All information about breeding guppies. Guppy aquarium fish breeding

For guppies breeding in an aquarium? natural process. How often your fish will produce offspring and how viable fry will depend on general conditions content.

Breeding guppies can be a fun activity, as the fish different colors interbreed well, which allows you to get unique, new colors of guppies.

How to distinguish between a female and a male guppy

In this species of fish, sex determination does not cause difficulties.

Males, as a rule, are smaller than females and slimmer - from 2 to 4 cm, their tail is much larger, and the anal fin has turned into a gonopodia (the tube through which fertilization occurs).

Guppy females are relatively large - up to 6 cm, they have a noticeable belly and a paler shade.

How do guppies breed in an aquarium? Peculiarities

For breeding guppies, several females and one male should be selected (more is possible, but one is enough), which will constantly pursue females and fertilize. In such a period, it is better not to interfere with him - this is a condition for successful breeding.

The aquarium should have pure water, the fish are fed abundantly during this period. After pregnancy becomes noticeable in female guppies - an enlarged belly (closer to childbirth, it resembles a trapezoid) and a darkening spot in the anus? they are seated in separate spawning aquariums with a volume of approximately 5 liters. This is done so that the fry do not become food for the neighbors.

For about a month, the female carries eggs in her stomach, this period can be extended to 7 weeks - it all depends on the type of fish and the conditions of detention. Since guppies are related to viviparous species, she does not lay eggs: an already formed fry is born.

Before giving birth, the female refuses to eat, moves little, tends to swim up to the heater in the aquarium, her tail trembles. Usually, in the first spawning, the female brings up to 25 fry, and in subsequent births, several times more.

In the aquarium, pregnant and giving birth female guppies should have vegetation. Mother guppy can eat her fry, and aquarium plants will give the babies the opportunity to hide. However, in order not to risk offspring, it is best to plant a female guppy immediately after giving birth from the babies into a common aquarium.

guppy fry care

Babies are born already fully formed fish, so caring for guppy fry is no more difficult than caring for adults.

It is recommended to feed the offspring in the first month with finely ground branded flakes for fry (not to be confused with low-nutrient dry food!) Up to four to five times a day. From the second or third month, their diet is exactly the same as that of adults.

Residues of food should be carefully removed. To do this, you can add, for example, snails to the aquarium, which will collect food leftovers without touching the fry. It is important that the aquarium has clean water, but large changes are not recommended - it is enough to change 10% of the water every two days.

The water temperature should be in the range of 24-26.5°C.

At good care guppy fry grow quickly and begin to color by 4-6 weeks. Grown up babies are transplanted into a common aquarium. By about 4 months, guppies become sexually mature.

Guppy endler: breeding in an aquarium

Unlike ordinary guppies, in pygmy guppies, guppi / guppy Endler, reproduction has the following features:

1. The birth spot in female Endler guppies is somewhat lighter than in ordinary ones.
2. The belly of pregnant females remains round before giving birth.
3. Endler's guppies don't eat their fry, so they only put them away in order to provide the kids with proper nutrition.
4. Pregnancy in a female endler guppy lasts 22-23 days.
5. At the same time, from 5 to 25 fry are born.
6. By two months, females become sexually mature.

The reproduction of fish, like any other animals, is a very complex physiological process, which is always accompanied by a number of features and which is influenced by Environment both natural and artificial.

Fish that are ready for breeding after fertilization often need to be kept in special ones, but for this it is important to correctly determine whether the fish is really. Each breed of fish has its own characteristics, which are expressed both in a change in the color of females and in an increase in the abdomen.

swordsmen

Female swordtails are ready to mate already from 8 months, because it is at this age that these fish end puberty.
If the female swordsman is pregnant, a dark spot appears on her stomach, and the stomach itself takes on rounded shapes. Closer to childbirth, the tummy increases and takes on a square shape.

Guppy

Such as guppies, which are also viviparous and very similar to swordtails, have their own breeding characteristics. So that the female guppy does not need the constant presence of the male, this fish can throw fry several times from one mating.

It is quite easy to understand that a fish is pregnant: its sides and abdomen increase significantly. Just like in swordtails, a dark spot is formed at the back, which increases in size closer to childbirth. Thus, the only difference between guppies is the repeated throwing of fry from one partner, while in swordtails it happens once, and the female is immediately planted.

cockerel fish

The breed of fish puberty comes as early as 4 months, a white spot becomes a hallmark of a female's pregnancy, and not a dark one, like that, and of course, a rounded belly.

A feature of female bettas is the very process of birth: the male builds a nest from plants, and when the time comes, he and the female freeze in this nest, then gradually descend to its bottom, where the eggs are released. After that, the male protects the eggs for several days, from which the fry appear, and then he is planted, as well as the female who has given birth.

parrot fish

Bright and funny felling parrots are very popular with lovers today. These fish do not breed well, so they need special conditions. For example, for mating, the water in the aquarium is made warmer, and for throwing, a sink or shelter house is installed. The pregnancy of the fish is expressed by the usual signs - a swollen belly and a dark spot near the tail, but the behavior is also changing: the female is increasingly tending to the bottom and moving away from the light.

Swordtails are small peace-loving fish, the decoration of any aquarium. This type of fish is viviparous, so determine if the female is pregnant swordsman, pretty easy.

Instruction

Swordtails reach puberty by 6-8. If you have purchased juveniles, be sure to ask the seller how many months the fry are, and starting from the age of their puberty, keep an “observation diary” in order to remove the female from the aquarium in time if you want to breed fish. But even if you didn’t bring the fish for divorce, the female should still be planted before, since immediately after them she is too weak, and other aquariums can enjoy eating her and the fry.

Fertilization takes place inside the female and takes about 2 days, and the remaining sperm is stored in her body until a new caviar matures. Pregnancy proceeds within 4-6 weeks. Its duration is greatly influenced by water temperature (should be at least 20-25 ° C), daylight hours and feeding regimen.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:

Kingdom: Animals.

Type: Chordates.

Class: Ray-finned fish.

Order: Carp-tooth-shaped.

Family: Pecilia (Poeciliidae).

Genus: Pecilia.

Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata, Peters, 1859.

Also known: Lebistes poecilioides De Filippi, 1861; Girardinus guppii Gunther, 1866.

Water parameters for keeping guppies in an aquarium:

Temperature: 20 - 26 C;

Acidity, 6.5 - 8.5 pH;

Hardness: up to 25 gH;

Maximum size: 6cm (females), 3cm (males);

Aggressiveness: peaceful;

Filtration is good, weekly 25% water changes.

Guppies, also known as Poecilia reticulata, also known as Millions Fish (fish of millions), are at all times one of the favorite fish not only for beginners, but also for seasoned aquarists. Their coloration is as individual as a fingerprint, making each fish a unique and inimitable work of art. Each guppy is a masterpiece!

No wonder guppies were the most popular fish of the last century. Enthusiast breeders managed, in just a few decades, to transform wild guppies - they were mostly gray fish, with a few colored spots. But, in the hands of breeders, guppies turned into fish with the most saturated and bright colors.

Beloved by all guppies are not limited only to the magnificent appearance, their personality is characterized by the perfect balance of activity and confidence.

guppy habitat

They live in the northeastern part of South America, Central America, the southern part of the Caribbean, primarily Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana with the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles. Currently, as a result of artificial acclimatization, these fish have spread to all continents. Wild specimens are relatively rare in home aquariums, most of the fish in our stores come from commercial farms.

Incredibly, however, this species of fish has adapted to almost all biotopes: from high mountain streams to muddy swamps and canals. Some populations also exist in water bodies with brackish water. However, the fish feel most comfortable in places with dense vegetation.

