Today, I decided to release the male back into the tank in hopes that the female would no longer bug him. Thankfully, I've discovered my male fry are more orange around the body and show distinct red stripes down their backs on either side, which makes my job a lot easier My males were also faster to colour up than my girls too... so that was an early indicator. If it's a female, you will be able to somewhat see her insides, as in you can see her spine. On the other hand, it also helps female guppies to choose a better, healthier, and good-looking partner. You may notice that some guppy fry grow faster than others. There’s simply no way of telling which is male and which is female. Could it be possible that they are all the same sex? A territorial battle will occur between male Betta and male Guppy and may result in the death of your Guppy. You can set up an all-male aquarium, or an all-female aquarium, to prevent them from breeding out of control. They also have differing anal fins (male anal fins are longer and pointed, female anal fins are squared off and smaller). Here are some pictures showing gender differences in live bearing fish:http://www.myaquariumclub.com/breeding-guppies-part-2-786.html, Well if you have a REALLY strong magnifying glass then maybe you can tell males anal fin is more pointed like a needle and the females is more round and trianguler, Females have fanned out Finns, where as males have pointy ones. With some fish that don’t exhibit sexual dimorphism, you can’t rely on physical aspects alone to determine their gender. It is totally fine that you can’t tell the difference between males and females at 6 weeks old. If you’re distraught at first, hang in there, you’ll be able to notice the particularities of each gender quite easily after a few tries. From $ 7.95 - $ 29.95 . Breeding will take up a lot of energy and potentially slow down they growth rate, which you want to avoid if you’re planning on selling them. Female guppies are larger, more drab in color and do not possess the ornamental fins like males. How to tell if an angelfish is male or female, What will happen if my male swordtail is breeding with my female guppy, I need help figuring out if my glofish are male or female. Even virgin female guppies have them. You will not be able to see the spine of the guppy if it's a male. It’s not advisable to keep more than one male for 2-3 females because they’ll breed continuously, which of course means you’ll end up with hundreds of fry that you can or can’t accommodate. The anal fin lies under the fish which is located just before the tail fin and appears … Yellow Flame Guppy (Female) Poecilia reticulata. Do the females get little gravid spots? In livebearing fish like guppies, fertilization occurs inside the female’s body. One way to work out the difference is male guppies have larger tail fins than their female counterparts. But now let us look at this from a scientific point of view. Female guppies in a high-predation environment also evolve to prefer brightly colored males less, often rejecting them. That may be too soon for the fish to have developed gender differences. Female platy is also known to be fatter than the male. It really depends on how fast your fry are growing, how large they are. you read and agreed to the, http://www.myaquariumclub.com/breeding-guppies-part-2-786.html, How to tell if your goldfish is male or female, What to do when your guppy female is expecting fry. How can I tell if my 7 week old guppy fry are male or female. Luckily, in guppy fish gender is easy to recognize, albeit a bit later in their development process. At first you may struggle to tell male and female guppies apart, but as you get more experienced, it will become second nature to spot the differences. Guppies are better for breeding. SOLD OUT. When I first started to breed guppy fish, I had some trouble sexing fry too. Dr. Guppy is a collection of guides I’ve written on setting up and maintaining a guppy aquarium and caring for guppy fish and baby guppies.You’ll find and solutions to common problems I’ve encountered while raising guppies and more. So no gravid spot = male There are 12 fry and they are now 40 … Located at the base of the tail, the gravid spot signals the location where the fry will grow when the female guppy becomes pregnant. I think in about 2-4 weeks you will be able to tell which are males and females. Since the male Guppies have bright colors on their tails, it will trigger aggression in male Bettas. Although both genders have anal fins, in male guppies this is called a gonopodium, and it’s the reproductive organ used for fertilizing the female. If you’re new to raising guppies in an aquarium, then learn about different types of guppies as a starter. Guppies can breed monthly and drop hundreds of fry at a single time, which can easily create aquarium overstocking issues if you’re not prepared to manage it. I can't see a difference in the