Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Pregnant Guppy

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Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
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28 Jun 2010 21:44 - 28 Jun 2010 21:45 #1 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)

Pregnant Guppy was created by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)

Hello All,
Don't think this will be a shock to anyone that my female guppy is pregnant- I hear even rabbits use the phrase 'Breed like Guppys'! However, it is the first time that any of my fish have been knocked-up, so would like to try bring up the fry. Before I went away for a week I realised that the 'dark spot' that I read about had appeared and guessed she was pregnant. I arrived home today and there are very obvious eyes and head forming. How long more should I expect before she gives birth and at what point should I move her to an isolation/breeding box? I don't want to leave her in there too long, but would like to save the fry from being eaten by two hungry Angels?
Thanks,
L.

Last edit: 28 Jun 2010 21:45 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien).

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dar (darren curry)
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28 Jun 2010 22:02 #2 by dar (darren curry)

Replied by dar (darren curry) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

could be about a week, be careful moving to another tank can be stressful moving to a breeding box can be worse she might abort them, i'd let nature take it's course but your not me. this was one of the most exciting yet traumatising things i ever seen, she gave birth then turned around and ate them, shocking

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
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28 Jun 2010 22:03 #3 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

Replied by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

If the eyes are showing in the gravid spot etc then she is likely to give birth in the coming few days.Its hard to tell when precisely they will give birth so odds are she will have had them before you see them.You might even her alot slimmer in the morning! If you have another tank then put her into that but Im personally against breeding boxes as the female guppy gets very stressed while inside this breeders box. The angels will devour the fry as will an internal filter,however if you have places for them to hide you will probably be able to save a few,plants, area's for them to hide etc...its gives them the best chance possible then. Also perhaps keep the lights off for a day or two if you can so they get a chance to escape. Also wrap a pair of tights around the internal filter intake and it will prevent them being sucked up. I wouldnt worry too much if you dont get to save too many fry this time,she will continue to breed from now on in and if you want to keep the fry then you can prepare the next time ie. gets another smaller tank or arrange the tank so there are lots of hiding places but with 2 angels in the tank Id be surprised if many stayed off the menu! Do a search here on the forum also for pregnant guppys etc, and you will probably see a few posts in relation to it.

Gavin

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Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
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29 Jun 2010 11:51 #4 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)

Replied by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

Thanks for that. I did hear something about it being quite stressful for the female in a breeding box. It's a relatively large tank and I have a lot of plants in it. Also, my large DIY background is about to go in, which has three or four small caves for just such hiding spots for them. Might leave nature to take it's somewhat cut-throat course.

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29 Jun 2010 19:21 #5 by Damien Conway (Damien Conway)

Replied by Damien Conway (Damien Conway) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

I have a female guppy who's given birth in a breeding box with no trouble at all. Mine has had fry like clockwork every 3 weeks since she had her first batch.( I believe they don't have to have a male for up to six months) . Just keep an eye on her so she doesn't eat the fry as she pops them out. Once they start they just don't stop. If you want to bring on the birth do a small water change a little cooler than you would normally, this encourages her to generally start. In a way it replicates the birthing process of there natural habitat.

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r2potat2 (Derek Martin)
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29 Jun 2010 19:39 #6 by r2potat2 (Derek Martin)

Replied by r2potat2 (Derek Martin) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

hi all i bought a load of guppies and i can see a lot of them are just about to pop but they all seem to die just before giving birth without been moved or been put in the smaller tank whay is this happening

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Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
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29 Jun 2010 19:43 #7 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

Replied by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

You sure your guppies dont have dropsy? Guppies can die from the stress but for a few of them it sounds unusual. Gravid spot showing clearly etc, no blood etc evident?
Gavin

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r2potat2 (Derek Martin)
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29 Jun 2010 19:54 #8 by r2potat2 (Derek Martin)

Replied by r2potat2 (Derek Martin) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

they are clearly pregnant i know they are sure i went into the lfs and asked for the most pregnant ones

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29 Jun 2010 20:01 #9 by Damien Conway (Damien Conway)

Replied by Damien Conway (Damien Conway) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

In a lot of places males and females are separated. You might have a few endlers which would generally have what looks like a gravid spot but may not be. One pregnant guppy is all it takes to be over run with them anyway. Don't worry it'll happen .

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Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
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29 Jun 2010 20:03 #10 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

Replied by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

Its strange that they are all dying before giving birth. Its not unusual that you may have a loss of one or two when giving birth but for quite a few of them to be dying,Im not so sure. Often guppies get impregnated too young and end up with complications when giving birth and I suspect that is what is happening, particularly if you have gotten them from the lfs, where young guppies would be sold.If it was after they birth then Id say they may be stressed or getting harassed once more from the males.
Have you used any meds lately on your tank to perhaps treat something? Id put it down to the fish having complications because they got pregnant too young.

Gavin

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r2potat2 (Derek Martin)
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29 Jun 2010 20:13 #11 by r2potat2 (Derek Martin)

Replied by r2potat2 (Derek Martin) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

no meds in the tank i dont know whats going on just see what happenes i suppose

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Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
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29 Jun 2010 20:19 #12 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

Replied by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

I think its down to the fact that the guppies are in the lfs already pregnant and must be getting literally chased by a huge amount of male guppies which is probably stressing them out to the last.Maybe get a few females next time that arent pregnant and let nature take its course in your tank then.
See how it goes I guess,I cant think of anything else it could be.
Gavin

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Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)
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30 Jun 2010 17:03 #13 by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien)

Replied by Xaribdis (Lorcan O' Brien) on topic Re:Pregnant Guppy

On a more positive note (sorry, don't mean to ignore your problem, r2potat2), my female gave birth yesterday to 26 fry! I know this will be trivial to more experienced fish-keepers, but it's the first birth in my tank (except snails!). She doesn't half pop them out quickly, eh? Giving birth looks like a doddle, don't know what women go on about- I'm sure it's just as easy to give birth to a fully formed, highly evolved human as it is to a streamlined, appendage-less fish. Ehem... I'm sure!
Very funny to see my two large angels attacking the outside of the breeding box for the (in their opinion) dinner inside! Probably looks like a big McDonalds bag ferom their perspective!

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