How Long Should Fish Fry Be Separated?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Make sure that you give your guppies enough time to grow up before allowing them into the rest of the tank with the other guppies if you’re keeping them separate. Again,

around two weeks

is a good amount of time.

Should baby fish be separated?

After Your Fish Gives Birth

For many species,

it’s important to keep fertilized eggs and newly hatched fish, or fry, separate from the adults

. Some fish eat their own young while others eat the young of other species. Keeping the fish eggs and fry separate from the adult fish may give them a better chance of survival.

How long should Molly Fry be separated?

It will take around

one to two months

for your fry to grow large enough to be introduced into your standard aquarium. The fry should be larger than the mouths of an adult molly fish. Do not move the molly fry until you are sure they are ready to handle your larger tank.

When can I move my fry tank?

Adult guppies will no longer attempt to eat them, providing the fry with a safer environment as a result. How large the fry should be will depend on the type of fish inhabiting the tank. Generally speaking,

the fry should be at least 1 inch in size

before introducing them to the main tank.

How do you separate fish from other fish fry?

How many guppy fry will survive?

For various reasons, as guppies give birth to live fry rather than laying eggs, the survival rate can decrease. One of the reasons is if you keep them in an aquarium with other fish. In these cases, other fishes will eat the small fry. In this scenario,

less than 20%

will survive.

How many times a day should you feed baby fish?

Properly Feeding a Fish

Many fish hatch as larvae with an attached yolk sac, which provides nutrition until the larvae are capable of feeding on their own. After that, baby fish must eat

at least four to six times a day

because they have very high metabolism and lack fully developed digestive systems.

How do I save my baby fish from being eaten?

Do fish look after their babies?

Researchers have discovered that discus fish parent like mammalian mothers. Not only do the parents feed their young from mucus secreted on their surfaces, but the nutritional and immunological content of the mucus changes as the young develop, much like mammalian milk.

Few fish are famed for their parenting skills.

How do I know if my molly fish is pregnant?

  • 1) A Swollen and Stretched Out Belly.
  • 2) A Gravid Spot Under Their Belly.
  • 3) Their Behavior Changes.
  • 4) A Pregnant Molly Fish Will Eat More.
  • 5) They Seek Warmth.
  • Stage 1: Conception.
  • Stage 2: The Formation of the Embryo.
  • Stage 3: The Fry Develop.

How many fry can a molly have?

Gestation and Birth

They can give birth to

between 40 and 100

fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry. When a molly female is near her time to give birth, you will need to separate her from the rest of the tank.

How do I protect my fry in my aquarium?

An immediate way to provide cover is to

use marbles or smaller rounded stones densely packed together

. These will then make a miniature network of caves that fry can fit among, but the mouths of larger fish can’t.

How do you transfer fry from one tank to another?

When can you put baby fish in a tank?

In about

4 to 6 weeks

, the babies should be large enough to release into the main aquarium. But be sure the babies have grown larger than the mouths of adult fish. If it’s not possible to set up a separate aquarium, drop-in breeders are a great alternative.

Do I need to separate baby guppies?


Separate males and females if you don’t want more babies

. Female guppies usually start to reproduce at 2 to 3 months of age. Additionally, they can store sperm for up to 3 months. If you don’t want more babies, you’ll need to separate your male and female fry once they reach about 6 to 8 weeks old.

Will Fry eat other fry?


It is quite common for live-born fry to eat a finely ground version of the same foods as parent fish

. Fry from egglaying fish are smaller when they hatch and often are not free swimming for the first few days.

How long is a fish pregnant for?

As examples, the female swordtail and guppy will both give birth to anywhere from 20 to 100 live young after a gestation period of

four to six weeks

, and mollies will produce a brood of 20 to 60 live young after a gestation of six to 10 weeks.

What do you do with baby fry fish?

Do baby guppies need an air pump?

As mentioned before, guppies need oxygen to live. Water oxygen exchange happens through surface agitation.

To agitate the surface of the water, you will need to use an air pump with an air stone or a water pump

. Air stones can produce lots of agitation in the fish tank.

How do you separate pregnant guppies?

After Your Guppy Gives Birth

After your female gives birth,

separate her from the fry, either through the use of a mesh or another tank

. This is necessary as she may eat the fry, seeking the nourishment she needs to recover. Isolate her for one to two days. During this time, feed her well and regularly.

Do guppies eat their babies?


Yes, they do

. Though guppies are one of the calmest breeds and are generally pretty peaceful, they often end up eating their fry. This weird and disturbing activity is termed as filial cannibalism.

Why are my fish fry dying?

Their studies show that most baby fish are destined to die because

they are unable to feed from their environment due to a process limited by the physics of water

. “Unlike mammals, most fish release eggs and sperm externally in the water. There is almost no maternal care.

How long can baby fish go without food?

Most healthy aquarium fish can go

three days to a week

without eating. However, it usually isn’t recommended to go more a day or two without feeding unless completely necessary.

How do I know if I’m feeding my fish enough?

Fish will eat as much as they need, so dispense the food in a few servings.

When they start spitting out the food, they’ve eaten enough

. If there is food remaining in the tank and floating to the bottom, you’re giving your fish too much feed.

How do you save fry?

Will my guppy fry survive?


As long the adults are happy, the fry will also thrive

. However, if you are keeping the fry in a separate thank, there are few tricks you can apply to your aquarium to speed up the growing speed of the guppy fry: Keep the water temperature at 80 °F.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.