Guppies are commonly seen in most aquariums, and they are a delight to watch. That being said, a pregnant guppy can very quickly overstock the aquarium. One of the easiest ways to recognize a pregnant guppy is to notice the size and coloration of their gravid spot, which usually turns red and expands at the time of pregnancy.
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9 Signs Of Pregnant Guppy’s Delivery
Most female guppies can become pregnant at a very early age. If they are not separated from the male guppies, they may continue giving birth every month for many years.
Most guppy breeders can easily recognize pregnancy time, weight gain, and the gravid spot turning red. These guppies have a gestation period from 20 to 32 days.
It also depends upon the temperature of the aquarium, the health condition of female guppies, and the cleanliness of the tank.
Though different guppies have different behavior and personalities and may show other symptoms of pregnancy,
common signs that indicate the delivery of a pregnant guppy:
- You will notice that the belly of female guppies would expand, and their abdomen would appear more square-shaped or boxy. It’s easy to differentiate the guppies that are not pregnant before they eat, as the fed ones can be easily mistaken as pregnant guppies.
- You can also observe a significant change in the color and size of their gravid spot. These gravid spots often get darker (and sometimes red or black) and more prominent at the time of their pregnancy.
You may also notice some changes in their shape. The Gravid spots in guppies are usually black. However, if the guppy appears albino or yellow, the gravid spot can be pink or orange. - The female guppy may start becoming less active and would usually settle or sit at the bottom of the fish tank or behind the plants or decorations and would stop swimming in the water all of a sudden.
This indicates that they are in labor and are about to give birth to the guppy fry. They usually hide or settle at the bottom to avoid disturbances of all kinds. - The female guppies might start feeling nervous or stressed in the presence of other species or when you approach them. This is another clear sign of their pregnancy.
The best thing you can do in such situations is to provide them with a few live plants, rocks, or other decorations to hide behind and stay calmer. They are more likely to stay away from all disturbances in such situations. - You may notice the pregnant female guppy constantly lifting her tail and flexing her spin. This often looks like she is just swimming at the same place or shivering too much. This is a sign that she is having a contraction.
- When the male guppy tries to approach them, they are more likely to get disturbed and aggressive (such as nipping the fins and chasing ). This is most commonly seen when the female guppies give birth to the guppy fry.
These moments are very crucial for the female guppies as they do not want to allow any disturbance to interfere at the time of giving birth. This is why they often settle down at the bottom of the tank to ignore every kind of disturbance and danger.
Also, more extensive and aggressive species of fish can cause harm to the female guppies, which may be a big problem at the time of their pregnancy.
Hence, it is crucial to pick the right fish breed compatible with the female guppies. This would lessen their chances of getting hurt or threatened when giving birth to the guppy fry. - The overall appearance and color of the pregnant guppy would gradually begin to fade. This is a natural camouflage instinct of the female guppies to blend their appearance with the surroundings.
- You may notice a loss of appetite and a sudden change in the feeding habits of female guppies. They may even refuse to eat their foods altogether when giving birth.
- They may also have some breathing issues at the time of their pregnancy.
Steps you can take when the female guppies are found pregnant:
When you realize that the female guppy is pregnant and is about to give birth to a guppy fry, it is better to put her in a separate fish tank, a birthing tank, or inside an average tank. This is a crucial step to take as the female guppy needs to be separated from other fishes when giving birth.
In that way, she will not get disturbed and teased by other fish in the water tank. Also, separating the guppy fry from other fishes is very important as they may try to cause harm to or eat the fry.
Guppies are popularly known as livebearers as they give birth to the live swimming young fry instead of laying eggs. Female guppies need to be separated from males as they can give birth to up to 200 guppy fry within a few hours.
This process will usually continue every month for many years if not separated from the male guppies.
Sometimes it may also take up to 12 hours to give birth to the fry. They may also give birth to only a few baby guppies at a time, with a few pauses of many hours or days between their deliveries.
In such cases, it is seen that the fry can not survive and would eventually die. Healthy guppy fry can be seen swimming upward, whereas the unhealthy ones are more likely to sink.
- Read More
- How to Setup Refuge for Guppy Fry?
- How to look after baby Guppies? (Guppy Fry Care)
- What to Do With Extra Guppies? (Unwanted Guppy Fry)
How Do You Know When A Guppy Is About To Give Birth?
It is pretty easy to know about the pregnancy of guppies. Here are a few signs that would help you determine if your female guppy is pregnant and about to give birth:
First of all, if you are keeping female and male puppies together, there is a higher chance that the guppies are about to give birth. (The only exception is their infertility ).
You may notice a darker and larger gravid spot of these guppies at the time of their pregnancy. Also, their belly would expand and look like a box.
They may seem lethargic and would be seen sitting at the bottom of the tank when they are about to give birth.
Do Guppies Poop Before Giving Birth?
Guppies are known as livebearers as they give birth to live swimming feasible fry. You may notice that the female guppy would poop more often. This can indicate that the female guppies are pregnant and are about to give birth to the baby guppies within a few hours.
Summary
It is pretty easy to determine if your female guppy is pregnant and is about to give birth soon. Firstly, you may notice an expanded stomach and an overall boxy appearance for several weeks, which indicates that the guppy is pregnant.
You may also see that their gravid spot would turn darker or red at the time of their pregnancy. There can also be some contractions in the guppy’s body at the time of their pregnancy.
A loss of appetite indicates that the female guppies are about to give birth. They would settle at the bottom of the tank and become more lethargic during their pregnancy.
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