# Setting Up a Breeding Tank



## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

I think my female guppy is pregnant so I am setting up a little 2 gallon for the babies and to isolate the female. I have the gravel, water, and a little plant. I'm debating whether or not to put a filter in because it will only be for a short time. If I end up not putting in a filter, do I need to let the tank cycle? 

Thank you in advance,
Annie


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

If you don't have a filter you will have to do frequent 100% water changes because the tank will not cycle. This could prove to be very difficult because of the size of the fry. A power filter will be too powerful however, and is likely to suck up the babies. If I were you, I'd get a small sponge filter, let it run in the main tank until the mother is ready to give birth, then move it and the fish over. Instant cycle, and it's safe for the fry. Hope this helps.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

Ok let me get this straight... The filter has to cycle not the water? So I run the small filter in my big tank and when I move my female guppy I move the filter, right? Oh and thank you!!


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## Fishcricker (Feb 16, 2008)

The good bacteria that you should already have in your current cycled tank, will grow on the sponge filter. Then when you transfer the sponge filter to the 2 gal tank, you will have an automatic cycle for the 2 gal. You could also move some of the water from the current tank.


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## NickJonasLover (Jan 5, 2009)

i have a 10 gallon tank full go fancy guppys that breed all the time and once you get more fish breeding and more of a population you will begin to watch them grow but at the beginnning to get as many babys as you cann to survive you should take the pregnent fish and seperate them until they give birth


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

ok im going to get my filter tomorrow at petsmart. i was looking at one thats good for up to 10 gallons.. i think that will be good for the 2 gallon. i will make sure that it is a sponge filter. i will post some pics of it when i get it up and running. the male guppy is still umm "frisky" towards the female, so i think i will isolate her in a floating breeding tank to stick in.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Haha, male guppies are ALWAYS like that! If you have more than 1 female it shouldn't stress her too much.


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

You'll need an airpump to drive the sponge filter. I haven't seen a sponge filter for sale at Petsmart. You'll probably have to buy one on-line.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

I saw some at Petco the other day. I wouldn't get a huge air pump, just because you don't want a lot of surface agitation stressing the mother or sloshing aroung the babies. A small one should do fine. Good luck!


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

Huh, well that'd be nice. The only Petco near me is an aquatic hell and I refuse to spend money in their store.


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## Sucidemonkey (Dec 28, 2008)

Tyyrlym said:


> Huh, well that'd be nice. The only Petco near me is an aquatic hell and I refuse to spend money in their store.


Same here. I wont buy any of their feeder fish cause they are taken care of the worst. 

Not to mention i always see 1 dead fish in every tank.And no one ever helps me at petco. No matter how long i stand there staring down the employees


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

Hi,
I got a filter today. Its a Top Fin Power Filter 10. I thought my fry would get sucked up the filter post so I got a filter bag and just rubber banded it on. I think that will work. For my 10 gallon, I got a Hornwort plant thats HUMUNGUS!! It was only $2.39!!! I'm going to let it settle for a couple of days and then I'm going to "frag" it like coral. The lady said I could so I am lol. I think that will provide good housing and protection for the baby fry.


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## dallops_of_polyps (Feb 19, 2008)

Ok so I found some terracotta pots and im gonna break em up and put them in the 2 gal. Do little baby fish like going under things like that? Because if they don't I don't want to stick it in. I want their experience to be superb in their new, big world lol. My female guppy got really BIG last night. I don't know how long till the fry will come. I noticed that she was pregnant on around December 10.... its been 28 days and I think that is the gestation period. That's what all the websites say. I think tomorrow im going to put my female guppy in the tank breeder that my bother has. Just in case. Any advice like am I doing anything wrong?? Thanks!


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

sorry about that. the post from dallops_of_polyps was accidently me. He didnt sign out of the forum AGAIN! so yah thta was me sorry...:-?


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## Sucidemonkey (Dec 28, 2008)

Try a fake grass plant. its really small grass things that u can put at the bottom of the tank. I got it and it worked perfectly for my 20gallon fancy guppy breading tank. It worked so well that the tank quickly became overpopulated and i decided to dump all inhabitants in the oscar tank 

i felt bad about it


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

The fry will appreciate any kind of cover. If you remove the female after she gives birth, and you should, they won't have any predators in the tank with them but they will still like the cover.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

thanks you! I'm going to cut the hornwort today so its just a little bit of real plants. I have a low-lying fake plant in there now. im also going to put the female in the breeder. i wil post some pics of her once shes in the little tank. im going to get the water tested for stuff first. Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc.. any other suggestions?


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

If you've got any kind of flow control on your filter turn it as far down as you can.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

there is no flow control, it just sucks water up and it flows out og a waterfall-like thing (i know, very descriptive) its not too strong so i think im good


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

I just ran into a problem. My guppies are used to a temperature of 78 degrees F and I stuck the thermometer in the 2 gallon and it is almost 5 degrees colder that what she's used to. I need to put the light on the aquarium, but heres the problem. I cant find it!!! Should I get a makeshift light or will she adapt and be fine? I need advice ASAP because the babies are due any day now!

Thanks!


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

here are some pics
Filter









2gal Side View









Front (close-up)









Front









This is my pregnant guppy (Phoebe. The male is named Jay. Phoebe (PB) and Jay (Jay) PB&J haha

Before she was pregnant









And now

















So yahh


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

My guppy is pregnant, right?:-?


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## fish562 (Jan 11, 2009)

You got to have some form of filter for bacteria to grow in where the water will flow thru it, go to store and just get a little in tank filter powerd bye your air pump, put some cotton balls in it and your ok. now that I look in a catalog don't even see these little filters, just big fancy stuff. go to a local pet shop if you don't know what i'm talking about. them little filte'sr cant cost you more then a couple dollars.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

I don't understand what your saying.. The filter is only good for up to 10 gallons. And I don't think you can over-filter a tank.


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

Probably pregnant. Then again if she's been in a tank with a male in the last month I'd say she is without even having to look at her.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

Thanks, just checking..


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

The filter media bag over the filter intake should prevent any fry from getting sucked up. Are you running that filter on your main tank to seed it? Otherwise, there aren't going to be any bacteria in it so it won't be cycled when you move the female to the breeding tank. If it's too late to do that (seeding can take up to a month), then can you move some of the filter media from the main tank's filter to the new Top Fin filter on your breeding tank?

You'll want a light on the breeding tank, as fish need a day/night cycle. A light will also help that hornwort grow like a weed, which the baby guppies will definitely appreciate as they love to hide in the stuff. For that little 2g tank you could just get something like one of those clip-on desk lamps for a couple of bucks at Wal-mart.


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## chromiskid (Mar 1, 2008)

I had the filter running in my big tank for a couple days. Put it in the little one for a bit, then got my water tested. Its perfect. My guppy had`babies yesterday and the 2 baby fry are in the tank and doing well:-D

Thanks for all your help everyone!
-Annie


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