Breeding advice on keeping all fish within one community tank

[Yaari]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice. I'm a new hobbyist, not trying to breed currently for sale or profit; but I'd love to gradually expand my fish population. I'd love advice on what I can do so that some fry survive and grow well within a community tank. I currently have two tanks, each with corydoras and guppies. This month I'm attempting to hatch some cory eggs I removed and put in a floating breeder box. But long term, I'd love to set up my tank so that some fry can make it to hatch and grow up there well, assuming that's possible with a school of corys and guppies. If so, I'd love some advice as I know I won't always have time to try to pull some eggs and raise them separately, but like the idea of gradually growing my fish population and having some to give to friends. I've found lots of advice on removing cory eggs and raising them, but few practical details on what to do to try to help them hatch/grow in one community tank. I've heard good things about adding floating plants like java moss and just ordered some. What else can I do and any thoughts on feeding? I worry the fry might not get enough to eat in a community tank. How're people handling that? Thanks for sharing any tips or pointing me to an existing thread on this.

Thanks much!

- Yaari (they/them) from Queens, NYC

PS In case further details are helpful, the tanks are 20 gal and 29 gal, the corys are in like species schools (sterbai and splendens), sand substrate, filtration via sponge filters. One tank also has filtration through a small aquaponics system on top.

[FrozenFins]

Guppies are really easy to breed in a aquarium like that. Guppies are livebearers meaning that they give brith to live fry, not eggs. So all you need is lots of plants for the fry to hide in. Plants like...

• Hornwort
• Water Sprite
• Pogostemon Octopus
• Guppy Grass

Are great for breeding guppies and giving the fry some cover!
You can feed the baby guppies some crushed flake, and they will be fine on that. Heres what my livebearers tank looks like:

I have some pogostemon octopus floating in the tank for the fry. And then have 3 different crypts (wendetii red, green gecko crypts) a java fern, hygrophillia compact, java fern and a big yellow sun sword. No livebearers yet in this tank, I have a penny size angelfish growing out in this  tank till I can move him in with the bigger angelfish. 

 

 

[Just Renee]

I am new to the hobby all together and just had some new guppies have babies... and more babies... and even more babies.  They apparently arrived, how do I say... fully loaded?  They were so new that I was doing the medication trio thing and was unable to feed them much due to that and I still have babies for daaaaaays.  So you want some guppies?  Kidding. 

I think they were eating microscopic things... I spent about 2 weeks cycling the tank before getting any fish and I was adding lots of plants and eventually some snails during that time.  That introduced tiny micro critters and I just assume the fry are eating those and tiny bits of algae, etc?  Either that or they are basically air-ferns and just grow regardless.

I can't speak on the cory fry but guppy fry find a way... whether you like it or not.  LOL

[Yaari]

Thanks so much Just Renne & James Black

[Fish Folk]

Corydoras will breed regularly in your aquarium once mature. Eggs will show up every few weeks. As has been already said, lots of cover will help preserve a few fry that hatch over time. They like flow, and cool water changes. Corys will eat some by night, when other fish sleep. Guppies will just drop fry all over the place if they’re well fed.