How to be efficient in guppy breeding

[AquariumCentral]

DISCLAIMER : I AM NOT MASS BREEDING!

 

 I have a 25 gallon tank that I want to use as a birthing/nursery tank. My main tank is an 85 gallon aquarium and holds some fish (the current guppies).

First set of questions: 

How do I cover the filter intake without buying a sponge filter?

should I remove the gravel from the tank to get a bare bottom and just fill in with plants?

Is this more efficent than a bunch of breeding nets?

 

I also have some basic questions about breeding 

 

next set of questions:

How do I create pairs?

If I just let them free-breed, will they pick better colors?

If I let them free-breed, is inbreeding a large issue?

How do I pair them up (but not with the same type of guppy) to create a more colorful and valuable guppy?

How do I create my own strain of guppy, and how do I know if its a new strain?

Am I allowed to name the guppies type despite the name everyone else calls them if I sell them?

Am I allowed to name my own strain of guppies?

If I name my strain, will other people obay the strain name or not? 

where do i find the best low price BULK fry food?

 

 

I have one more unrelated question. 

I have a 45 gallon tank that I found. could I put the filter from my 25 gallon (its a HOB) onto the 45? I would do this so the space was larger for the fry and so i could divide and have a birthing spot for females and not risk some being eaten. 

 

My plan for the birthing and fry tank is, basically a collection box. The first female gives birth, I remove and place her back in main tank, I raise fry. Next female goes into labor, I place her in there with the growing fry so she gives birth, then remove her into the main tank. So on and so forth. I was thinking with the 45, I would divide female into one section so other fry are on the other side, have her give birth, then remove divider. I could also just have the female give birth in the net, then release babies and put her back in main. 
 

any better ideas?

[Guppysnail]

On 3/27/2023 at 12:46 PM, AquariumCentral said:

How do I cover the filter intake without buying a sponge filter?

Pantyhose or mesh with a zip tie to secure. 

 

On 3/27/2023 at 12:46 PM, AquariumCentral said:

where do i find the best low price BULK fry food?

Kens fish food. Fry growth #oo or high protein fry green .2 mm

i feed kens all types and sizes. My breeding and fry have gone up using this. 
you can buy a pound for under $10. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Guppysnail

[rockfisher]

There a lot here

1. @Guppysnail has this right.
 

2.you can leave the gravel and plants. It will give the small fry a place to hide. The gravel holds the microorganisms to break the waste from fish down.

3. I would not use breeding nets. It’s more hassle than it worth.

1b. Put one male and two females. If all your guppies are the same variety I would leave them together. 

2b. The females will pit the males they think have the genes best to pass one. That can lead to the best colors. If you choose the males you want to breed and and just keep those( cut the males that are not you to standards. Let them grow out through. Sometimes the slow growers are the best. 
 

3b. Inbreeding is not really a problem. Every 6  months I add in a few new genes in the the tank.

4b and 5b. Getting new guppies is hard. There are a few was to this. First to to take the guppies that are not breeding true and select ones that are the most different and separate them. Add some females and keep the ones that are most like what you want. The second is to take some males of one color and add females of the other. You will never know what you get. But once you get what you are looking for breed to that. It will take a long time.

6b. You can call them what ever you want when you sell them. As far as patient ing them I have no idea. 
 

7b. Unless you have to patient them. There is nothing to force compliance. Some will and some won’t. There is no is no really reason not to use it in the beginning. The issue would be once they become established and people would have a reason to use that name.

8. There are lots of places. I use some food from kens. I buy it by the #.
 

you can run the filter from 25 on 45. Most filterS are bigger than needed. I run a 40gal hob on 75.

 

As for the last part I think your making more complicated that it is. I have more guppies than I can sell. I leave them in one tank to breed. I let the fry grow until they are big enough to sex. Then I take the females and put most back into the breeder. I sell the males as the local LFS want mostly males. I sell trios online. 
 

Edited March 28, 2023 by rockfisher

[PineSong]

I agree with others; you don’t need to move mom fish around and in fact doing so will likely cost you. Feed the adults well and they will not be hungry enough to go through the trouble of hunting down fry in a tank with a lot of plants and hiding spaces.

In addition to having live plants, I also use floating artificial plants specifically to protect fry near the surface.

You will be knee-deep in baby guppies before you know it, without having to put your mom fish at risk by relocating them when they are stressed by late stage pregnancy or recent childbirth.