Guppies are also known as million fish as they can breed out of control when we keep male and female guppy together in the same tank. Female guppies store the sperm of a male guppy and use it to get pregnant in the future multiple times.
A single female guppy can give birth to 1500 guppy fry during their lifetime. With such mating behavior of guppies, many aquarists get eager to know how female guppies give birth. So, How does guppy give birth? Let us find out.
Female guppies retain the eggs inside their body and give birth to the guppy fry. The gestation period of a pregnant guppy is 28-30 days on average, and they can give birth to 2-100 fry at a time. Maintain the water temperature between 78-82 °F to ensure the ideal condition for giving birth.
This article will discuss how guppy gives birth and how to take care of pregnant guppy and their fry. So, let us get into it.
Contents
All about guppy fish giving birth
Guppies are life bearers and give birth to fry.
Female guppies give birth to 2-200 guppies at one time of being pregnant.
The duration of releasing the fry varies on the stress level and environment of the pregnant guppy living.
However, a pregnant guppy usually takes 3-5 hours to release all the fry.
Pregnant guppy will release the fry taking several gaps. Like releasing 2-10 fry at a time, taking a gap, and then again releasing the fry.
However, if your pregnant guppy doesn’t find the right situation for giving birth, the gap between releasing the fry can go for several hours or even days.
Pregnant guppy will release one fry at a time, and it will look like a guppy fry coming one after the another.
Pregnant guppy will take a pause between releasing a group of babies.
When the pregnant guppy releases the fry, you will notice they are coming out in the shape of a circle, and then they are getting uncurled and start swimming.
After some time, the guppy fry will get settled and will explore the tank, finding the best place to hide.
Weak and premature guppy fry will pass away or get eaten by the guppies.
Also read: Is My Guppy Pregnant?
When Is a female guppy ready to give birth?
A female guppy can breed when they reach the age of two months and become a young guppy from a juvenile guppy.
Guppies can breed out of control when male and female guppies are kept in the same tank.
Also, female guppies can store the sperm of the male guppy and use it in the future to get pregnant multiple times.
The gestation period of female pregnant guppy fish is 28-30 days.
However, the gestation period depends on the water conditions and parameters.
Inadequate parameters and poor water quality will extend the days of the gestation period.
Guppy fish will be ready to release the fry one the last 7-8 days of their gestation period.
At the third week of the gestation period, separating the pregnant guppy and placing them in a separate tank or a breeder box will be necessary for the safety of the pregnant guppy and their fry.
Also read: Should I Separate My Pregnant Guppy?
8 signs pregnant guppy about to give birth
These are the eight signs pregnant guppy is about to give birth:
- Your pregnant guppy will have a darker and enlarged gravid spot.
- A female pregnant guppy will develop an angular shape belly (\_/) like this.
- A female pregnant guppy will show hiding behavior when about to release the fry.
- Your pregnant guppy will become aggressive and will show aggression.
- Your female pregnant guppy will refuse to eat as the fry will take up the space.
- You will notice that your female pregnant guppy will breathe rapidly.
- Female pregnant guppy will swim at one spot of the tank (mostly the bottom of the tank).
- You will notice that your pregnant guppy is shaking or shivering (Contraction).
Also read: 8 Signs Guppy Is About To Give Birth?
Do guppies give birth all at once?
Guppies are life bearers and don’t give birth all at once.
Pregnant guppy will give birth to one fry at a time.
You will notice fry is coming one by one in a group.
Pregnant female guppy will take a gap between releasing the group of fry.
Usually, it takes 5-6 hours on average for a pregnant guppy to release all the fry.
However, it completely depends on the stress level of the pregnant guppy.
Pregnant guppy in high-level stress can take more time to release the fry, and even it can result in miscarriage.
We suggest separating the pregnant guppy and placing them in a separate tank or a breeder box when they are about to release the fry.
Also read: Why Is My Pregnant Guppy Moving Up And Down?
Pregnant guppy care.
Taking good care of female pregnant guppy is necessary for the good health of mother guppy and the guppy fry.
Female guppies will be under some level of stress when they are pregnant, and it is natural.
However, we cannot do anything in case of natural stress when pregnant, but we can ensure that our pregnant guppy doesn’t get any other stress.
For that, we should take care of all these things:
- Ensure good water condition.
- Provide your pregnant guppy fish water temperature between 78-82 °F to ensure ideal conditions.
- Create lots of hiding places for your pregnant guppy.
- Avoid having aggressive tankmates.
- Feed your pregnant guppy a small pinch of food 3-4 times a day.
- Place your pregnant guppy in a breeder box or a separate tank when they reach the third week of gestation period.
Provide your pregnant guppy a stress-free environment to make sure that they give birth to healthy fry and keep themselves healthy.
Also read: Why Is My Pregnant Guppy Not Eating?
Mother guppy care after releasing the fry.
Female guppies will be weak for several hours after releasing the fry.
The process and stress level while releasing the fry will make them weak.
Consider keeping the mother guppy in a separate tank for several hours after they release the fry.
Keeping them in a separate tank will help them calm down and lower their stress level.
Mother guppy will also be hungry after releasing the fry as the space which the fry was covering inside the mother guppy will become empty.
So, feed the mother guppy adequately and ensure ideal water conditions for their recovery.
Also read: Why Did My Guppy Die After Giving Birth?
Guppy fry care.
The first thing to take care of the guppy fry is to separate the guppy fry from the mother guppy and place them in a separate tank or let them remain in the breeder box.
Guppies lack parental instinct and will happily eat their fry, thinking of them as a tasty snack.
Separate the mother guppy from the guppy fry as soon they give birth to the fry.
We don’t recommend keeping the guppy fry in a breeder box for more than a week as it can affect their growth and development.
Avoid the breeder box if you have a separate tank for your guppy fry.
However, it takes time for a pregnant guppy to release the fry, and in this process, the mother guppy will end up eating some of the babies, and you cannot do anything about this.
Feed your guppy fry food that contains a good amount of protein.
Feed baby brine shrimp to your guppy fry as it is the best food for your guppy fry.
Feed them a tiny pinch at a time for 4-5 times a day as they will not be able to eat a lot at a single time, and it will contaminate your tank.
Also read: When Can Guppy Fry Go With Adults?
Conclusion:
Guppies are life bearers and give birth to the guppy fry.
Guppy fish retain the eggs within their body and give birth to the guppy fry.
The gestation period of a pregnant guppy fish is 28-30 days, depending on the water condition and the parameters.
Maintain the water temperature between 78-82 °F to ensure the ideal condition for giving birth.
Pregnant guppy fish can give birth to 2-100 guppy fry at a time.
Female guppy will give birth one guppy fry at a time, and you will notice that the fry is coming one by one in line.
Reference: ResearchGate, NCBI, NCBI, Wikipedia, Journals