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Pregnant fish tend to gain a lot of unwanted attention from other fish in the same tank. Separating the pregnant fish can be the key difference in allowing them to complete their birthing process. If you’ve noticed that your guppy is pregnant, you’ll want to make sure to give it its own secluded space.
If this is your first time dealing with a pregnant guppy, you may not be sure when the right time to separate it from the others. In this article, we will provide you with everything you need to know in order to help your guppy have a healthy and successful birth.
The Need For Separation
Before separating your pregnant guppy away from any other fish, you’ll want to understand why this is important in the first place. There are a few key reasons why separation is vital and all of them have to do with protection and health.
Once a guppy becomes pregnant, male guppies (and other male fish in general) will begin to harass and chase her. In order for a female guppy to have a successful birth, she needs to remain as strong and healthy as possible. Male fish are relentless towards a pregnant female and they will literally exhaust her to death.
Another reason to separate your pregnant guppy is to protect the fry upon birth. Although guppies generally give birth after 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, you may not always know when they are going to give birth. If a pregnant guppy manages to stay alive in a tank with other fish, the fry she births will most likely be eaten.
The best way to protect both the pregnant guppy and all her fry is by separating her for the entire length of her pregnancy.
How And When To Separate
In order to know when a female guppy should be separated from other fish is by first knowing when she becomes pregnant. As soon as you realize she is pregnant you will want to separate her immediately.
It may be hard to tell whether your guppy is pregnant at first unless you saw your guppies mating. If you weren’t able to notice that, the easiest way to spot a pregnant guppy is by looking at her. If your guppy is pregnant, she’ll have a bulge in her abdomen that’s noticeable when compared to other guppies.
Another way to tell if your guppy is pregnant is by watching how other fish react to her. If you weren’t able to spot a difference in her abdomen but notice the male fish in your tank beginning to harass her, there’s a very high chance that she is pregnant.
As soon as you are able to see these differences in your female guppy you will want to separate her as soon as possible. When you separate a pregnant guppy from her original tank, it’s important to make sure you do it carefully.
If you already have a small tank set up with clean, safe water, simply scoop the pregnant guppy with a fishnet and place her in it. If you don’t have this ready, it’s not worth the risk of hastily setting one up.
Another option is to place her in a breeder box that hangs on the side of your original fish tank. If you do this, you’ll want to make sure to use the same water from the original fish tank that she is already used to.
When To End Separation
Once separated, you should keep your pregnant guppy away from all other fish until she gives birth. As soon as your female guppy gives birth, it’s safe to put her back in the original tank with the others. It’s important to do this as soon as you see her fry because, like most fish, guppies will eat their own babies.
Helping your guppy to fulfill her goal of reproduction is an exciting and fun process to be a part of. Now that you understand what it takes to assist her with this process, you should be able to see your pregnant guppy have a successful bunch of offspring.
link to Can Neon Tetras Eat Betta Food? link to How Long Does It Take For a Guppy to Give Birth?