# population control in a guppy tank



## CuppsSmith (Sep 19, 2012)

I have a 30 gallon tank with 4 adults and about 30 fry. HELP!! I've called around town, and posted free on craigslist locally to no avail. Anyone know what I can use to keep the population under control without getting rid of my male?? I would rather let nature take her course than have to send them to the sewer. Please, advice only, no bashing.*c/p*


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## thriftygranny (Sep 3, 2012)

CuppsSmith said:


> I have a 30 gallon tank with 4 adults and about 30 fry. HELP!! I've called around town, and posted free on craigslist locally to no avail. Anyone know what I can use to keep the population under control without getting rid of my male?? I would rather let nature take her course than have to send them to the sewer. Please, advice only, no bashing.*c/p*


I guess my answer depends on whether or not you are breeding the guppies and want to keep the fry. I have 4 female and 2 male in a community tank. Once I added anglefish to the tank I no longer see any fry. If you want to keep your tank to just the adults simply add a fish that will gobble up the fry. I also have a brazilian ram that helps keep my fry population under control.

If you want to save some of the fry then you will need another tank to move them into to raise.

Nature is not always kind so if you add a fish that will enjoy the fry as part of their diet you might end up with no fry left.


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## dshower (Oct 2, 2011)

I had a bunch of guppies at one point and I wanted to save all the babies. As you know, it's just not possible. I basically let nature take it's course. I put a lot of artificial plants in the tank that the babies could hide in. A few made it and, I'm sure, a lot didn't. It's survival of the fittest I guess. I just tried not to think about the babies that didn't make it and enjoyed watching the ones grow that did make it. Good luck!


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## CuppsSmith (Sep 19, 2012)

I have about 20 mature fry and about 15 new ones. Need to thin the herd, so to speak. LOL, got a striped Raphael and an albino plecostomus


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

There are a few things you can do. 1. Give them to someone who has a fish who eats live. 
2. Separate the males and females so that once the females run out of "reserve sperm" your fry having will end. 
3. Get rid of all of the females and keep only the male(s)


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## gar1948 (Jan 25, 2012)

I think just keeping males is the only answer if you cant bear to see those fry eaten. I have found male guppies will tolerate each other if there are other types of fish in the tank to keep them busy.


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## Sayonarax (Aug 17, 2012)

Most of your fry will be males. This is from my own personal experience from raising platy for a few months now. I ended up with 4 tanks for my community to be successful. I no longer allow males over a certain age to be near my females. 

I also keep male guppy's in all my large tanks and they the better choice as they are more attractive then the females. Male guppy's will swim in circles to show dominance and rarely does an actual fight break out. Problem with guppys is they like the surface area and if there isn't enough space or something worth their time below they might fight. Its normal


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## GreenyFunkyMonkey (Nov 27, 2012)

Yeah, get used to having to cull your guppies if you allow them to breed. I didn't like it at first but they will have a huge negative impact on your tank. After a while, I just removed all the females so I can keep better tabs on the population.


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## Sherry (Nov 22, 2011)

I have had platy's in my 45g for awhile. Survival of the fittest in there. I am keeping a nice number of around 10 in there. Have a few adults that are getting old. I am starting to work on a strain of Cobra guppies. So I am just cycling another 30g right now. 
I have 5 angels and Rosy barbs in my big tank. Any deformed ones or not nice ones are Live food for them. Sorry but that is what I do.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

i only have one pair in with other fish.she had frys a few times but all got ate each time.i have a couple full size plants in the tank.


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