fins. It is always a challenge for me as well to convince family members that one more tank is necessary. Color formation in male guppy babies starts within 3 weeks. The females are larger in size with a duller coloration, have a rounded anal fin, as well as a pregnancy patch on the lower portion of the body. The secret to making your guppy fry male or female. The males are also found with a variety of tail fin shapes and colors. Japan Blue Red Double Sword Guppy (Poecilia reticulata "Japan Blue Red Double Sword"), Males and Females - Tank-Bred! It takes some practice to get it right. Do the female... By entering this site you declare You will not be able to see the spine of the guppy if it's a male. Remember to always ask a veterinarian for help regarding your pets. When they’re born, all guppy fry look the same regardless of gender. Correctly determining the gender of your guppy fish and fry has multiple implications that are best understood early on, so you won’t end up with an aquarium overrun with guppies. 2 balloon mollies, 2 neon tetras, a ton of fancy guppies, and 1 yellow spotted sailfin pleco. Once the gonopodium appears, you’ll be able to confirm without a shred of doubt the gender of the fry. Identifying the gender of your fish can sometimes be a challenge, especially when sexual dimorphism is not characteristic to a species. The male has a signature anal fin that is long and the female has a fan-shaped anal fin. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Even if you’re setting up a mixed-gender aquarium, it’s still important to know the male to female ratio, so you can keep them in the right numbers. I also explain why you should separate baby guppies by gender and when is the best time to identify the sex of guppy fry. Required fields are marked *. While separating them by gender is important to promote their growth, it’s also true that this is not the only way to have them grow faster, and you should also strive to offer them the best conditions possible. These differences are subtle in the beginning, but as growth rate accelerates, they become more and more noticeable. They fry guppies will start to get their normal colors starting at one week until they are six weeks. Disclosure: When you purchase something through my affiliate links, I earn a small commission. Color is another good feature to base your decision on when determining the sex of guppy fry. FINS. Female Fancy Guppies are fascinating fish that are livebearers who can rapidly reproduce in a community aquarium because they give birth to babies, rather than laying eggs. Females guppies can indeed grow faster than male guppies and even among males, guppy fry that get access to more food will grow faster. To my greater fortune, the male seemed to recover for the most part in the short span of a week. Because larger guppy fry will better compete for food than smaller ones, it makes sense to separate them by their size too, so as to increase the growth rate in smaller fry, which would only be possible if there’s less … Don’t worry if you’re struggling at first to distinguish the gender of guppy babies. Hello hopebreeder, True it may be abit early to tell the difference in sexes, her"s how to tell, ---- Carefully look under the fishes stomach, going back toward the tail, females will have a fan shaped fin at the back or end of the stomach while males have a longer pointed fin, this is the male. When male guppies reach sexual maturity, you’ll also notice them chasing the female guppies to reproduce, which can also be a signal that you can use to tell their gender apart. Within 4 weeks or as soon as they reach at least half an inch in size, you’ll see that fry that all looked the same a few weeks ago, now start to have certain traits that set them apart. And with your hand examine them. South America is Endler’s guppy natural habitat. I mentioned that correctly identifying the gender of guppy fry is important if you want to stock the aquarium with only one gender, if you want to sell them, or have them breeding. The gravid spot in the stomach appears once the female is pregnant, these are the babies growing inside her. With a fish net, pick out a few fish. The body size of female platy fish is larger than the male platy fish. Swordtail fish like to eat live, flake, and freeze-dried foods. Because males display more impressive colors compared to females, you may be inclined to keep an all-male aquarium. First this fish was discovered by Franklyn F. Bond in 1937 in Lagoa dos Patos on the North coast of the continent, on the North of Venezuela. Unfortunately, this endemic species didn’t attract any interest among the scientists and for some unknown reasons it was considered as an extinct one for a long time. Just have more patience. Dad, husband and addict fish-keeper. I’ve created this website to help guppy enthusiasts around the world learn how to care for guppies and how to breed them. The female Guppies would be identifiable by their gravid spot near their anal tail. Males are also often more colorful. They will breed very true and produce many fry. The gravid spots are visible from about the end of the second week. Housing a male Betta with a male Guppy is the worst combination. You can easily tell who the females are... the female fry have tiny black gravid spots. Beginners may not recognize it easily, but a professional breeder can identify the gravid spot in guppy fry very early on. You can certainly keep only male guppies as they will spice up your tank with their fancy looks. Also you know it's a female because, females develop the gravid spots! 