# How many guppy fry for a 2.5 gal?



## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

So, at this time, my fry tank is a 2.5 sponge filtered tank. The its about 77 degrees, because its in my bathroom, and that usually stays pretty hot.

I have about 25 fry in there, two that are 34 days old, and the rest from 13 to 19 days old. I am puttin my barbs in my big tank, so i scooped out as many fry as i could get, about 25-30, in case the rest in my 45 get eaten. they are about 12 days old.

The fry i just took out of the big tank are currently acclimating to my 2.5, though i am wondering if there will be too many fry in there? 
Its bare bottomed, though i do a floor cleaning every day, and a big about 30% w/c every three days.

Im wondering how many i could safely fit in there. With the new fry, itll be about 50 - 60 fry.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

The question is not how many, but how long. At some point in the near future, the tank will be overloaded and they will die. IME. If you plan to raise fry you are going to need much more than that - either a much larger tank or many more tanks. Unless you have a specific purpose for these fish, you really ought to keep them in the main tank. It seems like you think the cherry barbs are going to eat every last one of them and that's not going to happen. You are still going to wind up with more guppies than you need.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

Well, the two older ones im moving to the big tank in a few days, after the barbs have settled in.

I am planning on keeping them in the 2.5 for at least two more weeks, Ill then be using a 5 gallon bin. I like to be able to see them when their littler, up to 20 days, so i can see whose weak and who i need to cull. So far, i havent actually had to cull any, though i have seen weak ones, then they were gone. Im assuming they die, and the others eat them.

I haven't actually decided what im going to do with the fry...Its tough to be able to tell whose gonna be nice colors or not, since they dont show colors til after two months!
Some of mine are showing black, though that doesn't necessarily mean theyll be black, just that black is the first pigment to show up..correct?

I do have a spare 10 gallon I could set up, though i really have no place to put it, or a spare filter/air pump.

My plan originally was to feed the fry to my crayfish/ACF's and some of the fry will go to them, but id like to know the max time i could house them in the 2.5.
I can have some grow out in my bettas 5.5, [he doesnt care about other fish or anything for that matter] though id hate to choose a fry that will just be grey!

Are there any markings/colorings i should be looking for to help me determine what colors the fry will be?

I have my QT tank, though I cant use it til after i get my second group of barbs/ upper tank fish.
Then, i can use that tank for my older fry.


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