A little history about guppies

The history of the small guppy fish begins with the settlement on the island of Trinidad, near the delta of the South American Orinoco River, by the family of Robert Guppy (R. Guppy), a lawyer by profession. The son of a lawyer, Robert John Lechmer Guppy, a paleontologist, was fond of botany and collected beautiful tropical flowers in the vicinity of the capital of Port of Spain, Trinidad. The St. Anna River flowed through this town, in the upper reaches of which, in 1866, small fish were found. Later, but in the same year, Lechmere Guppy caught a few specimens and took them with him to England. Under the watchful eye of Lechmere Guppy, the fish made it through a four-week sea voyage and were exhibited in the British Museum. natural history, the director of which was the then famous scientist Dr. Elbert Günther. The fish were described as belonging to the genus Girardinus and named after the Guppy who found and delivered them, Girardinus guppyi. ( interesting fact, these fish are kept and sow the day in the British Museum.) However, Elbert Günther did not know that seven years earlier these fish were described by Professor Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters from specimens obtained from Venezuela, the length of which was 39 mm, and the height of the body in females 9 mm, which is why the name Poecilia reticulate Peters existed from 1859 until 1861. And in 1861, the Italian researcher F. De Filippi (De Filippi), studied the preserved specimens of small guppy fish obtained from Barbados and described a new genus Lebistes, and the fish was named Lebistes poeciloides. Subsequently, in accordance with the rules of scientific priority, they were named Lebistes reticulatus (Peters, 1859). Under this name, fish are mentioned in aquarium literature until 1963. In 1963, under the guidance of ichthyologists D. E. Rosen and R. M. Bailey, the last revision of viviparous fish belonging to the pecilli (the results of which were published in 1963 in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History), on the basis of which the guppy fish was returned the original name Poecilia reticulate Peters, 1859.

In the countries of continental Europe, the pronunciation of the word Guppy, distorted in the German manner, as “Guppy”, has taken root. And here is the correct one English name fish consumed in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia - Guppy.

Subsequently, this fish could be found in the literature under the following names: Millions Fish, Million Fish, Fancy Guppy, Ornamental Guppy, Rainbow Fish, Fancy Millions Fish Guppy.

Description of guppy

The wide variety of colors within the species, the ability to reproduce easily and quickly, has allowed breeders to create an incredible variety of breeds with all kinds of color combinations and patterns.

Guppy is a small fish with an elongated body structure. Like platies, mollies, and swordtails, they are members of the family of platies, which have teeth in the upper and lower jaws.

The length of the male guppy does not exceed 3 cm, the female - 6 cm. The body of the male is elongated, slender, somewhat flattened laterally. The body of the female is also elongated, with a more flattened posterior part laterally. The male guppies are much brighter and have not only a beautiful pattern, but also luxurious tails and fins, while the fins of the females are short and the color is weak. In males, the anal fin has become a fertilization organ - the gonopodium.

The lifespan of this wonderful fish is wild nature quite variable, on average - about 2 years. Under favorable conditions in the aquarium, the fish lives from 1 to 3 years. It is worth mentioning that, like neon, the life of guppies decreases with increasing temperature, due to the acceleration of metabolism.

Behind long years maintenance of guppies in aquariums and careful selection, many types of guppies have been obtained, the care and maintenance of which is not at all so simple. At present, it is very difficult to classify guppies, since as a result of numerous crosses, more and more new breeds are bred every year. The basis for the classification of guppies are body color (mainly in males), size, shape and color of the fins. The name of the fish is obtained solely by the color of the caudal fin: so if the guppy has a yellow body color and a red tail, then it will be called a red guppy.

Female wild guppies have exceptionally transparent and colorless fins, and the body of the fish is gray with a greenish, bluish or olive tint. Subsequently, breeders obtained females with colored fins, as well as with 8 various options body colors:

Albinos (recessive)- characterized by a complete absence of pigmentation. In albinos, the ability to synthesize melanin is completely suppressed. characteristic feature- Red eyes;

White (double recessive)- obtained in the process of crossing light and blue guppies;

Golden (recessive)- characterized by twice the amount of black pigment content, unlike gray. And the presence of dark edges on the scales distinguishes it from light guppies;

Cream (double recessive) - obtained in the process of crossing light and golden guppies.

Light (recessive)- which are typical complete absence dark pigment in the skin;

Gray (natural)- obtained by crossing gray guppies with representatives of any other background color, which in the first generation receive only gray offspring;

Silver (double recessive)- obtained in the process of crossing golden and blue guppies;

Blue (recessive)- characterized by the absence of yellow and red pigments on the skin, however, red spots with yellowness may appear on the fins.

You can choose guppies not only by color, but also by the shape of the caudal fin. Consider the main standards of fin shapes recognized by breeders:

1. Fan-tailed (fan-tail) - the shape of the caudal fin - the sector of the circle (open fan). The length of the caudal fin is from 8/10 to 5/10 of the body length. Angles at the base from 90, not less than 75. The rear end of the caudal fin is rounded and convex. The upper and lower margins of the caudal fin are either rounded or straight;

2. Fan-tailed acute-angled - the shape of the caudal fin is a horizontally elongated isosceles triangle. The length of the caudal fin is from 8/10 to 5/10 of the body length. Angles at the base from 30 to 55. The posterior end of the caudal fin has straight edges. The dorsal fin is narrow with a pointed end;

3. Fan-tailed cut - the shape of the caudal fin is an isosceles triangle. The length of the caudal fin is from 8/10 to 5/10 of the body length. Angles at the base from 70, not less than 50. The rear end of the caudal fin has straight edges. The dorsal fin widens from the base and has a blunt end;

4. Top sword (top sword) - the shape of the tail fin is oval. The length of the caudal fin is from 6/10 to 9/10 of the body length. The angles at the base of the caudal fin between the upper and lower rays of the "swords" and the body axis form an angle of 15 or are parallel to the body axis. The dorsal fin is narrow with a pointed end.

5. Lower sword (bottom sword) - the shape of the tail fin is oval. The length of the caudal fin is from 6/10 to 9/10 of the body length. The upper and lower rays are very similar in shape to "swords". The angles at the base of the caudal fin between the upper and lower rays of the "swords" and the axis of the body are at least 15. The dorsal fin is narrow with a pointed end;

6. Double sword (double sword) - the shape of the tail fin is oval. The length of the caudal fin is from 6/10 to 9/10 of the body length. The upper and lower rays are very similar in shape to "swords". The angles at the base of the caudal fin between the upper and lower rays of the "swords" are at least 30. The dorsal fin is narrow with a pointed end;

7. Veil-tail - the shape of the caudal fin is a skirt. The length of the fin is from 8/10 to 5/10 of the length of the body, the width is ¾ of the length of the caudal fin. The posterior end is concave with pointed upper and lower margins. The dorsal fin is narrow with a rounded end;

8. Spade-tail - the shape of the caudal fin is a bayonet shovel. The length of the caudal fin is ½ of the length of the body, the width is 8/10 of the length of the caudal fin. The upper and lower edges of the fin are parallel. The dorsal fin is straight with a sharp end;

9. Lyre-tailed (lary-tail) - the shape of the caudal fin is lyre. Fin length less than 4/10 of body length. The lower and upper rays are curved and pointed. The dorsal fin is curved with a pointed end;

10. Needle-tailed (pin-tail) - the base of the caudal fin is round. The length of the caudal fin is 4/10 of the length of the body. The dorsal fin is thin with a pointed end;

11. Round-tail - the shape of the caudal fin is round. The length of the fin is 5/10 of the length of the body. The dorsal fin is rounded and extends to the caudal fin;

12. Pointed or spear-tail - the shape of the caudal fin is a sharp spear. The length of the caudal fin is 8/10 of the length of the body, the width is 6/10 of the length of the caudal fin. The dorsal fin is curved with a pointed end;

13. Flag-tailed (flag-tail) - the shape of the caudal fin is a rectangle rounded at the base of the fin. The length of the fin is from 8/10 to 5/10 of the body length, the width is 4/10 of the length of the caudal fin, it has straight edges. The dorsal fin is narrow with a pointed end;

Small in size, but overly active guppies require a small aquarium. For three guppies, a capacity of 18 liters is quite suitable. When choosing an aquarium for guppies, it is worth considering their very good fecundity. The number of females should be 2-3 times more quantity males.

