# Pregnant guppy help



## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

My guppy is pregnant and I'd like to know how far along she is. I've attached photos, they're not very clear she moves around a lot. But she seems to be spending a lot of time around the heater, she's poking a lot. And having slight what look to be contractions please let me. I don't want to put her in the breeding box too early but I have mollies that will eat the babies. I also have a pregnant black molly. Hard to tell how far along she is without a visible gravid spot. She looks almost to be dialatinvg but I'm not sure. Her underside is tinted white as well. I got them both on Thursday of last week. But they were both pregnant when I purchased them


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

Mobile Uploads Photos by Julianashepp | Photobucket

Here are the pics


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## FishyFriend (Oct 20, 2014)

She's got a while to go yet, when they're close to dropping their fry their belly takes on a boxy shape.
Breeding nets & traps can stress them out, I'd leave her in the main tank, if you have plenty of hiding places you will have survivors, or you could net any fry out & put them in the breeding box.
Livebearers can drop 30+ fry every 28-30 days so saving them all would mean you'd soon be very over stocked.


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

The molly is already very boxy, not the guppy as much but her gravid spot has become very large


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## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

If you provide floating plants such as hornwort, wisteria any floaters really then the fry take cover in it. They also receive their nutrients from the floating plants... the smart ones stay hidden in the floating mass until they are safe. Also bushy plants and any small cracks and crevices in decorations also work for them to hide. Molly eat more of the fry as they have a bigger mouth and can consume them for a longer period of time than they guppy that have smaller mouths. Many fry do die in breeder nets when transferred. If you are going to transefer them a breeder box will work best. Good luck.


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

I have a breeder box but I also have another tank to transfer the fry into once she pops. I think the molly is gonna have her babies tonight. She's getting boxier every minute and she has a white ring around her vent which I read means she will give birth very soon. She has had that ring for about 2 or three days now


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## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

Well good luck! Keep in mind they do nothing as expected so try not to lose sleep over it. As I am sure you know they will drop fry in appx 28 days again and continue to do this for several months after only one successful fertilization. They can store the milt. Then the fry can become sexually active at or near 3 age of 3 months. It can become quite a snowball if not monitored closely. Again, good luck.


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## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

How is your Molly?


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

Still hasn't given birth yet


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## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

I find with my Molly I look more at behavior than the vent and etc. the box shape is helpful and the complete flattening of the abdomen.... but she will most likely get cranky and nippy and hide near the back of the tank, or near a bushy area, behind the heater Even though she herself will cannibalize her own fry she still tries to give them a good start! I hope you let us know when she drops them.... always makes me smile!


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

My guppy was laying on top of one of the rocks in the tank and she slowly moved herself to the bottom of the tank and shes moving around a bit but staying on the bottom. Could that be a sign of labour?


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## Julianashepp (Nov 16, 2014)

And if so should I keep the light on or off?


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## Farm (Nov 17, 2014)

The light in the tank is more for us than them. And for our plants!  Keeping them off gives her another layer of calm I personally believe. Yes, once she begins to move to the back and away she is probably getting closer. You can start watching for invisible bodies with only 2 eyeballs staring back at you but I just recently had 3 survive in a tank with many predatory fish... and I never saw them until they were free swimming across the top! And I closely check my tanks daily.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I dont raise livebearers but when my paternal mouthbrooders release their fry they tend to prefer a darker place. I would go for lights off.


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