Guppy fry

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#1
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#1
I think this is where I'd post this question since it's relating to my guppies.

I had some males and some females, had them breed, they popped out loads of kids. The females are no longer with the male and when I see a fry that appears to be a female I move her to the female tank and I move the males to the male tank.

Ultimately I'm working on having some guppies that I raised because that just excites me haha. BUT I know females can retain the sperm for awhile and they proved this yesterday when I looked at their tank and saw 4 new fry then I went back and there were 9..then i went back and there were 17 total, while I have 10 in my main tank. Obviously that's too many and I'm sure the circle of life might take effect and some will get eaten or what not. But what in the world do you do with extra guppies that you can't keep? Both of our pet stores don't want any, I'm trying to ask a co-worker..I don't want to just flush them.
 

fiddlybits

fiddlybits

Medium Fish
#2
Jan 15, 2010
51
0
0
BC, Canada
#2
If you absolutely must kill your excess guppies, please do not flush them! That's a horrible way to die. Put them into a strong baggie with a minimum of water, and quickly smack them hard against the table. That should kill them instantly. You could then put them into the freezer. That's what I do with the ones that can't be sold, traded, given away, or in the case of a very ill fish. From the freezer, they are taken out to the garden and 'planted' under the compost pile, to return to Nature, with respect.
 

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#3
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#3
fiddlybits said:
If you absolutely must kill your excess guppies, please do not flush them! That's a horrible way to die. Put them into a strong baggie with a minimum of water, and quickly smack them hard against the table. That should kill them instantly. You could then put them into the freezer. That's what I do with the ones that can't be sold, traded, given away, or in the case of a very ill fish. From the freezer, they are taken out to the garden and 'planted' under the compost pile, to return to Nature, with respect.
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Omg the toilet may be bad but smacking them against the table sounds horrific. I totally do not want to kill them I actually just kind of hope the life cycle can just take its course and those who live can stay and those who were eaten, well that's that. Burying dead animals I'm all about, not just disposing of them in the trash.

I just certainly hope I don't have to kill them at all, but dang, like rabbits.

Thanks for the suggestions though! :]
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#4
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#4
When I had to cull some angel fry that were badly deformed I prepared a bowl full of ice and water, let it sit in the freezer until the top almost started to freeze, then netted the angels and dumped them into the ice water. They went belly up instantaneously. Still upsetting, but seems like the most humane way. Then they went to the rose garden.
This method won't work quite as instantaneously on larger fish. I had to euthanize a larger angel juvie, and it took a horrifying three or four seconds before he stopped breathing.
 

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#5
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#5
lauraf said:
When I had to cull some angel fry that were badly deformed I prepared a bowl full of ice and water, let it sit in the freezer until the top almost started to freeze, then netted the angels and dumped them into the ice water. They went belly up instantaneously. Still upsetting, but seems like the most humane way. Then they went to the rose garden.
This method won't work quite as instantaneously on larger fish. I had to euthanize a larger angel juvie, and it took a horrifying three or four seconds before he stopped breathing.
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These guys are definitely not large, they are pretty so fresh. Within the first week, some within the first two. Something along freezing is what I might do..., I'm hoping a friend will want some mostly. Maybe I'll just feel so awful I'll buy a whole new tank for them LOL

But thank you for that suggestion, sounds like a "decent" idea so to speak, for killing fish :/
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#6
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#6
Yeah, I hope you don't have to kill any of your fry at all!
But in terms of deliberately killing fish, it was the most humane method I could conceive of - and I'd read different advice from people on this forum before I decided that this was the way I would do it. (IIRC, it was OrangeCones who had seconded my idea about the freezing water option at the time). Someone had even suggested using vodka, but I knew that was for me after the deed was done.
With my angel fry, they were never going to be okay - if they had been with larger fish, they would have already been eaten, but they survived because they were in their own fry tank. It was pretty sad to see these guys swimming on their sides, or missing gills or eyes. It was the right thing to do, but I still cried. And had about four shots of vodka.
Anyway, maybe you can gift them to a friend or, yes, you big heart, buy another tank. ;) You could always get a bigger kind of fish who would love to eat those fry as soon as they are born . . . . .
 