Although the temperature range of keeping guppies is quite wide, you need to ensure that the temperature is stable 20 - 26 C; gH up to 25; pH in the range of 6.5 - 8.5, but around 7.0 is better. Sharp changes in temperature and water characteristics (pH, gH) have a bad effect on the condition of the fins of males. Therefore, water should be replaced more often, but in small volumes (no more than a third). Useful addition table salt(1 heaping tablespoon per 10 liters of water). Strong currents should also be avoided. As a substrate, it is worth leaving a preference for fine gravel of a dark color, which will only emphasize the beauty and brightness of the fish. The presence of snags and stones will give the aquarium a natural look. Preferably moderate lighting with a duration of up to 12 hours a day.

It is worth mentioning that a sharp change in temperature and chemical composition of water, mainly pH, can be detrimental to guppies, and keeping them in old water for a long time reduces their resistance to diseases. Therefore, it is unforgettable to test the water with specialized tests or take on board the Indian fern - a wonderful indicator of well-being. If the fern grows near the bottom, then the situation in the aquarium is good. If the situation worsens, the roots of the plant begin to rot, and it floats to the surface, or even dies.

Of the plants, we can advise the mentioned Indian fern, Caroline cabomba, nitella, Riccia floating, Brazilian perennial, Canadian elodea, shoot-bearing limnobium, etc.

In a 100 liter aquarium with constant aeration and filtration, regular water changes, you can keep up to 300 male guppies, or about 100-150 females.

Guppy Compatibility

They are compatible with any peaceful species of fish, however, their veiled - sedentary forms - cannot be kept even with such non-aggressive fish as barbs. Therefore, purebred guppy species are best kept in a species aquarium. The aquarium should not contain plants with hard leaves and objects with sharp edges (stones, driftwood), which can damage the fins of the fish.

Based on experience, we can unequivocally say that guppies get along and are compatible with the following fish: (be careful, they can pinch and offend guppies. Especially adults), all , , , (speckled catfish), , small , , , .

We draw your attention to the fact that you should remember not only the compatibility of the fish, but also the capacity of the aquarium. Do not overload the aquarium with fish, especially since guppies breed like rabbits. Also, it is desirable when selecting fish, always take into account the water parameters that will be comfortable for everyone.

What to feed guppies

Guppies are omnivorous, but prefer live food: small bloodworms, daphnia, artemia, coretra, cyclops, tubifex. They always willingly eat squid, sirloin marine fish, finely chopped pieces of meat (beef), liver, heart, cereals, dry and vegetable feed.

Guppies should not be overfed, as fish are prone to obesity and then lose their ability to reproduce. The frequency of feeding is determined by the age of the fish, preferably 2-3 times a day. Fry are fed three times a day in small portions. After determining and separating the sexes, they switch to two meals a day.

Feeding aquarium fish ok guppies should be correct, balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotus. The article "" talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regimen for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous, the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include food in its diet either with the highest protein content or vice versa with herbal ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, are dry food. For example, all the time and everywhere you can find on the aquarium counters the food of the Tetra company - the leader Russian market, actually and the range of forages of the given company strikes. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes individual foods for a certain type of fish: guppies, goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, labyrinths, arowans, discus, etc. Also, Tetra has developed specialized feeds, for example, to enhance color, fortified or for feeding fry. For example: Tetra Guppy is a balanced food for all types of guppies, consisting of mini flakes made especially for the small mouths of guppies and other live-bearing fish. The high content of plant ingredients and minerals contributes to the improvement of palatability and the active growth of guppies. The composition of the feed includes special color enhancers for bright colors.

You can find detailed information about all Tetra feeds on the official website of the company -.

It should be noted that when buying any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy feed by weight, and also store food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

In addition to all of the above, I would like to dwell on the method of preparing a specialized mixture for the proper nutrition of guppies of any age - the “Modified Gordon Formula” (MFG). To prepare the mixture, you will need 454 g of beef liver, 454 g of dried artemia, about 84 g of oatmeal, 2 tablespoons of table salt. We separate all the veins from the liver and finely chop, pour cold water and grind in a mixer for 3-4 minutes. Then add salt and mix. The result should be a liquid mixture. Now we fall asleep dried brine shrimp and mix until smooth, and only then we begin to add oatmeal until a pudding-like consistency is obtained. The resulting mixture is placed in small jars and sterilized in boiling water for 45 minutes. The paste will thicken and lighten a little. We close banks. The prepared mixture can be kept in the aquarium for up to 8 hours without disturbing the water parameters, after which the residues, if any, are removed from the aquarium.

Remember that if you are going somewhere for a long time, do not feed your guppies. An adult guppy fish can withstand up to a month of starvation.

Breeding and reproduction of guppies

Guppies are viviparous fish. That is, they do not spawn, but give birth to full-fledged fry. The fry need a separate aquarium, because they are in danger of being eaten in the first minutes after birth: these fish are prone to cannibalism!

As a spawning ground for breeding guppies, you can use any container: a plastic basin (5 liters), a small round aquarium (5 liters) or just a three-liter jar. Naturally, any of the containers must be perfectly clean.

Pictured is a pregnant female guppy

The female's pregnancy lasts approximately 5-6 weeks. Your main task is to monitor the growth of the female's abdomen. As soon as you see that the anus of the female is a little swollen, reddened and a dark spot appears on it - immediately transplant the fish into a separate aquarium! Sometimes it is recommended to transplant the male along with the female. I see absolutely no point in this: the female is already fertilized, and the male will only interfere. By the way, the peculiarity of guppies breeding: once a fertilized female, she herself, without re-fertilization, can bring out offspring several times).

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To breed guppies, you need to prepare an aquarium: in a container with a volume of 5 liters, put a little Riccia, as well as some dense plants. Water temperature should be + 26-27C, hardness and acidity are left, as in the general aquarium. All this time, feed the female with bloodworms: she will need strength. Depending on the age of the female and male, from 20 to 100 fry are born. At the moment when the female gave birth to the last fry, she must be transplanted.

The fry are born in a thin caviar shell that breaks after birth. The fry do not need parental care: they stay in a flock near the very surface of the water, where it is warmer, and constantly ask for food. The best food for them is infusoria, it should be fed to babies at least 4-5 times a day. As they grow, the number of feedings decreases to two times a day, and the food itself becomes more “adult”: brine shrimp nauplii, chopped bloodworms, etc.

When breeding guppies, pay special attention to fry. The fry don't grow very fast, but that's not the problem. The fact is that the fry grow unevenly. In this case, smaller and weaker individuals run the risk of dying of starvation: strong and healthy fry simply do not allow weaker ones to eat. Therefore, you should sort the fry by size and seat them in different banks.

Sometimes, during childbirth, "force majeure" circumstances may arise: the female cannot be born. In this case, you need to help her: do a water change in the spawning ground (50%) and raise the temperature to 28 С+29 C. In this case, the female guppy will definitely give birth.

Fish reach sexual maturity at the age of 4-5 months.

About guppy breeding

Guppy has long been a wonderful specimen, providing ample opportunities for breeders. Modern selection allows you to get fish almost, if not completely, identical in all main features: color, shape and size. And if the number of sustainable variations is in the tens, then the total number of guppies bred and sold through a network of pet stores around the world is in the millions. Guppies, like other popular livebearers, have been leaders in commercial ratings in Europe, the USA and Japan for many years.

Breeding new breeds is painstaking and routine work, requiring separate rearing of males and females in separate aquariums. Along the way, it is necessary to regularly and necessarily cull specimens with defects in development, shape, color and other breeding traits. Each fish is caught and evaluated in terms of compliance with all breeding traits.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, females and males of guppies begin to unite, at first only in pairs, and only after, as the necessary signs are fixed, in groups. Very often, only the first three litters of fish are used, since all subsequent litters produce weaker and smaller fish, which in turn requires more effort for their full cultivation.

One of the most important factors responsible for the successful selection of elite guppies is water quality, which in this case has three main indicators: purity, acidity, hardness.

Guppy diseases

Remember, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the fish with everything necessary and as fully as possible to recreate natural environment habitat. And most importantly, do not forget to quarantine new fish.

Personal experience and useful tips:

Everyone probably knows these fish, even those who have never seen aquariums. We can say that these fish are the fish of all the children of the former USSR (were in all Soviet aquariums))). The fish is very beautiful and unpretentious. The tail fin is its beauty. The unpretentiousness of the fish lies in the fact that it can withstand "difficult conditions of detention." I have seen a guppy tank with no aeration, no filtration, no plants, no proper feeding, etc. - horror, a terrible dream of an aquarist. However, guppies managed not only to survive in such an aquarium, but even tried to reproduce. So to scoff at the fish, of course, is not worth it !!!

Interestingly, guppies reproduce - they are viviparous and actually do it on their own without any special stimulation. I recommend taking 3-4 females for 1 male, otherwise the females are simply driven. Fry can not be planted from a common aquarium, but then there must be floating plants on the surface of the water, for example, duckweed. The fry will hide behind these plants.

And do not confuse TYPES and BREEDS of guppies. There are only 8 types of guppies:

This is a common guppy Poecilia reticulata,

Guppy Endler Poecilia wingei (with 2 natural morphs - red and green)

And 5 species of Micropecilia (each with 2 color morphs).

The common guppy has more than 60 breeding (artificial) breeds. And all other species do not have breeding breeds.

Poecilia reticulate at one time it was imported into most third world countries to fight malaria, tk. these fish successfully exterminate larvae and adult Anopheles mosquitoes that carry malaria.

There are standards developed by the International Guppy Breeding Council. This Council constantly (about 6 times a year) supplies all its representatives with various kinds of information about the results of competitions, new directions in selection and part of genetics, organizes various international competitions, improves the criteria for evaluating guppies.

Currently created and there are various national and international standards for guppy breeding forms. International exhibitions and championships are regularly held in Europe, America and Asia, which have become world centers for the mass, commercial breeding of guppies for export.

In 1911 the world's first guppy exhibitions were organized in Leipzing and St. Petersburg, in which anyone could take part, presenting 10 males of their own breeding.

In Moscow since 1957, regularly at the end of the first week of January by the "Guppy" section of the Moscow City Club of Aquarists. N. F. Zolotnitsky, exhibitions and competitions of guppies were held, in which everyone could take part. Unfortunately, during the perestroika years, this activity was suspended.

All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also lively emotions, allowing you to more fully and subtly feel the world of aquarism. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and firsthand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share your successes and joys with us, share experience and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every realization of a mistake that makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us, the more pure and transparent droplets of goodness in the life and life of our seven billionth society.

The aquarium should have clean water, the fish are fed abundantly during this period. After pregnancy becomes noticeable in female guppies - an enlarged belly (closer to childbirth, it resembles a trapezoid) and a darkening spot in the anus? they are seated in separate spawning aquariums with a volume of approximately 5 liters. This is done so that the fry do not become food for the neighbors.

For about a month, the female carries eggs in her stomach, this period can be extended to 7 weeks - it all depends on the type of fish and the conditions of detention. Since the guppy belongs to the viviparous species, it does not lay eggs: an already formed fry is born.

guppy fry care

Babies are born already fully formed fish, so caring for guppy fry is no more difficult than caring for adults.

The water temperature should be in the range of 24-26.5°C.

With good care, guppy fry grow quickly and begin to color by 4-6 weeks. Grown up babies are transplanted into a common aquarium. By about 4 months, guppies become sexually mature.

Guppy endler: breeding in an aquarium

Unlike ordinary guppies, in pygmy guppies, guppi / guppy Endler, reproduction has the following features:

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So, how to breed guppies?

The described ornamental fish (they belong to the cyprinid genus) reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 months. But if the temperature in the aquarium reaches +30 ° C, then they become ready for reproduction earlier, at the age of 3 months.

They can breed in a common aquarium, but it is advisable to allocate a special vessel for this purpose. For this, even a jar with a capacity of 3 liters is suitable, since the fish are unpretentious. The birthing vessel can be of any shape.

In order for the fish to multiply, in order to create conditions for reproduction, it is necessary to maintain the necessary temperature regime and plant plants, such as Java moss. Green spaces are needed for fry, which, having been born, will immediately hide in them.

To initiate the reproduction of fish, it is necessary to raise the temperature in the aquarium 3 or 4 degrees higher than it is maintained on ordinary days.

As soon as the male starts chasing the female, he will cling to her from below or from the side, the fish farmer needs to be careful, since mating has begun.
If the fish are inhabited in a common aquarium, then the number of males should not exceed the number of females. It is better if there are fewer males, since if the specified condition is not met, the males can drive the female in such a way that she will die. It is best for a novice amateur to allocate a separate vessel and a pair of fish for breeding: a male and a female. It is necessary to closely monitor the developments in this spawning aquarium in order to determine the onset of childbirth in time, to eliminate any threat to the life of the young.

How to determine if a female is pregnant or not?

First you need to know that these fish give birth to live fry. Many lovers are interested in how long a guppy's pregnancy lasts. The duration of this period is usually 28-40 days. This variation depends on the number of fry that the female bears. The fertility of fish also depends on their size, the number of previous births, and other parameters that cannot all be taken into account.

How to understand that a guppy is pregnant? You have to look closely at the fish. The female at first is no different from other fish, but then her stomach begins to round. In one of the departments of this organ, she bears eggs. This is the moment when it is necessary to plant a pregnant guppy from a common aquarium into a separate vessel. If she has previously been transplanted into another vessel together with the male, then the male should be removed from this vessel.

How to know that a guppy is pregnant if a person does not have the appropriate experience in breeding them? Many novice hobbyists do not know how to determine the pregnancy of a guppy.

To do this, you must continue to monitor the female. Look: if her belly first rounded, and then acquired a rectangular shape, and a dark area appeared below, then the fish will soon begin to give birth.

At this time, you should not disturb the female, try to change her living conditions (for example, change the temperature or add fresh water to the aquarium), since the fish is sensitive to any changes, and such interference can disrupt childbirth.

How does this ornamental fish bring offspring?

In order to find out how guppies give birth, you need to carefully observe the females. You can see the following actions of the fish:

If there is a heater in the vessel, then the female is constantly near this device. Sometimes this is a sign of preterm labor.
The fish becomes inactive, prefers to "hang" in one place.
The female loses her appetite. Some individuals at this time even spit out the captured food.
Just before giving birth, the fish begins to tremble, this is especially noticeable in its veil-like tail.
At the birth of fry, the female freezes.
The fry come out one by one and immediately begin to move quickly, hiding behind the plants.

Novice fish farmers are often interested in how long guppies give birth. There is no exact answer to this question. Usually the female gives birth for 3-4 hours, sometimes even longer, as it depends on the number of fry, the age of the fish itself. Even a very experienced fish breeder will not be able to indicate the exact date.

Often people do not know how many fry a guppy gives birth.

At the first spawning, young females can bring from 12 to 24 fry.

If these are the second and subsequent births, then the number of fish born can range from 48 to 96. But there are also record holders, for example, one guppy gave birth to about 180 fry at a time. It is impossible to accurately calculate the number of babies born, as parents begin to chase them and eat them.

These fish do not have a maternal instinct; for them, any fry passing by is food. Therefore, the fish farmer must be prepared to protect the fry from the attack of the female. To do this, it is necessary to resettle the female who has given birth to a common aquarium immediately after the birth of the last fry, since immediately after giving birth she will begin to eat her offspring.

When giving birth in a common aquarium, after birth, each little gupesh immediately hides behind plants. After that, the fry must be carefully collected with a net, and then transferred to another vessel.

If the fish farmer does not want the number of guppies to increase, then he may not transfer the female. You need to know that under the right conditions, the fish breeds quickly. If there are many females, then most of them can become pregnant, and this will lead to overpopulation of the aquarium. Therefore, if a large number of fry are born, then the fish farmer can consciously allow the destruction of some of them by their parents.

Caring for the next generation

For fry, the most important period of life is the first 5 days. They are recommended to be transplanted into a separate vessel. Every day you need to give them abundant food. On the first day, it is live dust, other live food.

To feed the young, boiled and then mashed egg yolk is used, which is diluted in 1 tbsp. l. water from the aquarium. You can grow fry, and using special feeds, for example, MicroMin. It contains all the essential vitamins and minerals that fish need.

It is better not to turn off the light above the vessel with fry in the first week, as this will positively affect the growth of the young.

