OT FW we have babies!!!

[sinner's girl]

I know this is a saltwater fish place but sinner just set up fresh water gopies.
we have babies! just bought the fish tonight, came in the office and i saw one dark across the tank.
we just thought one was dead, sinner went to take it out, but it's the one having babies! opps, made the mom mad. (she wasn't fat, she's not the one we thought was having babies).
How do fish act before giving birth? we had on we thought was dying...breathing really fast, floating on the top, not moving much, didn't eat...so dieing or giving birth?
there's no clean up crew yet since we just added fish tonight so we want to get the fish out if it's dying.
How long does it take for a female to drop all her babies?
if anyone know of a fw board let me know.
Thanks!

 

[nacl-h2o]

They do usually look distressed when birthing, and I've seen them die during or just after birth. I'm surprised it happend during the day, most occur at night and I've never timed it, but it doesn't take to long. If you just put them in, the stress of the situation may have caused premature birth. This is not uncommon.
www.fishindex.com
www.petfish.net
HTH

 

[sinner's girl]

Thanks. We'll never know which one it was...three of the female were sucked up in the fliter...problem fixed now...knew something was up when we couldn't find any bodies....

 

[clarkiiboi]

to try and save the baby guppies, add one of those floating plants, they are real dense and give some protection the the babies and you can feed them in there without them having to come out. I personally never saw them give birth so cant answer that, just always saw babies swimming around. I never really seen the prego fish be fat, just noticed the black spot (for lack of a better word) under the belly. Good luck!

 

[michaeltx]

I have noticed with guppies mollies and other FW live bearing fish that the movement into a freshly setup tank will onset the delivery process if they are close to having them.sometimes the fish dont look pregnant but are. I think ( if I remember right even if there is no male the female can stay pregnant for sometime afterwards. like waves of babies. FWIW
Mike

 

[clownfish1452]

Guppies have 4 groups of babies before they are done. I have black, dalmatian and white mollies and guppies. I have a baby tank full of plants and shells so much you really can not see the fish intill feeding time. But that is the only way the moms will not eat the babies after they have them. The babies need a lot of hidding places.
Sarah

 

[sinner's girl]

thanks. we didn't get to save any of the babies. but now we have my 2.5 gl tank set up (in the 20gl) with another fish Sinner thinks is preg.. we have a few plants and a tacky castle.
yep, they can be pregtante without a male in the tank (from before they were seperated) which is how sometimes they are bought and then have babies so soon.