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#7
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#7
lauraf said:
Yeah, I hope you don't have to kill any of your fry at all!
But in terms of deliberately killing fish, it was the most humane method I could conceive of - and I'd read different advice from people on this forum before I decided that this was the way I would do it. (IIRC, it was OrangeCones who had seconded my idea about the freezing water option at the time). Someone had even suggested using vodka, but I knew that was for me after the deed was done.
With my angel fry, they were never going to be okay - if they had been with larger fish, they would have already been eaten, but they survived because they were in their own fry tank. It was pretty sad to see these guys swimming on their sides, or missing gills or eyes. It was the right thing to do, but I still cried. And had about four shots of vodka.
Anyway, maybe you can gift them to a friend or, yes, you big heart, buy another tank. ;) You could always get a bigger kind of fish who would love to eat those fry as soon as they are born . . . . .
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LOL the vodka, you're too funny but I do think that should be included in the method :] OrangeCones always has great feedback, I need to steal all of his fish knowledge :0) Poor little fishies though, that would be so sad. When I first got my tank, well awhile after I had bought the guppies and Rosy, the red one just wasn't going to make it so I was taking her back to the store for a refund and I was so heartbroken, I just wanted to bury her but that'd consist of either killing her or waiting for her to die...so I got a refund heh.

Big hearts seem to impair my functioning sometimes or make me broke -- I paid a 1500.00 deposit to have my 3 dogs live with me. I did find a nice tank for 75 bucks on Craigslist and a gorgeous 300 gallon with a stand for 500, I have no idea what I'd do with that, maybe I'd swim in it or let my chihuahuas swim in it..I think my fish would get lost in that tank.

:D
 

fiddlybits

fiddlybits

Medium Fish
#11
Jan 15, 2010
51
0
0
BC, Canada
#11
I agree OrangeCones always has good sensible advice-- and I didn't know she was a 'she' either!
About the ice-water to kill fish, what if it just stuns them? Do you then put the fish in the freezer? In a container with some water, or in a baggie, or just bare on a plastic lid?

The reason I use the 'smack them hard' method, is that's what was recommended at the LFS, and it works instantly. The fish has less time to worry about what's happening. Bad enough it must be killed, no point in stretching out the proceedure. If your net can take the abuse, you could skip the baggie part and do the deed with the fish in the net, straight out of the tank. That's about as quick as it can get, IMO.
 

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#12
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#12
fiddlybits said:
I agree OrangeCones always has good sensible advice-- and I didn't know she was a 'she' either!
About the ice-water to kill fish, what if it just stuns them? Do you then put the fish in the freezer? In a container with some water, or in a baggie, or just bare on a plastic lid?

The reason I use the 'smack them hard' method, is that's what was recommended at the LFS, and it works instantly. The fish has less time to worry about what's happening. Bad enough it must be killed, no point in stretching out the proceedure. If your net can take the abuse, you could skip the baggie part and do the deed with the fish in the net, straight out of the tank. That's about as quick as it can get, IMO.
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Oh my! This thread is becoming traumatic for me LOL. I am keeping all of my fish and have found friends who are willing to take them thankfully. Guess it really just depends on how cold-heartedly you want to get rid of the fish, some ways may be better than others, some may be instant, others may be long. Obviously you want to be humane about it, but sometimes people don't care... :/

Whichever method anyone chooses though if it comes to it, good luck with it and hopefully it goes quickly.

And I guess I've ruined the mystery of OC about whether she, is a he or a she. :(
 

fiddlybits

fiddlybits

Medium Fish
#13
Jan 15, 2010
51
0
0
BC, Canada
#13
This kind of information is the sort you hope you'll never need, but file it away just in case some day you have to end the suffering of a badly injured or sick fish.

I have a feeling your fish will be happy and pampered. Good luck, and congrats on finding new homes for your extras!
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#14
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#14
When I used the icewater treatment on my fish fry (sob, sob) I did also then put them - in the icewater container - into the freezer right away to ensure they were completely gone. But they went belly-up in a second, so I don't think they were just stunned. The next day the fish-cube went into the garden.
I wouldn't use the icewater on a larger kind of fish though - I'd probably do the smack'em route myself, and then drop them into a large container of icewater. Thankfully I haven't had to euthanize anyone since my last few deformed juvie angels (sick a bit to think about it still but right thing to do).
Glad to hear that your guppies have new homes! Yay!
 

Greendragon1128

Greendragon1128

Medium Fish
#15
Jan 31, 2009
81
0
0
Near LA
#15
The best way to control guppy fry is put a female swordtail in the tank. I had two hanging out with the guppies while I redid my 47g, and there are no guppies uner 1/2 inch left. I have considered using the fry as live food for my bettas, but that seems too mean. At least with the swordtails they had a chance to hide.
 

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#17
Sep 7, 2008
588
0
0
#17
My swordtails make sure that no fry survive..

Part of the reason I am going to redecorate. I want to make the set-up more fry friendly. Let the smart fast ones have a chance at living.
 

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