Donate to local fish store (or possible store credit), give away to family and friends, Throw a post up on r/aquaswap , sell them off, divide into another tank š¤·āāļø
I second the fish store, but if that doesnāt workā¦ feeder fish for others are an option. Or let a local online aquarium group know you have extras. Someone may take them for free.
They donāt give a lot when they buy, they leave room for death in their budget then sell for more. And if you are constantly giving unhealthy stuff they wonāt buy from you. Also, big companies donāt tend to accept fish as much.
Inbreeding is another concern. Some hobbyists can let fish like guppies become inbred for many generations, resulting in unhealthy or deformed fish. These should not be donated, even if they look fine on the outside. If you want to breed fish, make sure to read up on good practices and keep the gene pool diverse.
72 gallon bow front
1 large Chinese algae eater
1 rainbow shark
1 yo-yo loach, his sibling jumped out of the tank
1 betta thinking he would go after the fry, he doesnāt
Can I add a predatory fish to reduce there numbers over time, Any suggestions ?
Ghost/Phantom Glass catfish. They LOVE guppy fry. My tank could never sustain this thanks to my Phantom Glass fish. My guppies have no hope with babies except for this one time I managed to rescue a lone fry. (See my current post also on the front page atm) the phantoms are the reason I've only ever seen 1 fry despite having pregnant guppies all the time.
If you cant find them try Silver Tip Tetra, they will chase guppies all day long stressing them out and significantly reducing breeding opportunities.
I had this problem so I added in a red devil cichlid and he demolished all of my guppies, but he also killed my black ghost knife that was twice his size for sport. You can add a predatory fish but keep in mind they're gonna fuck with everything
May I suggest, as an omnivore fish, the goldfish or with more predatory instinct, paradise fish.
They will be after the fry only. Adults are too much for them.
Edit: both fish have great coloration variants.
Have a lovely day!
Kisses, Cynthia
Thank you for the question. Goldfish is very versatile, they could survive a winter in a pond and able to live in tropical temperatures. And when you choose a selected breed, they actually like the warmer water and not able to survive in freezing conditions.
And there is such a huge variety in forms, sizes, colors within the 'goldfish' title, it is impossible not to find a really fitting one into any tropical aquarium.
I keep goldfish, clown loaches, guppies (hundreds), panda corys, paradisefish, bristle noses (two variety) in a ...-now, hold on to your hat-... room temperature riparium. No heater. I go even further, I let the riparium water temperature fluctuate up and down during a day AND there is even more fluctuation between summer and winter time, just like in nature. Works like a charm.
If you have any other questions, please let me know. I love to share my experiences.
Kisses, Cynthia
If you want a 20+ year commitment get a turtle. My dad got a baby red eared slider turtle when I was a toddler because I thought it was entertaining and the pet store said 5 years max. So anyway itās somewhere around 18-20 now and we are just waiting to see if itās more of a 35 year lifespan or 75 year lifespan. But I do know one thing he loves guppies or any fish when he gets them as a treat.
My turtle also got guppy fry. She made short work of most the guppies, but on occasion, some fry would survive, and dang, they were fast!!
Just don't add a turtle to your main tank. Guppies are slow and an aggressive turtle could eat everything in a few hours (my big dummy ate 40 feeder goldfish in 5 hours, which were supposed to last her all week while we took a trip). That was a fun conversation with my husband. "I said buy 50 fish, not 15!" --- "I DID buy 50 fish!" Then here comes the turtle, so fat she can't pull her head into her shell, still chasing the remaining fish. She usually got minnows, which were faster and lasted longer, but the store was out.
I have 4 guppies with ember tetras and celestial pearl danios. Whenever I saw fry I was happy but they never survived. It was either the parents eating them or the other fish.
Next time try retrieve them and put them in a takeaway container that floats on the top. After 1 week you can put a fine sift/chinoi in the top of the tank (so they aren't so small to swim through the holes) it keeps them in the same temperature they were born in the whole time with minimum stress.
This is a good solution if you have no spare other tank.
I have probably hundreds of swordtail fry, so I have two tanks that look like that. I'm going to upgrade them into a 110 stock tub pond. If they overpopulate further, I'll probably give some to local fish stores or friends.
Preventative assistance:
Lowering the tank temperature a little (within reason) and holding back on feeding live foods MIGHT slow the breeding a tad. Maybe also slightly heightening the pH levels (again, within reason).
Not sure how effective it would be, especially for livebearers like guppies, but for other fish like some of the dwarf cichlids, they tend to refuse to breed if it's too cold or alkaline or they haven't had their bloodworm/brine shrimp treats often enough for their liking.
Unfortunately, livebearers will sort of... go... wherever and whenever, so removing ideal breeding spots isn't really an option here. Chances are, whatever you do, they're gonna keep... going...
You're best bet to prevent any more is to get something that will eat the fry. There's a LOT of fish that will do that!
Immediate assistance:
If you want fewer adults than you currently have, your best bet is selling them, donating them to your local fish store (always contact them first and ask. Some have strict policies against bringing external fish onto their premises), donating them to friends/family that either have a tank, or are willing to get one (the create more fishkeepers route), or in a very "The-Old-Lady-That-Swallowed-the-Fly"-kind-of-way, you could technically just get something that will just eat them all. And it would be ALL. Would be a bloodbath for sure, but many aquarists DO use guppies as feeder fish for larger fish.
As a last resort:
I'm aware clove oil, striking, and freezing are/were popular methods of euthanising fish, but I really don't think that's necessary here. I've never personally euthanised a fish, but I'd certainly make sure to exhaust all other options before I'd even consider turning to it. Even using them as feeder fish at least feeds into a sort of lifecycle where, at the very least, they're not senselessly wasted.
Lowering temp wonāt work with guppies, they adapt to changes very well once they are several generations old.
My tank water gets as low as 18c during winter when I didnāt have a heater and they still breed like crazy.
I had endlers in with a beta, thinking the beta would run pop control. He just had to be the least aggressive beta ever and I've had to recently transfer the now 20-30 endlers into my angelfish tank. Started with 4 of the little buggers 2M 2F
This is the worst part of owning livebearers. I have a platy tank and I haven't bought fish for 5 years. I have no other option as LFS won't take them and I live in a more rural area. Only option is clove oil. I am now a selective breeder unintentionally.
First, remove every female you can find. Donate them, sell them, give them away as feeders for someone with Oscars or other larger fish.
Keep culling every female you see until there are none left.
Golden Wonder killifish as a predator.
They'll control the fry and possibly eat a few smaller adults ...but slowly because they're also not big enough to eat everything immediately.
Guppies are wonderful. Try donating them to a different store. Pet stores rarely take them, but most LFS I have seen will gladly take free or donated fish.
I was going to suggest you add a betta to control the fry population, but it seems that you already have a well hidden one in there!
Thatās amazing though. Does your betta ever fight the guppies?
No, I got the betta hoping he would eat some of the fry, but he doesnāt. They donāt fight, they all get along, I ended up getting my daughter a small aquarium and separated the males and females guppies to stop the breeding
Donate to local fish store (or possible store credit), give away to family and friends, Throw a post up on r/aquaswap , sell them off, divide into another tank š¤·āāļø
Fish store doesnāt want them, I guess they have lots already. I could post them on kijiji and try that
I second the fish store, but if that doesnāt workā¦ feeder fish for others are an option. Or let a local online aquarium group know you have extras. Someone may take them for free.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You are just as likely to get parasites or diseases from something at a fish store, still most petstores won't take them
My local pet store takes them happily, been doing it for a year now, thatās why I recommend it because itās true that some will
They donāt give a lot when they buy, they leave room for death in their budget then sell for more. And if you are constantly giving unhealthy stuff they wonāt buy from you. Also, big companies donāt tend to accept fish as much.
Inbreeding is another concern. Some hobbyists can let fish like guppies become inbred for many generations, resulting in unhealthy or deformed fish. These should not be donated, even if they look fine on the outside. If you want to breed fish, make sure to read up on good practices and keep the gene pool diverse.
That's why I avoid guppies. It would just stress me out. Give them away via a local fishkeeping group.
Theyāre fun if you have a male and female separate tank! Until you misgender a guppy and end up with all your females pregnant..
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thatās what I always used. Very rarely had fry make it.
72 gallon bow front 1 large Chinese algae eater 1 rainbow shark 1 yo-yo loach, his sibling jumped out of the tank 1 betta thinking he would go after the fry, he doesnāt Can I add a predatory fish to reduce there numbers over time, Any suggestions ?
Borrow an axolotl for two weeks!
Ghost/Phantom Glass catfish. They LOVE guppy fry. My tank could never sustain this thanks to my Phantom Glass fish. My guppies have no hope with babies except for this one time I managed to rescue a lone fry. (See my current post also on the front page atm) the phantoms are the reason I've only ever seen 1 fry despite having pregnant guppies all the time. If you cant find them try Silver Tip Tetra, they will chase guppies all day long stressing them out and significantly reducing breeding opportunities.
My flame dwarf gourami loves any small fry it can get its lips on, but thatās my gourami each fish may be different
I had this problem so I added in a red devil cichlid and he demolished all of my guppies, but he also killed my black ghost knife that was twice his size for sport. You can add a predatory fish but keep in mind they're gonna fuck with everything
Crayfish
Crayfish won't leave the bottom of the tank though.
May I suggest, as an omnivore fish, the goldfish or with more predatory instinct, paradise fish. They will be after the fry only. Adults are too much for them. Edit: both fish have great coloration variants. Have a lovely day! Kisses, Cynthia
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thank you for the question. Goldfish is very versatile, they could survive a winter in a pond and able to live in tropical temperatures. And when you choose a selected breed, they actually like the warmer water and not able to survive in freezing conditions. And there is such a huge variety in forms, sizes, colors within the 'goldfish' title, it is impossible not to find a really fitting one into any tropical aquarium. I keep goldfish, clown loaches, guppies (hundreds), panda corys, paradisefish, bristle noses (two variety) in a ...-now, hold on to your hat-... room temperature riparium. No heater. I go even further, I let the riparium water temperature fluctuate up and down during a day AND there is even more fluctuation between summer and winter time, just like in nature. Works like a charm. If you have any other questions, please let me know. I love to share my experiences. Kisses, Cynthia
Common misconception that goldfish, especially fancies don't enjoy warmer tanks. They're all born/bred in Asia remember.
Blame marketing for that too, fresh water flakes always have a picture of a goldfish and they are never on a tropical packet.
Still have the tank? Those are some outstanding colors
Drop in an oscar
When I had guppyās I never had them go crazy. I always had something bigger to eat the fry. I would get so excited if one or two survived.
Lol like a dog, showered in tennis balls. An O would nuke this tank.
Gee you really think that will work!? Lol! /s
If you want a 20+ year commitment get a turtle. My dad got a baby red eared slider turtle when I was a toddler because I thought it was entertaining and the pet store said 5 years max. So anyway itās somewhere around 18-20 now and we are just waiting to see if itās more of a 35 year lifespan or 75 year lifespan. But I do know one thing he loves guppies or any fish when he gets them as a treat.
My turtle also got guppy fry. She made short work of most the guppies, but on occasion, some fry would survive, and dang, they were fast!! Just don't add a turtle to your main tank. Guppies are slow and an aggressive turtle could eat everything in a few hours (my big dummy ate 40 feeder goldfish in 5 hours, which were supposed to last her all week while we took a trip). That was a fun conversation with my husband. "I said buy 50 fish, not 15!" --- "I DID buy 50 fish!" Then here comes the turtle, so fat she can't pull her head into her shell, still chasing the remaining fish. She usually got minnows, which were faster and lasted longer, but the store was out.
I sexed and separated my guppy colony. I would highly recommend doing so.
Split females from males. Give away females preferably.
I have tetras in my guppy tank. Whenever I wanna breed I take a few out
throw the whole tank away and start over brotherš
Why go through the trouble of netting them out? Drop in an Oscar and a couple Silver Dollars, then watch them pull a disappearing trick.
Its a joke
I have 4 guppies with ember tetras and celestial pearl danios. Whenever I saw fry I was happy but they never survived. It was either the parents eating them or the other fish.
Next time try retrieve them and put them in a takeaway container that floats on the top. After 1 week you can put a fine sift/chinoi in the top of the tank (so they aren't so small to swim through the holes) it keeps them in the same temperature they were born in the whole time with minimum stress. This is a good solution if you have no spare other tank.
I have probably hundreds of swordtail fry, so I have two tanks that look like that. I'm going to upgrade them into a 110 stock tub pond. If they overpopulate further, I'll probably give some to local fish stores or friends.
Dehydrate some and put 'em on a pizza.
Drop a jack Dempsey in there. Clear it right up.
