Baby Guppies

Question
Hi Chris,
I had Just wanted to ask i have a 10 gallon tank and i have 10 guppies. I know they are so young but, when they get older and they al live because i only have baby guppies in there and they start having babies, what should i do? how many fish Can a ten-gallon tank hold.
Merry Christmas and thank you,
Emily

Answer
Hi Emily;

I would keep no more than 10 adult guppies in a 10 gallon. You could probably stretch the population by doing lots of water changes (25% at least once a week) to keep things in good shape if you get babies. Keep plenty of live plants for them to hide in, nibble on and help consume some of their wastes. Small-leafed varieties such as hygrophilia and anacharis are good choices. I have had up to 20 adults in a ten gallon but that's really stretching it and that means 25% water changes twice a week or more. You have to monitor their feeding too. Too much food adds too much waste. They must finish every speck within 3 minutes of adding it to the tank. Feed once a day, or twice a day and they must finish in less than 2 minutes. Overcrowded tanks just must be closely watched for overfeeding. The babies will nibble on the micro-organisms on the plants for food in between meals. That's why live plants are so important in baby tanks. In your tank, the system just can't afford to have the 3 to 4 times a day feedings that I usually recommend. It will quickly become a mess and they will all get sick.

When they start having babies, you'll just have to do what the rest of us do...set up more tanks! Or, give the babies away. Sometimes the fish stores will take them off your hands as a donation. If your baby guppies grow large enough to tell the sexes and have pretty colors, you might be able to trade them for fish supplies. Don't expect much though. You will only be getting wholesale price, if that, and it's about a third or less of the prices you see on the fish for sale. (There is a tremendous amount of overhead cost on live fish so they are marked up from wholesale pretty good.) Check with your local stores. You will have better luck at the smaller "mom and pop" or owner managed stores. Big chain stores often don't take fish from hobbyists, only from their wholesale commercial suppliers. You could ask though. You never know!

Good luck!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins