Guppies are the most favorite and familiar pet all over the world. Both beginners and professionals have guppies in their tanks. However, guppies being a very simple and non-demanding pet makes us sometimes worry about some unusual activities guppies perform. So, why is my pregnant guppy not eating? Let us find out the reason behind it.Â
Pregnant guppies usually don’t eat when they are close to releasing their fry. But there can be other reasons as well, like, stress and overfeeding. Try adding a tiny bit of food to check if they nibble. Else, wait for the guppy to give birth, then try feeding them again.
There are some reasons for pregnant guppy not eating and some solutions to make them eat; let’s get deep into it and try to find the answer to your problem.
Contents
Possible reason for pregnant guppy not eating
There can be some reasons behind your pregnant guppies not eating:
Stress
Stress can be the reason for your pregnant guppies not eating. When your guppies are pregnant, they can come under stress because of these reasons:
- Long time in breeder box: If you put your pregnant guppy in a breeder box for a long time, they can come under stress, resulting in your pregnant guppy aborting the fry. Yes, they can abort the fry if they get stressed out. However, guppies under stress will not usually eat anything too.
- Pregnant guppy is sick: If your pregnant guppy is suffering from any disease, they will usually come under stress, resulting in not feeding themselves.
- Water condition: Water condition plays a vital role in your guppy’s life; if they don’t get adequate water conditions, they can come under stress and start eating nothing. An owner should make sure to provide their guppies a perfect water conditions to make them live healthily.
Your pregnant guppy Is about to release fry.
Pregnant guppies usually will not eat anything when they are about to give birth to the fry, and it’s completely normal behavior, so there is nothing to worry about if this is the reason behind your pregnant guppy not eating.
Fear
Fear can make your pregnant guppy not eat. They can fear the aggressive fishes present in their tank, which will make them come under stress, resulting in guppy not eating anything.
Overfeeding
Overfeeding can be the reason behind your pregnant guppy not eating, and it is also applicable in normal guppy not eating.
If you feed your guppy in an excessive manner, then they will stop eating by the time. However, Overfeeding can also make your guppies sick, so an owner should make sure not to overfeed their guppies.Â
How to make pregnant guppy eat
To make your pregnant guppy eat, you have to provide them such water conditions in which they live freely and happily:
- Water temperature: The water temperature of the guppies should match their natural habitat. The water temperature of your guppies should be between 50 to 84°F. You can increase the water temperature of your tank a little bit; this may result in your pregnant guppy eat.
- Water ph level: The pH level of water should be between 6.8 to 7.8. The ph level should always correlate with the water hardness, which means if the water is hardy, then the ph level should also be high.
- Flow of water: Guppies enjoy a strong water flow, but an owner should make sure that this should not cover the entire tank.
Guppies are a species that lives in freshwater. Therefore, it is essential to provide them clean and fresh water for their health and longer lifespan. Your pregnant guppy can fall sick by catching various diseases without clean water, resulting in no eating anymore. In addition, dirty water can affect your guppies health as it contains several bacteria and viruses.
Feed your pregnant guppy small meals
When the guppies get pregnant, they cannot eat much because the fry occurs in their stomachs. So provide them small meals 4 to 5 times a day rather than providing big ones 1 to 2 times a day.
In pregnancy, guppies need a good amount of nutrition to sustain themselves and the fry. An owner can offer frozen or live brine shrimp daily with frozen bloodworms and spirulina flakes, as varieties contribute to good nutrition.
If water condition and the food you are providing is not a reason for your pregnant guppy not eating, then you should consult with a professional vet.Â
Usually, pregnant guppies don’t eat much when they are about to release fry; they can also hold releasing the fry if they come under stress or feel uncomfortable for other reasons.
Don’t keep your pregnant guppy in the breeder box for an extended period, as you should only keep them in the breeder box for a day or two, as keeping them longer in a breeder box can make them come under stress, resulting in your pregnant guppy not eating.
Being longer in a breeder box can also cause your guppy to adopt a fry.
Conclusion:
If your pregnant guppy is not eating, there can be some reason behind it, like the water condition is not good and they are not feeling comfortable in such water condition. An owner should always make sure to provide them with an adequate water condition that matches their natural habitat for their health and longer lifespan. A pregnant guppy can easily come under stress because of fear, being longer in the breeder box, terrible water conditions, and being sick, So, we have to look after such issues. Try feeding your pregnant guppy small meals 4 to 5 times a day rather than feeding them big meals two times a day.
Related Questions:
Why is my guppy not eating?
There can be various reasons behind your guppy not eating food, but the most common reasons are illness and inadequate water conditions.
Are my guppies stressed?
There are various signs to detect that if your guppy is under stress. Losing appetite, changes in physical appearance, or erratically swimming are the common signs for detecting stress.
Reference: ResearchGate, NCBI