Mutt guppy selection

[CJs Aquatics]

What’s up again everybody quick question:

I have a 29 gallon mutt guppy colony tank that I love. It’s got a ton of guppies in it. My question is, if you were preparing to decrease the numbers via selling or trading or gifting or whatever the case is, how do you go about doing that while still enhancing genetics? Is it a practice to keep eighter males or females or it really doesn’t matter? Do you remove the fry or the parents to establish a stronger new colony? Things of that nature is the question

[lefty o]

pick out the ugly ones. in a mutt tank there is likely plenty of genetics to go around, so id not worry about genetic diversity. in a mutt tank, truly it is about what you like. pick out the ones you find less desireable.

[CJs Aquatics]

This is good advice, I guess my problem is i like them all, currently I’m considering creating trios, letting them breed hopefully, then taking the adults to the LFS to attempt to develop a relationship with them and keeping the fry however this is a risky move bc fry are more susceptible to parameter fluctuations. In theory this would mostly constantly increase genetics and reduce numbers it would just take some creative for lack of a better word “architecture.” 

[redfish]

@CJs Aquatics  I’m heading down the similar path with mutt’s.  I have a few groups I’m really interested to see what combinations we can get.  

[CJs Aquatics]

@redfishthey are such a fascinating strain to work with, we should make a topic for it for people to post some of there mutt guppy adventures 

[redfish]

It’s a slow process to grow out the fry.  We are just starting the project and already realized we needed more tanks to separate groups.

[CJs Aquatics]

I’m thinking of diy dividers made from black landscape cloth and craft mesh to seperate tanks into 3-5 gallon sections, this is just a random first thought I have no idea how it will work out but for trios I figure 1 large mutt guppy tank that I have, then a 10 gallon underneath divided into 2-3 sections each section containing a trio, when the trio breeds I’ll remove my adults (take to LFS) is my first thought just to build a relationship, and transfer fry to a 10 gallon to grow out then rinse and repeat with a different trio… again I’m just spitballing I agree it’s gonna take some serious tinkering

[redfish]

I’m thinking about breeding a few generations with the same males to see what happens. If they don’t produce any desired mutts, then changing up the line some.

[CJs Aquatics]

That sounds like a great plan as well they could turn out completely different, you just never know 

[PineSong]

On 9/18/2022 at 11:14 PM, CJs Aquatics said:

I’m thinking of diy dividers made from black landscape cloth and craft mesh to seperate tanks into 3-5 gallon sections, this is just a random first thought I have no idea how it will work out but for trios I figure 1 large mutt guppy tank that I have, then a 10 gallon underneath divided into 2-3 sections each section containing a trio, when the trio breeds I’ll remove my adults (take to LFS) is my first thought just to build a relationship, and transfer fry to a 10 gallon to grow out then rinse and repeat with a different trio… again I’m just spitballing I agree it’s gonna take some serious tinkering

I used this matten filter to divide my 10g so I could have a breeding trio on each side, it fits snugly and worked great, much easier than rigging tank dividers but does take up more room. On the other hand, it holds a ton of beneficial bacteria to protect your water parameters.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078XTRVWS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I had fun for the past year + raising mutt guppies and found that my fish produced many more than I could sell locally, so I sold many and gave many to the local LFS that accepts hobbyist's fish. With three females producing 50 babies a month, and in month 5 or 6 the babies start doing the same...it got crazy fast.

Whether selling to individuals or taking fish to the LFS, I tried to give them a mix of the prettiest and 'average' ones, but I did keep my 3-4 of my very favorite males just in case I decided to breed more, and I kept 4 males who were just pathetic in terms of tail color and development, because I thought at the LFS nobody would buy them and I felt sorry for them. Luckily little uglies got to have summer outside in the pond and now live in the largest tank in the house 🙂

 

 

 

 

[CJs Aquatics]

@PineSong I think I’m gonna be making a purchase 🙃 thank you this is a great idea 

[rockfisher]

I for just breeding my guppies I have the the most colorful females of the original color in a muck bucket,and the best best males In 1. In a second I have all the small fry before I can sex them . As soon as I can sex them I have two clear 17 gal totes with males in one and females in the other. I the females go out as soon as I get an order( I try to keep 3 dozen here for one of the LFS’s). The males I keep longer and keep the males with the males that grow slowest and have the color I want. If I get some that are better than the males I have I keep those males and sell the males that were breeding(they go to the LFS just because I’m not sure of the age). When I get and order online I get the order normally trios. I will send as many females as wanted it asked. Mine are not the best at throw off males. I’m at a rate of about 14 females to one male. Some are to to LFS as feeders when small I have so many. The muck buckets do take away seeing the fish, until they go in the totes. I have 3 sets like this now. 2 are the original color and one is a project.