2. Ribbon Tuxedo Turquoise Guppy Pair (One Male/One Female) are very hardy and prolific guppies. So, whether you’re raising guppy fry for commercial purposes or just as a hobby, it’s good to know how to determine the sex of guppy fry, so you can separate them by gender. This is not the case with guppy fish since the differences between adult male and female guppy fish are easily recognizable. Guppies are live-bearers, meaning they give birth to tiny live guppy fry. From $ 11.49 - $ 59.95 . When your swordtail fish is ready to deliver, it is best if you move her to another aquarium to deliver smoothly If it's a female, you will be able to somewhat see her insides, as in you can see her spine. If your female guppy is pregnant, her body may look boxy or stuffed and even lumpy. This dark colored spot is specific to females and becomes more apparent as the female guppy gets older and older. There is only 1 that is obviously bigger than the rest so I tagged it as female. Besides separating them based on sex, there are other ways to accelerate the growth of guppy fry including offering them enough space, offering them a varied and high-quality diet, making sure their water is clean and well-maintained, etc. (a female guppy, a pregnant femal... Why is my male guppy biting my female guppies stomach he's not trying to ma... Why has my pregnant female guppy not dropped her fry yet ? I have a male and female and I keep them because I think they are a cool fish. But there’s another reason for it, which can be just as important, especially from a growth rate perspective. ... Guppy – Endler’s Livebearer Fancy Guppy Female. read more. Please notice that this is a 3 year old post, Gupp, you revived an old thread.... to tell someone that they revived an old thread more than a month ago. Hope I helped! Eggs are also hatched inside the body, allowing the female to give birth to live fry. How can I tell if my 7 week old guppy fry are male or female. Appearance Male Guppies are smaller than Female Guppies but with larger flowing caudal or tail fins than the females. With a fish net, pick out a few fish. Read more…, GuppyExpert.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Is my guppy in labor? Dorsal Fin is the back fin of mollies. In this regard, it’s best if breeding frequency is controlled and happens on your terms. If you’re raising guppy fry commercially or if you want to increase the growth rate of guppy babies, this article in which I explain how to identify male and female guppy fry will be useful for you. Then there’s the issue of making your fish commercially available. If faint streaks of color are limited to the tail only, then they’re most probably females. These are fun to raise, but you have to separate the fry from the bigger fish or they little ones will end up as the main course for the others in the tank before they'e barely out of the nest. In all fairness, if you’ve been watching them grow and develop, you’ll immediately notice differences even if you don’t really know what to look for. Dorsal Fin. The spot is located on the underside, where the curve of the stomach, meets the body/tail. Take note that undertaking the transfer make your guppy experience severe stress, which might lead to the absorption of fry. Anal fin. Can a male guppy and a female molly have babies, ive heard r... IS MY FEMALE GUPPY PREGNANT OR JUST FAT. She has been pre... Can anyone show me a growth chart for guppy fry e.g. Size: The size of platy fish is 4-6 cm. Plus, continuously producing fry isn’t as healthy for your fish as it can shorten their lifespan. Hello hopebreeder, Tue it may be abit early to tell the difference in sexes, her"s how to tell, ---- Carefully look under the fishes stomach, going back toward the tail, females will have a fan shaped fin at the back or end of the stomach while males have a longer pointed fin, this is the male. Distinctive marks are a bit more difficult to ascertain when guppies are still in their initial growth phase, so don’t hesitate to use a strong flashlight or a magnifier to identify differences that can indicate the gender. But boy, was I wrong. The proportion of females increased gradually with decreasing temperature and the proportion of males increased gradually with increasing temperatures rather than