For anyone who has never bred fish, it could be easy to assume that there was nothing to it. But the opposite is true. There are a huge number of problems that can come when breeding aquarium fish and when it comes to guppies, one of the biggest is that they have a penchant for eating their babies. So, how do you stop this?
The most effective way to prevent your guppies from eating their babies is to separate the mother. You should do this before she gives birth by using a breeding box. You can then remove her after the fry are born so there is no longer a risk of her eating them.
Guppies are not the only species that do this and while it may seem a little strange to us, in the fish world, it is a phenomenon known as filial cannibalism. There is a reason that this happens but it is up to you, as an aquarist, to prevent it if you want to successfully breed your fish.
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Why Do Guppies Eat Their Babies?
There are a lot of fish species that thrive on being maternal and will take incredibly good care of their fry. The angelfish is one of the best examples of this within the home aquarium. However, when it comes to taking care of breeding guppies, you are going to have your work cut out for you!
Once the guppy gives birth to her fry, she will get on with the rest of her life and show no maternal instincts to her young. In fact, she may even mistake them for food and make a meal out of them. There are a lot of theories as to why this type of cannibalism exists and some scientists believe that it is a form of self-preservation as a result of stress. Although this is yet to be proven and for aquarists doesn’t offer much of an explanation since most home fish keepers will provide anything but stressful conditions.
There is some suggestion that the guppy will simply eat her young because she is preying on more vulnerable fish. She doesn’t recognize them as being hers and simply sees them as another viable form of sustenance. The young guppies do not have the wits to survive and are much easier to prey on than other things. This suggestion goes even further by assuming that adult guppies prey on these weaker fish as a way of ensuring the survival of the species, but of course, this is all theoretical.
However, a more reasonable explanation is that the female is making an attempt to restore her health through increasing her fat reserves. After giving birth, this would seem like a viable reason but it does not then, go on to explain why this behavior is also exhibited in male guppies.
Ways To Stop Guppies From Eating Their Babies
While this is a totally natural behavior, that doesn’t mean that hobby aquarists should have to put up with it. The good news is that there are things you can do to deter the guppies from eating their young and allow you to successfully raise the fry for taking care of yourself or selling to other aquarium owners.
Using Plants
We are going to start with a method that should only be used for those who are not planning to breed their guppies for profit. If this sounds like you, then it is better to try one of the other methods in this article. But for people whose guppies have bred unexpectedly, this is a quick, easy, and affordable way to protect the fry.
All you need to do is ensure that your aquarium is as heavily planted as possible. Live plants are by far the best and will provide the babies with somewhere to hide when the adults pursue them. But you can also use other hiding spots such as driftwood and decorative caves etc.
In addition to providing effective cover for the vulnerable members of your tank community, live plants have a vast array of other advantages. For starters, they are excellent at removing toxins from the water and will help to maintain its quality. In addition, plants also serve as a food source for your fish and other species. Algae will grow on the plants and guppies and other fish will enjoy eating this as a snack.
The one thing that you should keep in mind when using this method is that it is not guaranteed to keep your fry safe. There is still the risk that the adults will find them and eat them.
Using A Breeding Box
A breeding box can come in two forms; a mesh used to separate a portion of the tank or a plastic box. Either is acceptable to use and will play an important role in stopping your guppies from feasting on their young.
You can place the pregnant female into the breeding box to keep her separate from the other adult fish in the tank. When the female gives birth, you can then return her to the main tank to ensure that she doesn’t eat her young. The babies will be safe within the box and the other adult fish will have no way of getting in.
The great thing about a breeding box is that it uses the same water from the main tank which will flow in and out of the box. This means that you don’t need to worry about maintaining two sets of water parameters.
It is important to keep in mind that you will need a large enough aquarium to comfortable house the breeding box. However, if this is not the case then you could set up a special breeding aquarium but this will require more effort on your part.
Once the fry reach two weeks of age, they can then join the rest of the aquarium community. They shouldn’t ever be kept in the breeding box for longer than this as it could affect their growth.
Removing The Female While Pregnant
We have touched upon the fact that you could set up an entirely new aquarium just for pregnant females. This is a very effective way to prevent the fry from being born into the main tank where it would be incredibly difficult for you to remove them before they are eaten.
You can remove the female from the main tank just before she gives birth, putting her into the new tank and allowing her to release her young before taking her back to the main aquarium. It can be tricky to know when she is ready to give birth but looking for physical clues such as a V-shaped abdomen or becoming a little more reclusive could show that the time is near.
You must think about the cost of doing this and the additional work of maintaining a second aquarium. For example, you will need to ensure that the water parameters are exactly the same as the original tank in order to safely transfer the female. However, if you intend to regularly breed your fish then this might be a viable option.
Conclusion
Guppies are beautiful fish and are one of the most common freshwater species. They are agile and active but while they may look sweet at first sight; they hide a dark secret. Guppies eat their young! While this is a natural behavior, it can be detrimental to your ability to breed the species. For this reason, it is advisable to separate the female before birth from the main tank and then again from the young once they are born. If this is not possible, using a lot of foliage in the water will give the fry somewhere to hide and boost their chances of survival.