When determining the number of feedings, one should proceed from the fact that in the initial period the fry need a lot of food. Therefore, for 30 days they are fed 5-6 times a day. Fish that have grown up to 2 weeks of age begin to be fed 2-3 times a day. It is impossible to overfeed the young.

If the food is organized correctly, then the fry, growing up, can reach a length of up to 20 mm within 15 days. If this happens, then it is possible, as some experienced fish farmers recommend, to transplant large fry into a common aquarium. But it is better to wait a bit until the fish reach the age of 2 months. In this case, they will practically not be afraid of the attacks of other fish living in the main aquarium.

Methods for determining sex in fry

When the young are 2 weeks old, you can start sorting by sex if the fish farmer plans to do breeding activities.

Young females can be identified precisely at the indicated age, since they have a dark spot in the lower abdomen. It is located close to the anal fin.

But since a mistake is possible, it is better to do such work when the fish are 1.5–2 months old.

At this age, the sex sign is clearly visible in all fish. If necessary, females can be caught and placed in a separate vessel.

You need to know that in silver types of guppies, the indicated spot will be light in color, and not black, so you need to pay attention to the shade of this part of the fish's abdomen. In the female, it will be dull, without any silvery tint.

As already mentioned, these fish breed from 3-4 months of age.

The process of emergence of fry is repeated every 45–60 days.

Therefore, if there is no desire to breed young animals, you can leave everything as it is. Parents themselves will reduce the number of fry to a minimum. The main thing is to prevent overpopulation of the main aquarium.

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How to determine the sex of a fish

Already at the age of 2 weeks, you can determine the sex of the guppies. For an adult fish to make it even easier, you need to visually inspect the body of each fish, its shape and color.

So, let's examine the body of the fish first. You can distinguish a boy from a girl by the shape of the body. Males have a more elongated and longer body. In females, it is rounded and larger in size than males. In some cases, for a more detailed examination of the body of the fish, a magnifying glass is used. But this is if the fish is in a calm state and swims up to look at you, and does not hide in plants or against the opposite wall.

The next point to pay attention to is the size of the fish. Adult males reach only 3 centimeters in length, while females can be almost 2 times their size and reach 6 centimeters.

Another important point, which we definitely pay attention to, in order to distinguish a boy from a girl, is the body color and the brightness of the pattern. Males always have a brighter color. The tail can be of any color depending on the type of fish and have any pattern. But they all differ in beauty and brightness. Nature endowed them with such an attractive appearance to attract females. The tail of a fish can be of various colors and shades, it is green and blue, purple and orange, black and with white spots, there are even striped tails in males, a male guppy can have such a diverse color.

However, you need to know this nuance: some varieties of female guppy fish are also the owners of bright colors. Then you need to compare the sizes of the fish. Photos of guppy fish on the Internet will be a good help, they will allow you to distinguish a female guppy from a male, compare and draw certain conclusions by belonging to one or another gender. You can also study what colors are inherent in these fish, perhaps with future offspring, your female guppy will give such a beautiful and interesting color.

Another important hallmark will be the so-called pregnancy spot, it is located next to the anal fin and next to the tail. It is this spot that will indicate that you see a female guppy in front of you. Males simply cannot have such spots. And if the female is also pregnant, then this spot becomes larger, increasing and darkening.

We study fins

The structure, shape and color of the fins will also help to determine who is in front of you, a female or a male. First, pay attention to which dorsal fin the fish has. In males, they are larger and when the fish swims, they seem to flutter. In females, they are much smaller in size and there is no flowing effect during movement.

Next, look at the tail fin and its shape. This will also help us in determining the sex of the fish. Males are distinguished by a wide and long caudal fin, they are often brightly colored and may even have attractive patterns. All this is also aimed at attracting females. In girls, they are short; this is another difference between a female guppy and a male.

An important point to pay attention to is the anal fin, more precisely its shape and length.. This fin is located very close to the tail, in the lower abdomen of the fish, and is the smaller of the lower fins. In males, such a fin is narrow and rather long; you can also see its pointed tip. This is a gonopodium. It will serve the male as an inseminator during mating.

The female has a triangular anal fin and it is short (do not forget that you can see the “pregnancy spot” very close to it). This, perhaps, is all the main differences in fins and their appearance.

How to determine the sex of guppy fry

From the very first day that a female guppy gives birth to babies, many aquarium owners wonder when and how to distinguish female guppy fry from males. After all, guppies are viviparous fish and they produce already formed fry that are ready for independent life. With proper care, they grow quickly and already at the age of 2 weeks, you can try to determine the sex of guppies in fry. If a dark stripe can be seen under the belly of a fish, it will be a female. So she has the formation of a "pregnancy spot". Males do not have such spots.

For those who have professionally decided to start breeding guppy fish, this information is quite important, because it is necessary to carry out jigging in time, and if this is not done, there may be such troubles as earlier fertilization of females, which will lead to an inferior pregnancy or death of fry, and this is not for the benefit of any aquarist.

It is also necessary to know that puberty of males occurs at 4-5 weeks of their life, which means that by this age the color should already appear on their fins. This will help to distinguish between guppy fry by sex. However, this does not always happen exactly at such times. Several factors can influence this. One of the most important is feeding the fry. With improperly selected food or rare feeding, the fins do not stain for a long time, but remain pale. In this case, it is important to review the diet of the fish and listen to the advice on feeding the fish.

Related video: "How to distinguish a female guppy from a male"

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Reproduction features

These ornamental cyprinids reach sexual maturity at about four months of age and are then ready to breed.

In principle, the type of container is not so important, the main thing is to take a number of measures to create optimal conditions for the reproduction of offspring: the appropriate temperature regime and the presence of green vegetation (Javanese moss, for example), in which future fry will find their shelter.

However, some professional aquarists insist that such a provocation is needed only in a strictly defined case, when guppy births are difficult and premature.

When the male starts chasing the female, clinging to her from the side or from below, mating has begun. There is an important feature here: if the fish are in the total volume, then you need to ensure that there are not too many males. Therefore, the ideal option is a couple of individuals.

How to distinguish a pregnant female guppy?

First of all, it must be borne in mind that these beautiful fish are viviparous, that is, they do not lay eggs or larvae, but they give birth, producing offspring that are ready for life.

The duration of the female's pregnancy is from 28 to 40 days. It has been established that this depends on the number of fry that she bears.

A pregnant female guppy in its appearance stands out from the general fish team. First, a rounded belly is formed in her, in the department of which she bears eggs, and then the belly acquires a rectangular shape with a black area at the bottom.

Important clarification: during this period, it is impossible to change the conditions for keeping fish, since a pregnant guppy before giving birth is very sensitive to the slightest fluctuations in temperature, water quality, and light intensity. The calmness of the female is the key to her successful spawning.

Guppy genera

Just before giving birth, the female trembles a little, moves a little, she has no appetite (some individuals even spit out food). If the aquarium has a heater, then the female is constantly near it. By the way, it can also be a sign of premature birth.

Directly during childbirth, the female's veil-like tail trembles, for a moment she freezes. Live fry go outside one by one, they immediately show independence, starting to move actively.

How many fry are born in guppies, no one can say for sure. The fact is that their number is different and depends on the age of the female and the number of previous births. In addition, fecundity increases with the size of the individual. That is why we can only talk about the approximate number of fry.

So, during the first spawning, from 15 to 25 children can be born in a young female, during the second and subsequent births, the number of fry increases from 50 to 100.

Postpartum behavior and fry conservation

Beginners in the aquarium business are often interested in the question of why guppies eat their fry. Yes, there are ornamental fish that take care of their offspring, protect them from the encroachments of their neighbors. But these species are in the minority.

And guppies, like other cyprinids, do not have a maternal instinct. It often happens that the female eats her offspring immediately after spawning and even at the time of birth, if the fry recklessly swims past her mouth.

There is nothing to be done: who did not hide, he died. Natural selection, you know...

What should be done to save at least part of the offspring?

It has already been mentioned that it is required to keep vegetation in the community tank that provides a natural hiding place for the juveniles.

In addition, when breeding in a separate spawning area, it is important not to miss the moment when it is time to plant a female guppy.

The opinion here is the same: this is done immediately after the female gives birth to the last fry. Of course, if the owner of the aquarium wants to keep the offspring, and such a goal is not set in every case.