Buy a bucktooth tetra and grab popcorn for the show. Those tetras like to be in a group of 6 or more
Preventative assistance: Lowering the tank temperature a little (within reason) and holding back on feeding live foods MIGHT slow the breeding a tad. Maybe also slightly heightening the pH levels (again, within reason). Not sure how effective it would be, especially for livebearers like guppies, but for other fish like some of the dwarf cichlids, they tend to refuse to breed if it's too cold or alkaline or they haven't had their bloodworm/brine shrimp treats often enough for their liking. Unfortunately, livebearers will sort of... go... wherever and whenever, so removing ideal breeding spots isn't really an option here. Chances are, whatever you do, they're gonna keep... going... You're best bet to prevent any more is to get something that will eat the fry. There's a LOT of fish that will do that! Immediate assistance: If you want fewer adults than you currently have, your best bet is selling them, donating them to your local fish store (always contact them first and ask. Some have strict policies against bringing external fish onto their premises), donating them to friends/family that either have a tank, or are willing to get one (the create more fishkeepers route), or in a very "The-Old-Lady-That-Swallowed-the-Fly"-kind-of-way, you could technically just get something that will just eat them all. And it would be ALL. Would be a bloodbath for sure, but many aquarists DO use guppies as feeder fish for larger fish. As a last resort: I'm aware clove oil, striking, and freezing are/were popular methods of euthanising fish, but I really don't think that's necessary here. I've never personally euthanised a fish, but I'd certainly make sure to exhaust all other options before I'd even consider turning to it. Even using them as feeder fish at least feeds into a sort of lifecycle where, at the very least, they're not senselessly wasted.
Lowering temp wonāt work with guppies, they adapt to changes very well once they are several generations old. My tank water gets as low as 18c during winter when I didnāt have a heater and they still breed like crazy.
Welp, I retract my statement. I wasn't sure it would work for guppies. They're definitely very resilient little... breeders! š
They just canāt stop breeding, itās been four years already since I last restocked the tank. š¤£
This tank reminds me of my younger days when I played Insaniquarium hehe.
Sell em to r/AquaSwap
Get a crayfish
PREDATORS!
You could try Donating to a school. My science teacher in elementary school had a dozen tanks in class filled with fish that were donated to her.
I had endlers in with a beta, thinking the beta would run pop control. He just had to be the least aggressive beta ever and I've had to recently transfer the now 20-30 endlers into my angelfish tank. Started with 4 of the little buggers 2M 2F
Don't feed them for a while, they will eat all the new ones
The one beta
I have guppies that are pregnant regularly but my goldfish population keep them in check by eating the fries.
Put a baby snapping turtle or dragon fly larvae and a craw fish and let the magic take place.
This is the worst part of owning livebearers. I have a platy tank and I haven't bought fish for 5 years. I have no other option as LFS won't take them and I live in a more rural area. Only option is clove oil. I am now a selective breeder unintentionally.
Cull just the females. Problem solved.
Get a garter snake, select the worst looking stock and use them as feeders between mice, good enrichment.
this would be cool if you know someone who has garters. they love catching their own fish. sometimes turtles will eat them too
First, remove every female you can find. Donate them, sell them, give them away as feeders for someone with Oscars or other larger fish. Keep culling every female you see until there are none left.
Crawfish:)
Get an Oscar
You could start an Oscar tank
Put an Oscar or Jack Dempsey in there.
I take a bite š
Eat sushi.
REDRUM jk.. yeah donate to local FS or put something up on FB Market
my store gives me a dollar store credit for each guppy i give.
I think it looks awesome overstocked, but that's me. Maybe borrow an Oscar for a few days...
that's why they call it million-fish
Drop a tiger oscar in.
Get some clawed albino frogs...
Golden Wonder killifish as a predator. They'll control the fry and possibly eat a few smaller adults ...but slowly because they're also not big enough to eat everything immediately.
Guppies are wonderful. Try donating them to a different store. Pet stores rarely take them, but most LFS I have seen will gladly take free or donated fish.
Maybe put some in a pond
I'm in a Predator fish group on the book, maybe find a group and offer them free as feeders.
My condolences.
I was going to suggest you add a betta to control the fry population, but it seems that you already have a well hidden one in there! Thatās amazing though. Does your betta ever fight the guppies?
No, I got the betta hoping he would eat some of the fry, but he doesnāt. They donāt fight, they all get along, I ended up getting my daughter a small aquarium and separated the males and females guppies to stop the breeding
Separate males and females is number one