andrew399 Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hey everyone, Jus thought id throw this one out for those that keep aquariums. I have just recently bought a male guppie and 3 female in an attempt to breed feeders for my barra. I thought this was meant to be super easy to do!!! iv had the fish for just on 3 weeks now and havnt noticed any difference in them, so was wondering how do you tell if they are pregos? I thought gestation was only like 4 weeks so i should notice there bellies are full shouldnt i?? and if they are not pregos what can i do to encourage it. I keep the water at roughly 28 degrees as recomended by the shop, change 50% water once a week and feed twice a day.... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingpig Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 If the females are not changing shape with their bellies getting bigger then they are not pregnant. I would think that the babies of a few guppies will not be enough to feed your barra though. I used to catch the small mosquito gudgeons in the creek behind my place to feed mine. I also had a two large Jungle Perch and a big Sarratogo. Most of the time I fed them whitebait. Cheers Kingpig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 Yeah i know that the first lot wont be enough, i am hoping that these three will have there babies then i'l let them get bigger and all of them can have babies so that eventually i'l have a large number constantly reproducing and taking 3-4 out a week wont effect numbers that much. I have a big pond as well so eventually will transfer the guppies in there to breeed away... thats the plan anyway!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aussie007 Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 hey mate just wondering how quick is your barra growing? im still considering buying a couple just unsure if there ganna out grow my 5ft tank any time soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 hey mate just wondering how quick is your barra growing? im still considering buying a couple just unsure if there ganna out grow my 5ft tank any time soon na mate they take a fair while to get big, and also the temperature of the water affects their growth, if its real warm they are really hungry and grow very quick but in water about 22 degrees they are not too bad. This is actually a new one, the last one i had for a yr and a half in a 2 and half ft tank, fed it feeder fish about 3 times a week and in that time it probably doubled in size, but was still fine in my tank... They are a great fish to watch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisy Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 na mate they take a fair while to get big, and also the temperature of the water affects their growth, if its real warm they are really hungry and grow very quick but in water about 22 degrees they are not too bad. This is actually a new one, the last one i had for a yr and a half in a 2 and half ft tank, fed it feeder fish about 3 times a week and in that time it probably doubled in size, but was still fine in my tank... They are a great fish to watch! he mate forget the guppies you wont breed them quick enough....just buy small goldfish a couple times a week that will do them....bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justinp Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 he mate forget the guppies you wont breed them quick enough....just buy small goldfish a couple times a week that will do them....bob Goldfish can be full of parasites and make the barra sick, if your going to feed them to him, make sure that you quarantine them in a seperate tank and treat them with some salt first for aout a week, or better still train them to take flesh foods, will take some time but it will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 he mate forget the guppies you wont breed them quick enough....just buy small goldfish a couple times a week that will do them....bob yeah that is what iv been doing for the last 2 years for all the various natives that iv kept, but it all adds up, even if its just 3 dollars a week thats $300 over the last 2 years and im only a uni student!! Even if this is a 6 month ordeal before i get good numbers thats fine... its not even really about the money, just a little project i guess and it gives me something to do involving my interests! anyways back to the my original question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vipernut Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Its been a few years,but used to have natives for a while.Had a pair of bass a barra and a archer fish in a 4ft tank for atleast a 18months(now have tropicals because the kids like the colors).At the same time my brother in law had a tank set up with a barra approx 20-25cm long. we were breeding feeder guppies aswell for food for both tanks,you should be able to tell when the guppies are pregnant fairly easy,due to swelling of bellly. I know this may sound wrong to every thing you normally do,but i have had fish(on and off)for the last 20 years and i have never worried about doing regular water changes EVER.I am sure fish adjust to their enviroment.I have a pair of angel fish that regulary breed,and the male is one of the biggest angels i have ever seen,and i do nothing special to them at all.I have not done a water change in the last year atleast. Gazza,as far as i know and have observed they will only grow as big as there surroundings let them.So they should not out grow your tank in a hurry.Start with a small barra and then you should have atleast a few years of enjoyment from them. Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aussie007 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 dicko sorry to hijack your thread mate but im just wondering will the barras get along with golden gouramis and small black widows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris 55 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 If it fits in the mouth it will be eaten now ask yourself - how big is a Barra's mouth the Gourami's and Tetra's would be most tasty Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 yep, i concur with chris. They will eat anything that fits in their mouth and they have huge mouths!! even a small barra has a huge mouth, i think that their jaw must unlock or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris 55 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 the mouth membranes unfold when they open and they suck the prey in which is why they make the "boof" sound when they strike makes a nice streamline fish into a 6" downpipe Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 I started to think that maybe the male was sterile or something so i went and got another one today. turns out he just needed a bit of competition cos they have been mating like crazy today!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caine Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 when you buy females you should buy them already pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 when you buy females you should buy them already pregnant. yeah i tried but every where i go keeps the male and females seperate!! and i cant travel very far cos iv lost my license and dont get it back for another month... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris 55 Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Dicko don't worry you only need a couple of boys as the females can retain sperm and fertilise their eggs when they feel things are good Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caine Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) look at platties also another prilific live breader, but a bit meatier Edited November 8, 2007 by CaineS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbike Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but have been there, done that with guppies. You will need another small tank for the offspring alone, or the other adults will eat them all. At least get a separator for the females about to birth, they will have no qualms about snacking on their own babies, and the female will be very tired after, and the other adults (esp males) will hassle her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew399 Posted November 13, 2007 Author Share Posted November 13, 2007 Yeah mate i heard about that so got it covered! Will also have a look at the platties! thanks for that guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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