# New guppies yesterday



## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

So I sold off 16 of my guppy fry, which left me with 4 females about 2 months old and a blue tux adult male. I decided to pick up a couple more to put in my 20 gallon yesterday. My wife of course picks the the yellow female who looks like she is about to explode she has so many babies in her (she went right into my fry tank). I picked out a nice yellow cobra. I will try to get a picture of him. His tail is black and yellow, and his body looks like a regular grey color, but when he goes into the light, it like rainbows the cobra pattern.

Needless to say, I put him in (after acclamation of course) and my blue tux immediately starting beating him up (even though the cobra is almost twice his size). I pulled them both out of the tank, moved all the plants and decorations around, and put them back in at the same time, and he immediately starting attacking him again. I thought I would just let them go, see how it went, and for 6 hours straight, the tux just followed him everywhere, nipping at him. I eventually moved the tux over to my sons 3 gallon tank where he is in solitary confinement at the moment. Is he just a *** of a mean fish or is there a reason why he did that. He has been in tanks with other males (who have either died of after a few years or been given away) and never done this. I am thinking about just leaving him in the little tank by himself because I would rather the cobra breed with my females, but still, there were 4 females to 2 males...


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

When researching for my all male fancy tail geppy tank, I read in multiple sites that when adding males to a tank that contains other males, always add several at once, otherwise the new one, or two, will be a target of one or multiple of the "old" ones.

Glad you observed them and kept the new one from being killed!


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Ah I see....so they tend to be a little like cichlids when adding males. So I guess for now, I should stick with just the cobra in my tank and the tux in the little by himself? Or do you think if I move the tux back over today they might be ok?


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

I would wait a couple days then try to move him back. Maybe by then he won't feel the need to establish his dominance over the new guy.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

I hope not, the only reason I got the tux was to add a little color to a tank of tequila sunrises haha. I'm hoping to breed the cobra with the sunrise babies to try and get different colors/patterns, then maybe introduce the tux in to add some blue to the breeding, but not if he is as my wife calls him, a "big meany"


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Will be interested to see how the "big meany"  acts when you put him back in the bigger tank.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

haha I agree. And I might be upgrading tanks now too. I have to see if I can work it, but found a guy who is selling a 55g (stand, tank, light with plant lighting, heater, gravel, plants, and 13 fish (2 angles- 3 tretras - 1 kissing fish - 5 cat fish and 3 gouramis, which I am probably gonna take to LFS for store credit since I have my guppies)) for $75. I would turn around and sell my entire 20g set up for probably the same price lol.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Appears to be a sweet deal ! And the store credit for the fish will allow you to stock the 55 however you want. More fancy tails !


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Haha exactly thats what I am saying!! Maybe try to get another cobra or two (they are expensive at the LFS compared to the LPS....$6.99 at LFS and $2.49 at LPS) Gonna try and slowly eventually get like a rainbow cobra effect on the tail.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

your wife has good taste on guppies


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Haha yeah, the preggo picking out the preggo guppy. I just got rid of most of the babies, and here we go again


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

I always keep male gupps and platies in groups with lots of females and that way there is no fighting just endless mating. Think of every guppy tank as a club med for livebearers because you can be sure they do. 
And 5 gupps in a 20? That is barely a quorum. I've seen 30 or more perfectly happy in a well aerated 20. Yours will be happier too, they will feel more secure in a bunch.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Completely agreed. Just still waiting for the preggo to pop here. I thought she was going to last night, she was at the top of the tank hiding in the floating plants, heavy breathing, and wouldn't eat. Then I get up this morning and turn on the light, she's swimming around, picking at leftover food, and still fat and pregnant lol. guess we gotta wait another day!


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

So here are a couple pictures of the new cobra, yellow female post pregnancy (though probably preggo again), some new ghost shrimp, and some of my juvenile and new fry  enjoy!!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

I see my Fancy Tail Guppies aren't the only ones who will lay on the substrate sometimes. I thought it was odd but apparently normal for them. 

Thanks for the photos... good shots !


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Mine tend to only do that at night. Usually as soon as I turn the light on, they start swimming lol. And it was kinda funny when I put all the ghost shrimp in the tank, none of the guppies would go below the halfway point of the tank, and they swam away anytime one of the shrimp when near them. Now they all swim around together like pals lol


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

I guess those ghost shrip appearsed a little intimidating to them at first. 

yeah, I think mine are napping when they rest on the gravel, too. In my big tank, I saw a couple of my zebra danios doing that recently too. Oh well, must mean they are sleeping soundly.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Haha scary looking, with all the food you can see inside of them!! I noticed my new fry do it too. When I turn the light on in their tank, they all swim up from the bottom to see whats going on. They are spunky little things this time, no fear in them. The ones she had in the 20G tank, they will swim around with the adults and the ghost shrimp like they have been in there the entire time. They will even try to follow the adults through the volcano bubbles...they get swept away though haha.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Haha... something about guppies. Mine love to swim thru the air bubbles. Like it's a game to see of they can make it across without getting swept up to the surface. Hilarious to watch them!


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Haha I know, I love it. They are so active!! I was worried when I put the shrimp in because they all (fry excluded because they apparently have fear of nothing) sat up at the top in a group just floating around. I was like greeeeaaaat I just killed everything I have been working on. Left them alone for about an hour, did a 40% wc, and they were back to swimming around like nothing ever happened.


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