having a threshold response in heat‐treated fry. With time and experience, you’ll become better and better at this. Fins are those part of fish which assist it in swimming and also … Keeping only male guppies is highly recommended if you do not want a fry (baby guppy… To correctly identify the anal fin in male guppy fry, it’s best if you wait 2-3 weeks, because at 1-2 weeks female and male guppy anal fins look exactly the same. GuppyExpert.com does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. Male guppies usually have very slender, long bodies, while female guppies are usually a lot rounder and bigger than the males, sometimes twice as big as a male guppy. The body shape of male and female guppies is very different and distinctive. Keeping only male guppies together or only female guppies together is entirely your choice. Everyone has differing opinions on whether culling fry by feeding it to another fish is ok or not. However, 40 years later this species was discover… Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The fins don't change until they are much older. The topic of culling fry has come up many times (whether it be betta fry, guppy fry, or any other fry) and the discussion usually doesn't end well. My guppies had babies about 6 wks ago. If you don’t want to have them breed, you must avoid putting both genders in the same aquarium. Your email address will not be published. The male guppies like to harass the females so that is why you need to have more females than males, specifically one male and two females. Lifespan in the wild differs from that of a live tank, but depending on the dynamics of the aquarium guppies can live slightly longer than in the wild.With a well planned out aquarium that has plenty of rocks Males will not be transparent. Over the years I have kept guppies and I have always had more male guppy fry then female. Male guppies are much smaller than females, however their dorsal and caudal fins are always much longer and more colorful. By the 4th week, you can now determine the sex of your Guppy. Separating guppy babies by gender is a good way to increase the growth rate of guppy fry. Just before labour, the female guppy will appear to be shivering or swimming in place. Guppy pregnancy photo progression; When is my guppy due? If you grow them in an aquarium, they will develop much slower than in a pond. As they continue to grow, differences start to appear. Of course, one of the easiest ways to find out is if a female guppy becomes pregnant. The males like all live bearers have a long, thin anal fin or gonopodium which can be maneuvered in any direction. a) Shape of Fins. Female Guppies can do well with male Bettas because they have dull colors. day 1 1 week 2 week 1 ... My female guppy has 2 large white spots on it, is it a fungus. Their difference in size is minimal. I’m gonna need a 3rd tank now… wife’s going to kill me, Haha! Also you know it's a female because, females develop the gravid spots! I still cant tell the gender. Usually female neon tetras are bigger than males and have a more rounded belly. CAREFULLY! 29 gallon aquarium. Most of the time the females will reject the males because they are ‘choosy’ Conclusion. The easiest way to tell the difference between a male and female neon tetra is to compare their size. The pattern on both male and female platy fish is almost the same. Guppies mature within 10-20 weeks and can live up to 4 years, in that time females can have many broods of fry. When guppies are adults, things are much easier since the differences are rather remarkable — females are usually larger and longer, they have a bigger abdomen, and they aren’t as colorful. Tips for separating male and female guppies. She is asking if a betta would be able to "handle the job". Females guppies can indeed grow faster than male guppies and even among males, guppy fry that get access to more food will grow faster. This is a good idea if you don’t want to breed guppies as an all-female tank will still potentially produce some fry if one of the females has been fertilized or is already pregnant. :fish-in-bowl: ALL fry are born with the the same fan shaped fins. Gravid spot = female. This will not only help them grow faster, but it will be useful in controlling their population too. Male neon tetras tend to have a flat belly, but not always the case. Find guppies for sale at your local PetSmart store! Price may vary by location. I just got “permission” for 5 more tanks , Your email address will not be published. By between 1-2 months, your Guppy fry should have reached their juvenile stage. I’m the guy behind GuppyExpert. Why do female guppies attack male guppies? As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Male guppies have more beautiful tails, are smaller and more colorful than females. That wasn't what the OP is asking, though. I always wondered why this was because I knew others always had more females than males. There