Another variant: spawning takes place in a community aquarium. In this case, the aquarist must decide for himself whether it is necessary to plant guppy fry in a separate nursery tank.

If such a decision is made, then the juveniles are carefully and quickly collected with a plastic cup and transferred to a prepared water kindergarten. Of course, it is impossible to collect all the fry, but it is quite possible to save most of them.

How to care for guppy fry?

The most important for the further development of cubs are the first 3-5 days of their life. The practice of breeding fish in an aquarium has long and specifically determined how to feed guppy fry during this period and how best to do it.

As a top dressing, you can also use a solution of boiled and mashed egg yolk in a tablespoon of aquarium water.

There are commercial feeds specially formulated for feeding fry. For example, the German MicroMin contains all the necessary elements that contribute to the stable development of juveniles.

It is not recommended to turn off the light above the rearing aquarium in the first week (constant lighting has a positive effect on the growth of juveniles), and feeding should be done 5-6 times a day, from the second week to two months of age - at least 2-3 times a day, avoiding overfeeding.

By the way, it depends on the nutrition in the first month of life how quickly guppy fry grow. With high-quality abundant feeding, after about 2 weeks they reach sizes from 1.5 to 2 cm. Some breeders believe that with such sizes, fry can already be released into a common aquarium.

Guppy fry: how to determine the gender

From the same age, you can start gender sorting of fish (if necessary for selection). In young females from two weeks of age onwards, a sure sign of gender appears - a dark spot in the lower part of the abdomen, closer to the anal fin. If necessary, females are caught and deposited. However, this feature appears unevenly in individuals, and such work should be continued for up to a month and a half.

Some difficulty can be experienced in distinguishing light (silver) breeds of guppies. In this case, the spot will not be black, but light, but this area of \u200b\u200bthe tummy will be matte, without a silvery sheen.

Guppies are unpretentious and beautiful fish found in many home and office aquariums. There is no need to panic if one day new small tenants appear in the fish house, and this process will be repeated every 1.5-2 months. If there is no desire to specifically engage in breeding ornamental cyprinids, then natural selection will put everything in its place. The task of the aquarist is to prevent overpopulation of the aquarium.

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Optimal conditions for reproduction

A pair of guppies can successfully produce offspring in a three-liter jar, however, in order for the fry to grow, a larger volume is needed. By the way, in any case, especially for beginners, it is not recommended to start an aquarium less than 20 liters (the smaller it is, the more difficult it is to establish the necessary balance in it, paradoxically).

Of course, it's best not to keep any fish other than guppies (professional aquarists are limited to one variety), but for a beginner, and especially for a child, this approach can seem too boring. However, it must be borne in mind that when other species are kept together, it is impossible to keep such active and cocky fish as barbs, bettas: they can offend and annoy adult guppies, and they will quickly eat the kids.

Be sure to plant plants: kids need secluded corners, thickets in which they will hide. Dense types of plants will serve as a good help, Javanese moss is ideal. Floating plants are also suitable (pinnate, hornwort, canadian elodea, etc.)

It is advisable to have an automatic heater so that in winter the water does not cool below 22 ° C. If the aquarium is not overpopulated (for guppies, this means no more than 2 fish per 5 liters of water), then the filter and aerator can theoretically be abandoned, but it is better not to do this when keeping elite guppies. Just keep in mind that the internal or external filter will be dangerous for fry: the crumbs can be sucked in and die in it. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to use foam nozzles on the water intake grate. If it was not possible to make or find nozzles, simply wrap the water intake with filter material and tie it with a thread.

Reproduction features

These aquarium fish reach sexual maturity at about four months of age and are then ready to breed. At elevated water temperatures (+30°), sexual maturity is reached from three months.

Reproduction can occur both in a common aquarium and in a special spawning ground. Even a three-liter jar is suitable for this, since ornamental fish are unpretentious, and a couple will be able to give birth even in such Spartan conditions.

Most experts are unanimous on the question of how to provoke the reproduction of guppies: this is an increase in the temperature in the aquarium by 3-4 degrees and a change of about 1/3 of the water in the spawning (or general) aquarium. Naturally, the water must be settled.

However, some professional aquarists insist that such a provocation is needed only in a strictly defined case, when guppy births are difficult and delayed.

The male fertilizes the female with the help of a special genital organ, which has the scientific name of gonopodia. At its core, this is a modified section of the fin in the form of several tubules, which only adult males have.

The pregnancy of a guppy is determined by a gradually darkening spot near her anus. Also, of course, a pregnant guppy is getting fat - her belly is gradually increasing. Pregnancy lasts 20-45 days.

Interestingly, a single fertilization is enough for the guppy to give birth several times. Guppy fry mature in batches, so childbirth after mating occurs often - once a month and a half for 3-4 months.

It is important to take into account one more point: uncontrolled inbreeding causes the offspring to display various external defects, pathologies, and weakens their immunity.

At proper care the life expectancy of females varies from 3.5 to 4 years, but they bring offspring only up to 2.5-3 years. Male individuals live no more than 3 years. Guppies reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 to 5 months. It mainly depends on the feeding and the temperature of the water in the aquarium. The sex of the fish is determined already at the age of 2 weeks.

Fry

How many fry a female can produce at a time depends on her size and development. Young on average bring 20-25 babies at a time, adults and large fish - up to one and a half hundred.

Guppy fry are born very tiny, often it is even difficult to see them. A large role in this is played by their translucent, grayish color, against which only dark eyes stand out. The cubs are actively growing, and after 30-40 days of life they begin to gain "adult" coloration, their sex begins to be determined. At the same time, it is worth transferring them from the spawning ground (if they were kept there) to a larger container.

Experts believe that food should be plentiful and around the clock. At first, it is recommended to give live dust, brine shrimp, rotifers, microworms.

Babies do not need special care. How to feed guppy fry is very easy to determine. The main thing to consider is the size of their mouth. Food should be small enough for miniature fish to swallow. You can use specialized food for juveniles or, in extreme cases, mashed dry daphnia, gammarus, cyclops.

Some experienced aquarists offer pounded boiled egg yolk and cool yogurt as food for the first time. Keep in mind that the remains of such food must be immediately and very carefully removed from the aquarium - they instantly rot and the water may deteriorate. What to feed guppy fry when they grow up is also easy to decide - the usual food that you use for all other fish.

The babies are transplanted into the general aquarium when they grow large enough not to be eaten.

Cannibalism

This phenomenon, when females eat their fry, leads to a reduction in the latter to 50% of the original number. Therefore, when a young generation appears, guppy fry must be separated from the female or, if this is not possible, many shelters in the form of plants and a special form of bottom landscape should be equipped in the aquarium.

One of the new methods of combating cannibalism is the use of jigger in the aquarium itself - these are containers with small (for the size of fry) holes that are installed in a large aquarium. But such shelters increase the survival rate of fry only up to 60%. Due to the fact that female guppies need to see what they eat, another method was invented to keep the young generation without transplanting into a separate aquarium.

To do this, small-hole troughs were illuminated with LED lamps. The fry try to be in the most illuminated part of the aquarium, so they naturally fall into the safest zone of the aquarium for them - the illuminated jig. The division of the aquarium into illuminated and darkened zones allows reducing the loss of juveniles by up to 40%.

Guppy selection

Fundamental rules:

Optimum conditions for manufacturers (no frills, reasonably sufficient).

Optimum conditions for juveniles, taking into account the stages of development.

Complete and plentiful feeding.

Careful and thoughtful selection.

Timely separation by sex.

Separate cultivation.

Progeny check.

Strict accounting of all crossings and their results, growing conditions and maintenance.

The path of creating something new is often justified by the results that creativity and productive search give. Modern aquaristics is generally characterized by the desire for something new. However, a problem naturally arises: are selection and hybridization always justified? Experience shows that the posing of such questions is very important, first of all, in a moral sense.

The protection of nature must be based on the recognition that biological species have an absolute value, like, for example, mathematical axioms, without which the development of mathematical knowledge is impossible. Biological species do not need proof of their usefulness or uselessness, because they appeared as a result of the centuries-old evolution of nature itself, which, as you know, does not tolerate anything superfluous. They are natural both for nature itself and for man. The path of selection and hybridization presupposes constant concern for the original forms that serve as material for creativity. The loss of the original form cannot be replaced by artificially created breed forms.

