Guppies are also known as million fish as they breed out of control. Male and female guppy fish in the same tank will result in out of control breeding. So, knowing all care to take when the female guppy is pregnant is essential when you have guppies in your tank.
A common question people ask when their female guppy gets pregnant is should they move their pregnant guppy to a separate tank. So, Should I separate my pregnant guppy? Let us find out.
We should separate pregnant guppy when they are about to give birth. By looking at the pregnant guppy’s gravid spot and other physical changes, you can detect that your guppy will give birth. The gravid spot of the guppy will be enlarged and darker when they are about to release the fry.
We will discuss when to move pregnant guppy to a separate tank and how to take care of a pregnant guppy fish in this article. So, let us get into it.
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Should I move my female pregnant guppy to another tank?
Moving the pregnant guppy to a separate tank when ready to release the fry is essential.
There are multiple reasons for moving the pregnant guppy to a separate tank:
- Female pregnant guppy needs a safe and ideal environment for releasing the fry.
- Guppy will not give birth if there are any issues like aggressive tankmate, overcrowded tank, and unfavorable water parameters.
- All the other tankmates will look at the guppy fry as a tasty snack and try to eat them.
You must know that guppies lack parental instinct, and mother guppies will not back off when it comes to eating their fry.
So, it is also equally important to move the pregnant guppy back to another tank as soon they release the fry. Otherwise, mother guppy will eat their fry.
After the pregnant female guppy release the fry, you should move the female guppy to another tank and give them time to recover for one day, and then you can move them back to the home aquarium.
Also read: Can Guppy Fry Survive In A Community Tank?
When should we move our pregnant guppy to a separate tank?
We should separate our female pregnant guppy when they are about to release the fry soon.
We can know that our female pregnant guppy is about to release the fry by looking at their gravid spot.
There are other symptoms too, which female pregnant guppy shows when they are about to release the fry:
- Pregnant guppy will show hiding behavior.
- Pregnant guppy will refuse to eat.
- Pregnant guppy will be aggressive.
When the last stage of pregnancy occurs, the gravid spot of the pregnant guppy will be darker, and the guppy will be fat and bloated.
The average gestation period of guppy fish is 30 days.
Make sure not to keep pregnant guppy in a separate tank for more than two days.
Guppies don’t perform great living alone, so we should make sure not to make them live alone for a long time.
Keeping guppies in a separate tank for a long time can make your guppy come under stress, and it will affect their pregnancy.
If the pregnant guppy doesn’t give birth after 24 hours of being living in the separated tank, consider moving them back to the home aquarium.
This time consider increasing the water temperature of the home aquarium to help the maturation process of the fry.
Move them back to a separate tank once you notice that your pregnant guppy is now ready to release the fry.
Also read: Is My Guppy Pregnant?
Things to be taken care of when moving pregnant guppy to another tank?
These are the things you should care about when moving the female pregnant guppy to a separate tank:
- Move the pregnant guppy fish very gently to a separate tank.
- Ensure that the quality of the water in another tank is good.
- Make sure to match the other tank’s water parameters as same as the home aquarium.
Matching the water parameter is essential when moving the pregnant guppy to a separate tank.
Sudden changes in water parameters will stress the pregnant guppy, resulting in the pregnant guppy coming into critical condition.
| Particulars | Guppy Fish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82 °F |
| Water pH level | 6.8-7.8 |
Pregnant guppy care
When it comes to taking care of pregnant guppy, food is the primary thing to consider.
Pregnant guppy will refuse to eat. But, adequately feeding pregnant guppy is essential for both pregnant guppy and fry.
Feed your guppy a small pinch of food 3-4 times a day.
Pregnant guppy will not be able to eat at one time as the fry will cover up the space.
So, feeding them small pinches at a time will make sure not to overfeed them, and the tank will also not get dirty by food leftovers.
You can feed your pregnant guppy live or frozen food. Pellets and flake food will also do great for them.
Only make sure to feed them in a small pinch 3-4 times a day.
Other than the food, there are other things to be taken care of when your female guppy is pregnant.
When the guppy is pregnant, they become weak and need hiding places to hide from other tankmates.
So, consider creating hiding spots by adding aquatic plants, aquarium rock, and other decors.
Also read: Why Is My Pregnant Guppy Not Eating?
Conclusion:
We should move the female pregnant guppy to a separate tank when they are about to release the fry.
Moving the pregnant female guppy when they are about to release the fry is important for both the pregnant guppy and fry.
You can detect that your guppy is about to release the fry by looking at their gravid spot and other physical changes.
The gravid spot of the pregnant female guppy will get enlarged and darker when about to release the fry.
Also, your female pregnant guppy will get fat and bloated.