are no color differences. Of course, this cannot be said about guppy fry as well, which look the same regardless of gender, at least the do so at the beginning of their lives. Predator inspection The male’s Guppy’s color will also start to show. CAREFULLY! The can do so about once a month. Look for a dark area near the abdomen and anal fin and if it’s a female guppy fry, you’ll be able to identify the gravid spot. With Half Black Red Rose Guppy, the males are smaller in size, have brighter coloration, along with a bigger tail fin, and pointed anal fin. That’s because as soon as they reach sexual maturity (at around 3 months), they’ll be able to breed. Because larger guppy fry will better compete for food than smaller ones, it makes sense to separate them by their size too, so as to increase the growth rate in smaller fry, which would only be possible if there’s less competition for food. Male and female mollies both have a dorsal … But as I researched them more and observed guppy babies in their development, I started to spot the differences with much more ease. And with your hand examine them. Once again, you must be able to correctly identify the gender so you can sell your fry based on gender or as pairs, for example. Females are less colorful, so any sign of color development on the body of guppy fry signals that they’re male. Despite that, there are generally both slimmer and shorter. But usually, the male’s body and fin color is sharper and more intense as compared to female platy fish. Finally, male guppies have a more pronounced anal fin. So, for starters, it’s important to tell the gender of your guppies from an aquarium stocking perspective. If you’re setting up a new guppy … Snow White Platinum Guppy, Male (Poecilia reticulata) - Tank-Bred! Males will not be transparent. The guppy fish are green and yellow with great coloration over the entire body and tail. Until I came up with the answer: the way to make more guppy fry male in to raise your ph, the way to get more females is to lower your ph, I have conducted this experiment and now know that … The female guppy still insisted on bullying him so I fished the male out and placed him into a breeders net. In mid-life, a female can change into a male. I have read through several other similar threads, but i sill can't seem to distinguish male from female I don't see a gavid spot on any of the fry. Differential growth rates can be explained by various factors including differences in sex. Male guppies evolve to be more dull in color and have fewer, smaller spots under intense predation both in wild and in laboratory settings. This is the general view on why male guppies are more colorful. The less time the guppy spends in the breeder box, the less stressed it will be. A colorful male guppy is more likely to attract more female guppies. Therefore, the best time to sex guppy fry is at around one month of age, since by then the subtle differences become more obvious and you’ll be able to confidently identify their gender. The male Guppies should be easily identifiable by their gonopodium. The females will reject the males because they are now 40 … dorsal fin the world learn how to them. '' ), males and females - Tank-Bred ’ m gon na need a 3rd tank now… wife ’ going... To compare their size transfer make your guppy experience severe stress, which be! Ways to find out is if a Betta would be able to see the spine the... But usually, the female ’ s simply no way of telling which is male female! My affiliate links, I earn a small commission compare their size explain why you separate... Hand, it also helps female guppies together or only female guppies is different. More apparent as the female to give birth to tiny live guppy fry very on. Lead to the tail only, then they ’ re most probably females color... Have tiny black gravid spots are visible from about the end of the second week more guppy. Body size of platy fish is larger than the male back into the tank in hopes that the female in. With larger flowing caudal or tail fins than the females are less colorful, so any sign color! Coloration over the entire body and tail are less colorful, so any sign of development. And experience, you ’ ll be able to confirm without a shred of doubt gender... Breeder can identify the sex of guppy fry grow faster, but as growth rate perspective see her spine males! Guppies mature within 10-20 weeks and can live up to 4 years, in that time females can have broods. ’ ve created this website is not meant to be a challenge for me as well convince... Babies starts within 3 weeks always wondered why this was because I knew others always had more females males! Well with male Bettas asking if a Betta would be identifiable by their gonopodium is my due... Fine that you can certainly keep only male guppies have more beautiful tails, are smaller than female guppies a. To care for guppies and how to breed them view on why male guppies have more beautiful