is about to give birth.
Angular shape belly
Female guppies develop an angular belly when pregnant and about to give birth.
Your pregnant female guppy will develop (\_/); this shape belly when they are about to give birth.
Hiding behaviour
Pregnant female guppies will show hiding behaviour when they are about to give birth.
Pregnant female guppies will separate themselves from other guppies and hide between plants or stay at the corner of the tank when they are about to give birth.
You can easily spot this behaviour, as this is not normal in guppies.
Aggression
Pregnant female guppies become weak when pregnant and about to give birth as they start refusing to eat.
To protect themselves from other guppies and tankmates, they show themselves strong by displaying aggressive behaviour.Â
Also, female pregnant guppies will show aggression because of stress.
Refusal to eat
Pregnant female guppies will refuse to eat when they are about to give birth because of the space being taken up by the fry.
Such behaviour of your female pregnant guppy will indicate that she is about to give birth.
Also read: Why Is My Pregnant Guppy Not Eating?
Swim at one spot
Your pregnant female guppy will swim at one spot when they are about to give birth.
Pregnant female guppies will stay in the corner of the tank most of the time, separated by other guppies and tankmates.
You can separate your pregnant female guppy from the rest of the guppies.
Rapid breathing
You will notice that your pregnant guppy fish will breathe faster than usual.
Usually, guppies show such behaviour when the water quality is poor and there is a lack of oxygen in the water.
But, your pregnant female guppy can breathe faster when under stress and about to release the fry.
Shuddering or shivering
Your female pregnant guppy will constantly try to bend her spin so that the tail fins come upside.
This sign indicates that your pregnant female guppy is having contractions.
You should separate the female pregnant guppy from others at this time.
Pregnant female guppy care
The average gestation period of a female pregnant guppy is 30 days.
This period can increase or decrease according to the condition of water and other things.
Your pregnant female guppy will require a stress-free environment and a warm water temperature to release the fry.
Provide your pregnant guppy water temperature between 78-82 °F.
Consider adding a heater to your guppy fish tank to ensure stable water temperature.
We recommend using the Fluval M200 Submersible heater for your tank.
You can buy this product at Amazon: Fluval M200 Submersible Heater.
Ensure to provide lots of hiding places for your pregnant guppy.
There are many options available when it comes to adding hiding places in your guppy fish tank, of which rock caves are good.
You can buy rock caves at Amazon: Stackable Aquarium Decoration Rock Caves.
Avoid adding any aggressive tankmate to your guppy’s tank, as it can stress your guppies. Also, your pregnant guppy can come under panic mode because of aggressive fish, resulting in miscarriage.
Separate your female pregnant guppy and place them in another tank when they are about to give birth.
A pregnant guppy will refuse to eat food when releasing the fry.
A pregnant guppy will not eat much at a time because of the space taken up by the fry.
Consider feeding your guppies four to five times a day in small quantities.
Also read: Should I Separate My Pregnant Guppy?
Guppy fry care
You must know that guppies don’t have parental instincts.
Adult guppies, including mother guppies, will happily eat on their fry, thinking of them as food.
So, keep your fry in a separate tank until they get big enough to fit in adult guppies’ mouths.
Don’t keep your guppy fry in a breeding box for long, as it can affect their growth. Instead, consider keeping fry in a separate tank.
You can use the Pawfly Fish Breeding Box to keep your guppy fry separately.
You can buy this product at Amazon: Pawfly Fish Breeding Box.
Feed your guppy fry nutritional food four to five times a day in a small quantity at a time.
Consider feeding baby brine shrimp and high-quality flake food to your guppy fry to ensure faster growth and enhance colour.
We recommend feeding your guppy fry with ocean nutrition baby brine shrimp as it contains all the nutritional value they require.
You can buy this product at Amazon: Ocean Nutrition Baby Brine Shrimp.
Make sure to crush the flake food before serving your guppy fry so they can eat easily.
Also read: Can Guppy Fry Survive In A Community Tank?
Conclusion:
Numerous signs indicate your female pregnant guppy is about to give birth, of which the primary sign is a darker and enlarged gravid spot.
Other signs include angular shape belly, hiding behaviour, shivering, aggression, and appetite loss.
Feed your pregnant guppy four to five times a day in a small quantity and provide a stress-free environment to create an ideal condition for them to release the fry.
Also, ensure providing your female pregnant guppy with a water temperature between 78-82 °F.
Reference: NCBI, Wikipedia, ResearchGate