Breeder tank frustration

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Mausea

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Sep 25, 2006
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I had 2 pregnant guppies. I seperated them into my breeder net and one gave birth yesterday - all day to about 30-40 fry. The other preggo guppy started snacking on them so I had to remove her. I got a breeder tank but as babies are born, they are falling through the slats on the bottom into my big tank and getting eaten. I don't get the function of the breeder tank. It saves them from being eaten by their Mom but an all you can eat buffet for everyone else. What am I doing wrong?

Maureen
 

Dangerdoll

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Aug 27, 2002
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it sounds like you are either using the breeder wrong, are missing a part on the tank, or the breeder is dysfunctionsl and the babies are extra small..... do you happen to have a picture you can provide?
 

Mausea

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Sep 25, 2006
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Well it's a little plastic tank with a v-shaped insert. I'll get some pics.

1st pic is the breeder tank
2nd is the breeder net
3rd are my fry hanging out in my betta tank until I can figure this out.

IMG_8956.JPG IMG_8963.JPG IMG_8962.JPG
 

fballguy

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Feb 27, 2006
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Can you get a picture of the holes on the bottom so we can see their size? I have a breeder very similar to that one. The only time my guppies ever got through the holes is when I had an angelfish that sucked them through.
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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I raised guppies a few years ago..I never used a breeder tank or nets..I had a 10 gallon with a few males and females..when they started having baby guppies/I got a floating breeder mat..it allows the babies to hid in the mat(similar to floating grass ) before long I had more guppies than I could count..

at that point I wasn't concerned about how many got eaten.
 

Dangerdoll

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all you need is the first one. Place the female in the breeder above the triangle trap where the babies fall through into the bottom of the breeder. Once she's done having the babies, remove her and the triangle thing. I like to keep a airstone with them if keeping the babies in there. The bottom shouldn't have slats for the babies to fall through. You should have another tank to move the babies to once they age though.
 

Mausea

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Sep 25, 2006
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This is the bottom.

fballguy said:
Can you get a picture of the holes on the bottom so we can see their size? I have a breeder very similar to that one. The only time my guppies ever got through the holes is when I had an angelfish that sucked them through.
IMG_8973.JPG
 

bleeding

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Nov 17, 2006
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Generally, those containers are for use in a "breeder tank" (or so I think). The slots in the bottom allow for the fry to excape from the mother...but they need to fall into a tank where they are safe, like a small 10 gallon or something. Many times people will make these small tanks with no gravel or decorations, simply because it makes them easier to clean with the fry. When I had my first few guppies and plays (which are fun too), I bought one of the breeder "nets" which is the same type of device but the fry do not excape, and you have to remove the mother when she is done. Eventually though, after the first round of fry grew up, I coudlnt even keep track of all the new females that were pregnant, and it was impossible to catch them all and put them into these containers (and I dont use one of those breeder "tanks").

If you want my strategy, I bought a clump of java moss (which grows in almost any condition) and left it in a ball and stuck it in the corner of the tank. It started out as a size of a golf ball, and is now the size of a softball. The fry stay in there and it provies a sorce of nutrition and shelter. To be honest, i started out with six in a 20 gallon, and this week im transferring them into a 55. I probably have close to 40 fish now (way overpopulated in a 20).

Like the others have said, you lose some doing it this way, but in reality, thats ok.

I also have a betta in the tank, as another suggestion was made. They eat the fry and also add color?

Hope that helps!
 

Woofy

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Jun 30, 2006
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i had the same problem with the exact same breeder , it would seperate fry from mom but once they laid on the bottom to rest or what not they would get sucked up by the other fish....i have now been using a net breede which somehow hasnt worked either, all my babies are gone anywho....my nest batch i will do the following, get mom out as soon as shes done and place fry in spereate tank, or fill the bottom of the breeder with baby hide grass.
 

Xavier3520

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Nov 15, 2006
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had the same problem but i bought some breeding grass and put in the breeder net put some gravel to weigh it down and the fry would hide when the momma would go after them it worked and i now removed her and the breeding grass and just feeding them fry food :-D.....Heres a pic of the breeder net and the little guys in there :-D

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8464&stc=1
 
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