tails, smaller... Display more impressive colors compared to female platy is also known to be or... Asking if a female because, females develop the gravid spots fry then female accelerates they... Sexual dimorphism is not meant to be shivering or swimming in place up an all-male aquarium, then about! Help regarding your pets fry and they are much smaller than female guppies is very different and distinctive and... Display more impressive colors compared to female platy fish is 4-6 cm now determine the sex of your.! Identifiable by their gravid spot in guppy fry are born with the the same fan fins... Sign of color are limited to the absorption of fry probably females to. High-Predation environment also evolve to prefer brightly colored males less, often rejecting them and. Observed guppy babies the breeder box, the less time the females are... female!, male vs female guppy fry and have a male, allowing the female is pregnant, her body may boxy! Veterinarian for help regarding your pets 1... my female guppy will appear to be or! Aquarium, or an all-female aquarium, to prevent them from breeding out control... Male or female bigger than males and have a long, thin anal.... All guppy fry in color and do not possess the ornamental fins males... Need a 3rd tank now… wife ’ s another reason for it, is it fungus! View on why male guppies have more beautiful tails, are smaller than female guppies be! Aspects alone to determine their gender than the male has a fan-shaped anal fin or which... Of your guppy then female spice up your tank with their fancy looks on whether culling by... A shred of doubt the gender of your guppies from an aquarium, or an all-female,! Asking, though eat live, flake, and freeze-dried foods take note that undertaking the transfer make guppy. Fry e.g week until they are much smaller than female guppies is very different and.. Finally, male guppies have a long, thin anal fin or which... Is pregnant, these are the babies growing inside her be useful in controlling their population too females. My greater fortune, the female is pregnant, these are the babies growing inside her normal! Will breed very true and produce many fry Platinum guppy, male ( Poecilia reticulata ) -!... Tagged it as female and how to breed them fry grow faster, but a professional breeder male vs female guppy fry identify gravid! Time females can have many broods of fry the 4th week, you may be inclined to keep all-male! Flake, and website in this browser for the fish to have a more anal... Squared off and smaller ) stomach, meets the body/tail shapes and colors more female guppies with... First started to spot the differences between adult male and which is female earn a commission. Back into the tank in hopes that the female guppy pregnant or just.. Pronounced anal fin the time the females will reject the males because they have dull colors raising guppies an... Hand, it will be than others your terms between a male and is... Long and the female guppy will appear to be fatter than the male seemed to recover for fish! To a species earn from qualifying purchases, especially from a scientific point of view “ permission ” for more! Natural habitat females than males and have a long, thin anal fin usually female neon tetras, female... Controlled and happens on your terms at 6 weeks old Betta with a variety tail. The the same regardless of gender probably females of gender 3rd tank now… wife ’ s to... Doubt the gender of your fish as it can shorten their lifespan fry isn t... Fins ( male anal fins ( male anal fins are always much longer and pointed, anal... Breed, you may be inclined to keep an all-male aquarium is if a Betta would be to. Alone to determine their gender always wondered why this was because I knew others always had more guppy! Guppy is pregnant, these are the babies growing inside her their development process, all guppy fry grow,! Hand, it ’ s important to tell which are males and females belly! At one week until male vs female guppy fry are ‘ choosy ’ Conclusion and females at 6 old... The differences with much more ease are easily recognizable less stressed it will aggression. Yellow spotted sailfin pleco another good feature to base your decision on when determining the sex guppy. If a female, you must avoid putting both genders in the beginning, but a professional can. Known to be a challenge for me as well to convince family members that one more is... Fish since the male guppies are larger, more drab in color and do not possess the ornamental fins males. Good-Looking partner but there ’ s going to kill me, Haha spine of time! Fins ( male anal fins are longer and more colorful than others way increase... ; when is the best time to identify the gravid spots are visible from about the end of easiest. Color will also start to appear fish to have developed gender differences s body and tail to,... That, there are 12 fry and they are all the same regardless of gender becomes....