Selection techniques

For breeding guppies, the improving three-line content of the breed is most often used. This means that three containers with a volume of about 20 liters contain 3 pairs of producers. For their offspring, 6 feeding aquariums with a volume of about 100 liters are used, in which males and females are kept separately. Also, for growing fry and juvenile guppies, additional containers are used, the number of which varies in each case.

After the producers complete their reproductive life, they are replaced by their own best offspring. At the same time, the female from the first parental pair is planted with the male born from the third pair of sires, the female from the second pair of sires - to the male from the first pair of sires, the female from the third pair of sires - to the male from the second pair of sires.

Such a shift is done at each change of generations of fish to reduce the effect of inbreeding, as a result of which the health of subsequent generations, size and color deteriorates, but nothing more. This problem is solved in the best way - by exchanging unrelated fish of a similar breed with other guppy breeders from other cities and even countries, at worst - mixing with another breed is used.

Mistakes

The main mistake that novice guppy lovers make is to keep several breeds (“compote”) in one aquarium at once, which results in a low-value hybrid in the offspring.

Another group of common mistakes that novice guppy lovers make is keeping fish in too cramped living conditions, using containers with insufficient water volume for normal life, excessively high stocking density of fish, drastic changes biological and chemical indicators of water and conditions for keeping guppies.

It is important that in some cases color genes are associated with the size and shape of both the fish themselves and their fins. That is, in other words, if you cross blue-colored long-finned guppies with guppies that have the same long fins, but of a different color, for example, red, it is not necessary that the offspring will have the same fins. There is a high probability that the result will not be very good.

Contests

Guppies are selected by guppy breeders - amateur aquarists with extensive experience and professionals. To engage in selection of guppies, in addition to general knowledge about the biology of this fish, basic knowledge in genetics is required, as well as having an aquarium stand.

Guppy breeding is competitive in nature and in many countries guppy breeders organize competitions where they exhibit their achievements. In Russia, the guppy competition takes place once a year (if it happens). In countries Western Europe and Southeast Asia - every 2 months. After the competition, an auction usually takes place, where everyone (if they have the appropriate material resources) can buy the best guppies. Usually the starting price at such auctions is from 5 euros, can reach 100 and more.

Fantail: Scarlet, Blue

Veil (Plume): Emerald, Dark Tail, Dark Tail Carpet Type

Veil-scarf - The dorsal fin is in the form of a scarf, the caudal fin is in the form of a veil.

Green Smooth: Moscow Blue-Green - a type that is not very stable

Carpeted: Velvet, Carnation, Spanish

Red-tailed Half-Black (Berlin): Many intra-breed types - Very stable breed

round-tailed

Ribbon - The caudal fin is elongated at the bottom in the form of a ribbon. In the best specimens, it is longer than the body. Occasionally, there is also a ribbon on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. The middle of the tail is always colorless.

Ribbon-scarf - The dorsal fin is in the form of a scarf, the caudal fin is in the form of a ribbon.

Semi-black or leopard

Mesh - Marriage from half-blacks

mesh gold

Emerald or Winner guppy

Smaragdova golden

Scarf: Moscow scarf, Half-black scarf, Mesh scarf, Colored scarf - The dorsal fin is elongated and expanded, hanging to the side.

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swordsmen

Guppy

Such an aquarium fish as a guppy, which is also viviparous and very similar to swordtails, has its own breeding characteristics. To become pregnant, a female guppy does not need the constant presence of a male; this fish can throw fry several times from one mating.

It is quite easy to understand that a fish is pregnant: its sides and abdomen increase significantly. Just like the swordtails, the guppies have a dark spot at the back, which increases in size closer to the birth. Thus, the only difference between guppies is the repeated throwing of fry from one partner, while in swordtails, fertilization occurs once, and the female is immediately planted.

cockerel fish

In the breed of cockerel fish, puberty occurs as early as 4 months, a white spot becomes a hallmark of the female's pregnancy, and not dark, like in other fish, and of course, a rounded belly.

parrot fish

Bright and funny felling parrots are very popular today among lovers of home aquariums. These fish do not breed well, so they need special conditions. For example, for mating, the water in the aquarium is made warmer, and for throwing, a sink or shelter house is installed. The pregnancy of the fish is expressed by the usual signs - a swollen belly and a dark spot near the tail, but the behavior also changes: the female is increasingly tending to the bottom and moving away from the light.

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Preparing conditions for a pregnant female

Guppies are completely unpretentious and can give birth in a common aquarium. They differ in that they are viviparous. This means that the fish gives birth to already fully formed and viable fry.

To provide ideal conditions for the future mother, it is necessary first of all to feed the fish more intensively. This is necessary so that the female does not eat the fry immediately after their birth.

For the correct and most successful breeding process, it is advisable to take younger males and older females. This is due to the fact that an adult fish can bear more fry. And in order to successfully fertilize it, you need a smart and active male.
This process occurs with the help of a special organ in the male, which is called the gonopodia. It forms from the anal fin when the male reaches sexual maturity.

Guppy pregnancy lasts from 35 to 45 days. The duration of the process depends on the temperature of the water: the higher it is, the faster the fry develop.

Ideally, it is desirable to deposit future mother in a separate aquarium. This procedure should be carried out in the last stages of pregnancy. The container must be equipped with plants with small leaves so that the fish can eat them. Otherwise, the female, most likely, will feast on the newborn offspring.

The birth of guppy fry

Before the birth of fry, the tummy of the fish becomes square. In order for the fry to survive and not need additional care, it is necessary to balance the environment in the aquarium. It is also important to feed the fish with fine food. This will ensure the bright coloration of adults in the future.

The birth of guppy fry: video

How many are born

The number of fry depends on the size, age and diet of the female. The older and larger the fish, the more babies it will have. For the first time, she can bring into the world up to a dozen new inhabitants. Further, their number will increase each time.

What they look like and how to find out the gender

The fry are born very tiny. They can be up to 5 mm long. In the general aquarium, children can only be kept if there are many shelters there. They can be tall grass, algae, caves, sticks, leaves, etc. Babies need them to make it easier to hide from adult fish that can eat them.
In female guppies, after two weeks of age, dark spots appear near the anal fin. In order for the fish to develop correctly, it is necessary to identify their sex in time and separate the females from the males.

The latter are distinguished by the fact that they have a twisted lower fin. It is longer than in females, as it then turns into a gonopodium.
Fry, when the first sexual characteristics appear, should be planted, but this process does not occur overnight, it stretches for weeks

How fast they grow, what to feed and how to care

Guppies grow amazingly fast. Under proper conditions of keeping and feeding, after one and a half to two months, the first males will begin to acquire a beautiful, bright color, the first coal spots appear.

At 3 months, they are already fully formed and reach puberty. Guppy color improves and becomes clearer, more beautiful with age. The older the male, the more uniquely colored his fins and tail.

First days

In the first days of life, the fish are already quite active. Immediately after birth, babies actively swim around the aquarium in search of food. In order for them to eat properly, it is necessary to give them only fine food.

Artemia and live sand are ideal. Sometimes you can dilute the diet with chopped boiled yolk from chicken egg.
Guppy fry eat yolk

The feeding procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a day. Portions should be given small, but such that the fish have enough to eat later.

After 2 weeks

After two weeks of life, small fish can be transferred to another food. It can be crushed bloodworm, tubifex and cyclops. You can use special packaged food for guppy fry.

The feeding procedure should be carried out 2-3 times a day. It is optimal to give small portions so that after feeding there is a minimum amount of food left. This is necessary in order to avoid rapid contamination of the aquarium.

In order for the fry to grow healthy, active and develop properly, it is necessary to ensure the temperature in the aquarium from +22 to +25 ° С. Warm water will ensure the fastest growing process for babies.

How to feed guppy fry: video

Why guppy fry do not grow: possible difficulties

Sometimes aquarists are faced with the problem that their guppy fry grow poorly or not at all.

