What do you do with all the babies?

Private Posts : 2

A year ago, a friend gave us a 3 gallon plastic hex tank. We bought a pair of mickey mouse platys, swordtails, and fancy guppies. They began to breed. and breed. and breed. fish

Well, now we've got 3 tanks set up. One is a community tank, 20 gallons. Most of their babies got eaten, so we picked up more tanks at yard sales recently. The second is the juvenile tank, 15 gallons, currently with about 50 juveniles, mostly fancy guppies and some sword tails. Third is a 10 gallon fry tank / birthing tank. It currently has about 30 fancy guppy fry waiting to go up to the juvenile tank. fish

Inside the fry tank, is a black plastic basket I got at Lowes for about 3 bucks (in the fountain accessories area). It's about 10"L, 6"W, and 6" deep. It's covered with small holes. It sits in top of the fry tank and has some plastic plants floating in it. We've been using it for a month now, and have successfully birthed over 80 fry in 4 batches. And 2 females, a fancy guppy and a swordtail are about to blow and will need to be transferred in today. fish

When a female live bearer looks like she's about to blow, we transfer her to the maternity ward. Once she blows, we put her back in the community tank. BTW, the community tank has 20 to 25 mature fancy guppies, mickey mouse platys, and swordtails. About half of them are mature fish birth and raised in the community tank. fish

Now that we have a "production" system going, We've picked up 2 more tanks at yard sales: another 20 and another 10. We'll get them up and running soon. I made a second maternity basket and plan to put it in the new 10 gallon tank. Also, I've made a pond outside from an old bath tub. Have put about 6 mature swordtails in there and they're doing well. Plan to put more juveniles in there as space requires. fish

My question is, now that we're producing 3 to 4 livebearer birthings per month, what do you do with them? At some point, very soon, we'll be maxed out! It's rewarding to pursue this, but the numbers seem to be growing exponentially. Anybody want to trade? Buy cheap? Are there aquatic swap meets? Do fish stores ever buy these guys? Or do we just keep adding tanks and bath tubs? : ) thanks. fish

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/2/2009, 8:58 am

There are some things that you can do.

1. Go to local fish stores not named Pets mart & Petcoe. Assk if they will do some trades. That way you cant get supplies.

2. Put them on CL

3. put them for sale or trade on here.

or 4. Use some as feeders.

Or do a little of all 4

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/2/2009, 9:58 am

KMX wrote:: There are some things that you can do.

1. Go to local fish stores not named Pets mart & Petcoe. Assk if they will do some trades. That way you cant get supplies.

2. Put them on CL

3. put them for sale or trade on here.
or 4. Use some as feeders.

Or do a little of all 4

Petco here in AZ will take them as donations only and then resells them and donates the money to the local rescues they support. Petsmart will not take them at all.

Guest

Get ya self a big tank full of Fronts & Calvus'.
They'd love to keep the population under control for ya!
What do you do with all the babies? Fish35

Guest

Depending on where you are located I could take some off your hands.

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/2/2009, 3:02 pm

MIKEJ0226 wrote:

KMX wrote:: There are some things that you can do.

1. Go to local fish stores not named Pets mart & Petcoe. Assk if they will do some trades. That way you cant get supplies.

2. Put them on CL

3. put them for sale or trade on here.
or 4. Use some as feeders.

Or do a little of all 4

Petco here in AZ will take them as donations only and then resells them and donates the money to the local rescues they support. Petsmart will not take them at all.

Your petsmart dose good deeds. I like that. Here they stink and are way over priced

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/2/2009, 4:53 pm

I was pretty impressed when I found out they were doing this.

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/2/2009, 5:23 pm

Do you know if it is a self owner?

Chief Wrnt. Off. 2 Posts : 352 Location : Arlington, TX

i would call some local fish stores and ask whether they accept these guys or not and work out a deal. livebearers are horrible about producing lots and lots of babies. we have a tank that may need to get emptied soon. so, at a pet store i wouldnt expect to get much for these fish.
I leave mine in the tank. if they live then congratulations to them. If they die then some ate well. in my opinion, its too much trouble to raise them and sell them.

Guest

List them on craigslist $.50 each or something

Guest

6 fish to how many in how long?

Private Posts : 2

Thanks for all the advice. We're getting on it! Want to start an angel fish tank, so will try to trade at fish store...

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 8/15/2009, 10:43 am

Jimb come to me i will trade you for some Angels

Guest

I'm going to be taking most of my corys to my fish store for store credit.

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 9/14/2009, 6:06 pm

I always sell mine on cl for .50-1.00 each. I do like the idea of trading though! The two local fish stores here do not treat their fish well, I could never feel ok putting fish in that situation.

Private Posts : 28

I am always looking for plume tail platy.. anyone got some.. I also would want them shipped. I am in texas. I am going to have some AB plecos soon.

Guest

My live bearer fry have been going to feed my friends turtle recently. I had 100's of them I needed to get rid of they are over running my tank.

Private Posts : 28

Do you still have some?

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 11/18/2009, 8:56 pm

Raise them and sell them

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 11/19/2009, 1:39 am

where are you located? if in the DFW area, Winnie's off Pipeline in Hurst might work a trade with you. The owner's name is Edna and her # is (817) 282-2572. She's been in business since 1977 and her store shows it...but she's very nice and has a large selection of fish in various sizes.

Private Posts : 28

I am in seguin, close to San Antonio..

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 11/19/2009, 7:15 am

In fact, I would put up more than one craigslist ad. One for the potential Guppy keeper. Take picture of the most wonderful looking guppy/guppies you have and expound on the virtues of guppies as pets. The second I would take pictures of your fatest guppies and list them as feeders. Don't list them back to back, though ;).

Oh, and yes, there are fish auction you could sell them at, but from what I've seen the amount of cash you can get would be a joke. Still, if you are just trying to thing them out, 10 to a bag and get them moving at an auction and putting a few bucks in your pocket might not be so bad - especially with 4 batches brewing a month!

Guest

I still have a 55g full of various live bearer fry. If you want them let me know and I'll save some and ship in the summer. I have fancy guppys, sunset plattys, various molly including sail fin..... And probably some hybrids in the mix as well...... I may be getting rid of most of the adults soon as well.

Subject: Re: What do you do with all the babies? 12/17/2009, 1:46 pm

Give them to your lil brother for Christmas... lol lol!

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