Tropical Fish Breeding for Beginners - Guppies and Swordtails

Breeding tropical fish can be a lot of fun. Try your luck at breeding livebearers such as guppies or swordtails.

Equipment Needed:
Breeder Box or Breeder Net
Breeding Grass
5 or 10 gallon tank for the baby fish or a tank divider that you can use for your main tank.
A pair - 1 female and 1 male, 2 females to 1 male works even better

Two of the more popular tropical fish for beginners has to be Guppies and Swordtails. Guppies and Swordtails are livebearers which means that their babies come out swimming. Like most livebearers, there is not much to getting your guppies or swordtails to breed. If you have a male and a female then you will eventually have a pregnant female. The gestation period for livebearers is usually 28 days but can range from 20 to 40 days.

Place the male and female in the same tank together and they will soon mate. You are probably asking, how can I tell when the female is pregnant? When a female guppy is pregnant she will develop a dark triangular shaped gravid spot near her anal vent. This will get larger and darker as the pregnancy progresses. While you are waiting on the female to develop the babies it's time to make sure you are prepared for the delivery. We use plastic breeder boxes and always have without any problems. A breeder box is a small box plastic box about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide and 4 inches deep.

There is a removable "V" shaped trap in it which serves to separate the mother from the babies. When the mother fish has babies they fall through the slot in the "V" into the bottom of the box. After the mother is finished having babies, you can remove the "V" trap and the mother so that they babies have more room to grow. Some people have had bad experiences with breeder boxes and now only use a breeder net. It is also a good idea to purchase some real or plastic breeding grass for the top of the aquarium. The breeding grass is just in case the mother gives birth before you have a chance to put her in the breeder box. The young babies instinctively will swim to the top of the aquarium and the breeder grass provides a great hiding place so they won't get eaten by the bigger fish in your tank.

To feed your new arrivals you can use finely crushed flake food. Using your fingers, you can rub the flakes into a fine powder. Some only feed live foods such as baby brine shrimp. Live foods would definitely be the best way to go, but for most this is simply not feasible. Crushed or powdered flake food will suffice. Try to feed the babies 3 very small meals per day. You will invariably feed too much and the excess food will drop to the bottom of the tank or breeder box. To clean a breeder box we like to take a 3 ft. length of aquarium tubing and a small bucket. Use the tubing as a siphon to clean the bottom of the breeder box. Be careful not to siphon any baby fish.

Try to perform 25% water changes weekly for your baby guppies. This will aid in the optimal growth of your baby tropical fish. After a few weeks in the breeder box your new babies will soon outgrow their home and you will need to move them either to a new tank or your main tank with a divider installed. By 8 weeks old your baby fish will most likely be able to return to the main tank without a divider.

For more tropical fish and aquarium information, please visit FishLore.com - Tropical Fish & Aquarium Information.

Mike is an editor at FishLore.com. Designed for beginners, FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more! FishLore.com - Tropical Fish & Aquarium Information

---

Frustrated Over High Veterinarian Bills?

Over the past 30 years we have learned so much... Read More

How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever!

Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave... Read More

Universal Principles For Successful Dog Training

Dog training is not rocket science and is not as... Read More

Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know...

Some Dogs like Boxers unfortunately, are prone to several potential... Read More

Surprising Health Benefits for Pet Owners

Did you know that there are key health benefits that... Read More

Raw Feed? Are You Joking?

Let's think about this for a minute: God did not... Read More

Dog Rescue: Is it Right for You?

Ever had a hankering for a certain breed of dog?... Read More

Interesting Old Dog Tricks: For Dog Owners Looking For Fun & Laughter

The teaching and training of dog tricks while not a... Read More

Boxers Make Great Family Dogs

A breed of dog called a Boxer is very family-oriented... Read More

Tired of Vet Bills?

Do you make a lot of trips to the vet's... Read More

?On Trust? & ?Paid For?: One of the Oldest Dog Tricks that Never Fail to Entertain

"On Trust" & "Paid For" for are one of the... Read More

New Puppies-The Cure For Insomnia-What You Can Do To Help You New Pupppy Adjust

Puppies have a natural instinct inside that causes them to... Read More

Why Does My Cat Drink Dirty Water?

You know that cats should always have a supply of... Read More

Horse Training Equipment: The 6th of 6 Keys To Developing A Partnership With Your Horse

The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With... Read More

Cats Make Great Pets If You Understand Them

Anyone wanting a new kitten should be a cat lover.... Read More

7 Puppy Naming Tips

You've picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on... Read More

Dog Breeds for Allergy Sufferers

Allergies to dogs can strike anyone at any age, yet... Read More

The Basics of Dog Obedience Training for Your New Pet

Dog obedience training starts even before you get your puppy... Read More

Nervous Cats, Wining the Trust of a Timid Cat

Nervous cats hide from people, they do not readily present... Read More

Do You Know Whats Really In Your Pets Food?

The pet food industry, a billion-dollar, unregulated operation, feeds on... Read More

Is YOUR Child Ready for a Dog?

Are you considering buying a dog for your child or... Read More

How To Grow Daphnia For The Aquarium

The benefits of feeding live food to fish in a... Read More

How I Get More Training Done On My Horses In 1/2 The Time

Here's a simple way... to help your horse learn twice... Read More

Mabeke: Gorilla Teacher

Mabeke is a young gorilla who was born in captivity... Read More

Dog Training -What You Should Keep In Mind When Playing With Your Dog

Dogs, especially young dogs are very playful by nature.Play provides... Read More

Why Should I Adopt A Pet

Over the past couple of years, animal rescues have been... Read More

Dog Training Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits

Dog Training CollarsHaving a pet means having to provide for... Read More

5 Things You Must Do If You Want To Create a First Aid Kit For Your Family

1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently.... Read More

Characteristics Of The Boxer

Is A Boxer Right For You?Country of Origin: Germany ... Read More

Dog Lover Gifts

Whether you are searching for something to say "Happy Birthday"... Read More

Choose an Acrylic Bird Cage

Congratulations. You've decided to buy a bird, and you even... Read More

What Are The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse?

Most people who have horses would like to develop a... Read More

Canine Infectious Hepatitis

What is Canine Infectious Hepatitis?The word hepatitis refers to an... Read More