This problem can be caused by several factors:

the diet of babies is poorly balanced, low protein content in the feed;
feedings do not occur often enough;
the water temperature in the aquarium is very low;
the aquarium is too small and not suitable for a large number of fry;
the offspring was born by a too young female and it cannot develop;
fry were born premature and not fully formed;
lack of gravy new water to the aquarium (this is important for proper development young growth).

Guppies are an excellent choice for the beginner aquarist. This species of fish is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and amazing beauty. With minimal effort and low cost, you can create a beautiful underwater world. But in order for the fish to feel good, have the opportunity to breed, they need to provide a balanced diet and proper living conditions.

Guppies are agile, small, beautiful, colorful fish that are very popular and common among aquarists, especially beginners. Their graceful fins and luxurious tails can have a variety of shapes and colors depending on the variety. The body length is usually no more than five centimeters, the average life expectancy in an aquarium is about two years. Guppies are distinguished by unpretentious content and ease of breeding. Although there are some nuances in their reproduction.

Guppies become sexually mature at the age of two to four months. This is influenced by the conditions of detention, and primarily the temperature of the water in the aquarium and feeding. Reproduction of fish goes spontaneously in a common aquarium, they do not need to create any special conditions. After fertilization occurs, each female can bring offspring several times. Guppies are freshwater viviparous fish, that is, the development of caviar takes place inside the body of females. During childbirth, fry are already fully formed, swimming and able to feed on their own, which are miniature copies of adults. Each female can bear offspring in her lifetime. up to eight times.

In order to get healthy, full-fledged offspring at home, you need to use brightly colored, young, large males for breeding. To do this, you need to resettle the selected pair in a separate container.

Pregnancy period

A pregnant female guppy is very easy to distinguish from the general mass of fish in her appearance. At the first stage, her belly is rounded and enlarged, in which eggs are formed and develop. Over time, it becomes rectangular with a pronounced black area at the bottom. The head and abdomen during this period are separated by a sharp drop, which is often called a "step".

AT last days pregnancy, the anus of the fish swells, which is the main sign of the approaching birth (one or two days).

Guppy's gestation period lasts from thirty to forty-five days. The timing is affected by the conditions of detention (water temperature, feeding, etc.) and the genetic characteristics of individual varieties.

The higher the temperature of the water in the aquarium, the shorter the gestation period of the guppy will be.

The number of fry affects age and size of females:

At the first birth from 10 to 30;
At the second birth from 20 to 50;
With the third and further from 20 to 100.

The fact of the birth of more than one hundred and eighty fry by one female is known. Although it is very difficult to accurately calculate how many fry a guppy gives birth, since they can be eaten by the female immediately after birth or during them.

Female guppies toss their offspring at intervals three to six weeks.

When to plant guppies for childbirth?

Moving to a new unfamiliar environment creates for the pregnant female stressful situation. She may refuse to feed, which leads to a breakdown and loss of health, sometimes even death is possible. Therefore, the fish should be kept in the jigging tank for a minimum period of time.

If possible, you can purchase a special tray that is attached to the aquarium and allows the pregnant female to remain in her usual habitat and not experience unnecessary stress, which often leads to a delay in childbirth.

You can determine that the time has come to put the female in a separate container for childbirth by her appearance ( rectangular belly, black spot enlargement) and behavior. During this period, males begin to constantly pursue pregnant females, swimming after them in groups, and trying to nuzzle them under their stomachs. Females try to hide in dense thickets of greenery, lie down on the bottom and hide in the darkest and most secluded places.

The optimal capacity for females ready for childbirth will be an aquarium from fifteen to thirty liters in volume. At smaller sizes, it is difficult to monitor the quality of water, and at large ones, after the birth of fry, there are difficulties with feeding and monitoring them. There should be no soil in the aquarium. During this period, the cleanliness of the container is of great importance, and the soil makes cleaning processes difficult.

You can decorate the aquarium with Ricci algae, Javanese moss and some dense aquatic plants. Also need to install a filter, preferably internal, having a large volume of the filter chamber. After that, it is necessary to adjust it to a weak power of the water flow, since a strong current is harmful to the fry. The operation of the filter and compressor must be carried out around the clock.

Also in the aquarium-jig should be biologically balanced microflora.

Behavior before childbirth and childbirth

Just before the onset of childbirth, females become inactive, tremble, lose their appetite, and some semblance of vomiting can also occur. In the aquarium, they try to constantly be near the heater.

Guppy births, as a rule, begin at night or in the morning and drag on for several hours or even a whole day. In the process of childbirth, the female's tail begins to tremble violently, then it completely freezes. Some of the emerging fry immediately actively move, others are inhibited and fit on the moss or bottom. There is nothing wrong with that, they just need to gain a little strength. The female can be returned to the general aquarium a day after giving birth.

Sometimes females cannot give birth to fry in due time. To stimulate childbirth, you need to change the water in the aquarium by half the volume, raise its temperature a few degrees above normal and plant the male.

Postpartum behavior and fry conservation

Guppies, like all other representatives of the carp order, do not have maternal instinct. After spawning, and sometimes during childbirth, the female can easily eat juveniles. Therefore, if you need to save offspring, then as soon as the last fry appears, the female must be quickly transplanted from the spawning ground. Fry, even at a very early age, do not need the attention of the mother.

If it is not possible to plant the female in a separate container, then you can divide the aquarium into two parts with a grate through which an adult fish cannot enter the territory of the fry.

If the spawning process takes place in a common aquarium, then it will be necessary to plant the fry themselves, using a pre-prepared nursery tank for this. To do this, you need to take a plastic cup and during the birth of the female, quickly collect juveniles in it. Thus, it will be possible to save most of the offspring. If the fry after birth remain in the general aquarium, then it should be planted with densely growing and floating plants on the surface, and also equipped with various shelters (coarse soil, stones, driftwood, etc.).

Reproduction shown in the video

How to care for fry and how to determine their gender?

Very important for the proper development of fry are first five days after birth. And one of the main indicators in caring for them is good nutrition. At this time, a six-time supply of food is recommended, consisting of ciliates, live dust, brine shrimp nauplii, rotifers, microworms. You can use special food for fry, which has a balanced composition. It contains those elements that contribute to their full development. Starting from the second week and ending at two months of age, feeding is carried out three times a day, gradually transferring the fry to more adult food, for example, chopped bloodworm.

It is recommended to include boiled egg yolks in the diet of fry, which are wiped and diluted with water from the aquarium. They serve as a vitamin supplement.

If the nutrition of juveniles is plentiful and of high quality, then in half a month the fry grow up to two centimeters in length and they can already be sent to a common aquarium. Also, a properly selected, well-balanced diet will enable the fish to acquire a more interesting bright color.

Equally important for the growth of fry is full lighting. In the first week it should be around the clock.

Half a month after the birth of the fry, gender sorting can be carried out if required. In young females, by this time a dark spot is already formed at the bottom of the abdomen near the anal fin. On this basis, they can be easily recognized, caught and planted.

You should be aware that the spots in different individuals appear unevenly, so you need to watch the fry until the age of one and a half months.

When growing guppies, the following feature of the fish should be considered. Young males, reaching puberty and acquiring a characteristic color, finally stop growing. Maturation is the faster, the higher the temperature of the water in the aquarium. It is desirable to grow fry at a temperature of twenty-two degrees. Under such conditions, males of optimal size will form. At a higher temperature, they will also grow full-fledged, but will be quite small.

Also should take into account the uneven growth of fry. Therefore, it is necessary to separate large individuals from small ones and seat them in different containers.

Weak juveniles may die due to the fact that the stronger part of the fry will not give them access to food.

The postpartum period is shown in the video

Why don't guppies breed?

Guppy breeding is very simple, fast and active. With the right content, fry in each female appear every three weeks. If juvenile guppies do not appear in the general aquarium, most likely they are quickly eaten. To check whether the fish are breeding or not, you can put them in a separate small aquarium and watch them.

Bright guppies can become perfect decoration for any aquarium. To do this, you only need to learn about the correct conditions for keeping these miniature fish, about the features of reproduction and preservation of offspring, if necessary.

And then watching healthy, beautiful fish swimming in an aquarium will be a real pleasure and relieve stress accumulated during the day.