Livebearer Breeding Unit??

[thecowman]

I am considering starting a small guppy-breeding project. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with "livebearer breeding units" sold in most aquarium stores. There is one at Petsmart http://www.petsmart.com/products/product_26991.shtml for $14.99. I was wondering if this would be a worthwhile investment or if I should just use floating plants or decorations to provide fry with a place to hide?

[kveeti]

If you use one, it should only be for a short time, until the babies get their own home as they're good for saving larger numbers of fry... but if you compared growth rate of fry born at the same time, those in a breeder to survivors in a tank, the survivors would be larger.

[thecowman]

Ok, I think I will try to do it without using one of these contraptions first. I was thinking I'd just put some floating plastic plants or something for the fry to hide in. Any other suggestions of what I could use to provide cover for the fry, or should that work?

[kveeti]

That should work, just have lots of plants (at the top and bottom), kinds that are very jumbled are best (can't think of the word, lots of little spaces too small for big fish). But be prepared for some not to survive. If you want a greater number, you could divide your tank, put Mom in one side until she gives birth and then move her over. The babies are therefore in the same water/conditions in which they are born and there are no adults to bother them, and they have lots of room.

You can buy tank dividers, but if you are cheap (like me) you can make your own. There is plastic needlepoint canvas (craft stores, Wal-Mart). You can either have it wider than the tank, bury the bottom in the gravel to stay put so it bows to the sides… or buy edging and cut the canvas to size and slide it into the edging - the flat part rests against the glass (either plastic report binding thingys or I found plastic moulding in the hardware store that is better because the base is wider, 8 foot piece for under $2). I’ve used the same idea to divide a betta tank. (pic of molding)

edit... should mention there are 2 sizes of holes in plastic canvas, the smaller ones are harder to find, the larger holes will keep the adults away but the babies could swim through them, though it would be easy enough for them to swim back if they are being chased.... now I'd better get back to work and keep away from these boards! LOL

[thecowman]

Thanks for the advice! I hope to be getting my fish this weekend or sometime thereabouts. I have kept guppies in my community tank before, but the offspring did not survive the other inhabitants of the tank. This will be my first real attempt at breeding guppies, so we'll see how it goes and I'll keep you posted.

[wetmanNY]

If you had a tank that was a tangle of Java Fern (so easy to grow), it would provide a refuge for the fry until the mother was removed. And then the green surfaces would provide all kinds of minute organisms to feed the fry.

[tricksterpup]

I agree with everyone here, i preach against those breeder traps. you can have tons of fry with out them. I highly recommend another plant.. Hornwort.. its a fast grower and it floats on top of the water and hides fry.
jim

[Fish Hunter]

Yes those breeder traps just stress the mother out to much and they most times die. I would also recomend if you are using a power filter putting some type of netting over the intake tube so the fry don't get sucked up. I used to use those little net bags you can buy for those junky battery operated gravel vacs. They are very cheap and fit nice.

[thecowman]

Ok that's what I was worried about. I will try it without the aid of these contraptions, I'm planning on just using some artificial plants to allow the fry to hide. I'm using a sponge filter so I won't have to worry about them getting sucked into anything. The tank has no substrate at the moment as I figured this would allow me to keep it clean very easilly.