Guppy Line Breeding Project Log
- Thread starter cockroach
- Start date
Changed up the roof tubs a little. I now only have 3 strains in the tubs. The main focus is the metallic snakeskins.
The blonde El Silverado Endlers
The snakeskins got a space for fry to take cover as they are fry annihilators.
The layout and "upgrade".
The tubs were getting so hot I needed some shade to help the fish along.
The blonde El Silverado Endlers
The snakeskins got a space for fry to take cover as they are fry annihilators.
The layout and "upgrade".
The tubs were getting so hot I needed some shade to help the fish along.
Attachments
One of the males above and a female came second in an online Guppy Show earlier this year.
Some more recent pics.
A nice big blonde female that gave some good fry in her day.
Bought some new pot plants for the tanks. C. Nurri and Cryptocoryne sp. Flamingo
I put these grates in some of the tanks so fry have a chance as speartail lines are ferocious fry eaters.
This is where deformed and stunted fry go to live out their days......
I put the metallic snakeskin line into a colony breeding tank and combined them with the pygmy cories. I decided to try out a matten corner filter. Water drawn in, pothos roots inside, then uplifted into breeder box that acts a a refugium for micro organisms and returns to tank. The outside of the sponge is planted with buce, anubius and cryptocoryne.
FTS
Breeders
Some more recent pics.
A nice big blonde female that gave some good fry in her day.
Bought some new pot plants for the tanks. C. Nurri and Cryptocoryne sp. Flamingo
I put these grates in some of the tanks so fry have a chance as speartail lines are ferocious fry eaters.
This is where deformed and stunted fry go to live out their days......
I put the metallic snakeskin line into a colony breeding tank and combined them with the pygmy cories. I decided to try out a matten corner filter. Water drawn in, pothos roots inside, then uplifted into breeder box that acts a a refugium for micro organisms and returns to tank. The outside of the sponge is planted with buce, anubius and cryptocoryne.
FTS
Breeders
I mthought I had posted this but don't see it in this thread.
This is my video "studio" setup for entries into online competitions.
Simple and effective although I feel a better light is going to go a long way in presenting the fish better.
Also, if anyone is thinking of an air pump for the fish room or many tanks. This brand is awesome. I now have 2 in the fishroom and it is quiet and reliable. Been using one for 6 or 7 years now and still quiet.
This is my video "studio" setup for entries into online competitions.
Simple and effective although I feel a better light is going to go a long way in presenting the fish better.
Also, if anyone is thinking of an air pump for the fish room or many tanks. This brand is awesome. I now have 2 in the fishroom and it is quiet and reliable. Been using one for 6 or 7 years now and still quiet.
It has been ages since I updated on the guppies.
All was going very well and I was getting some really good males. And some lovely females. Although it seems only breeders really appreciate good looking female guppies. When viewed next to the males, they tend to look drab and underwhelming. granted not for all strains.
With these males I was voluntold to enter some online competitions even though I thought they were not ready yet. Well I was glad I did. In the last two online pairs competitions, my best pairs came 2nd and 3rd respectively. My other pairs were there somewhere with 1 or 2 making into the top ten. Having said that, the pool for short tails - spear, round, sowrd is a lot smaller than it is for the large tails like delta or veil.
Went to visit Gary Lee after the shows and chat about somethings I was noticing in the strains. I try to, but I am not a fastidious record keeper and do a lot more through observation. I noticed the peduncles thinning slightly but what bothered me more was the spear shape and length. We discussed this and I found a substantial misstep in line breeding. I was taking show grade speartail males and females and breeding them when in fact, with a speartail, I should have been using shorter tailed females, or rounder tailed males. This mix would lead to better final outcomes.
I duly reset the lines removing all the "long" speartails and replacing with shorter tails. It was heartbreaking when I realized how many stunning males I had removed thinking their tails were inadequate. Thankfully, the reserve team was ready. I removed all fry to a general fry grow out tank and reset the pairs. At this point, I only had pairs left and not enough for trios.
Additionally, I split my lines into 2 strains:
1. Blonde metallic Yellow Speartails
2. Grey Galaxy Speartail
* Won't allow me to inset pics in the correct places so hopefully you can work out which pic is which.
The new strains are going well and have been entered into a recent online pairs winter competition. Will see how that goes. I am now on F2 of the reset strains with F3 not far off from breeding age. With the 2 strains, I have at least 3 pairs or trios+ . I mix these within each strain according to that tank's desired focus, i.e. color, size or fins, so the the genetic mix is good within each strain. At F4, perhaps F5, I will cross mix the two strains as they were originally form the same line with 1 male and 2 female outcross a few months ago.
Just prior to resetting the lines.
I ran a single silicone air hose from this pump to the original pump which has a torn diaphragm and the new air pump is currently supplying air to about 28-30 different outlets.
Lost two of my top males last year during an earthquake. The splashing water launched them out of the tank and I only found them when I got home after work.
Screenshots of videos of some of the pairs.
A breeder tail not a shower.
A shower tail not a breeder.
The setup as it is today.
Realized now, I do not actually take pics of individual fish as I am always just looking at them. Will try to remember to take and upload some soon.
All was going very well and I was getting some really good males. And some lovely females. Although it seems only breeders really appreciate good looking female guppies. When viewed next to the males, they tend to look drab and underwhelming. granted not for all strains.
With these males I was voluntold to enter some online competitions even though I thought they were not ready yet. Well I was glad I did. In the last two online pairs competitions, my best pairs came 2nd and 3rd respectively. My other pairs were there somewhere with 1 or 2 making into the top ten. Having said that, the pool for short tails - spear, round, sowrd is a lot smaller than it is for the large tails like delta or veil.
Went to visit Gary Lee after the shows and chat about somethings I was noticing in the strains. I try to, but I am not a fastidious record keeper and do a lot more through observation. I noticed the peduncles thinning slightly but what bothered me more was the spear shape and length. We discussed this and I found a substantial misstep in line breeding. I was taking show grade speartail males and females and breeding them when in fact, with a speartail, I should have been using shorter tailed females, or rounder tailed males. This mix would lead to better final outcomes.
I duly reset the lines removing all the "long" speartails and replacing with shorter tails. It was heartbreaking when I realized how many stunning males I had removed thinking their tails were inadequate. Thankfully, the reserve team was ready. I removed all fry to a general fry grow out tank and reset the pairs. At this point, I only had pairs left and not enough for trios.
Additionally, I split my lines into 2 strains:
1. Blonde metallic Yellow Speartails
2. Grey Galaxy Speartail
* Won't allow me to inset pics in the correct places so hopefully you can work out which pic is which.
The new strains are going well and have been entered into a recent online pairs winter competition. Will see how that goes. I am now on F2 of the reset strains with F3 not far off from breeding age. With the 2 strains, I have at least 3 pairs or trios+ . I mix these within each strain according to that tank's desired focus, i.e. color, size or fins, so the the genetic mix is good within each strain. At F4, perhaps F5, I will cross mix the two strains as they were originally form the same line with 1 male and 2 female outcross a few months ago.
Just prior to resetting the lines.
I ran a single silicone air hose from this pump to the original pump which has a torn diaphragm and the new air pump is currently supplying air to about 28-30 different outlets.
Lost two of my top males last year during an earthquake. The splashing water launched them out of the tank and I only found them when I got home after work.
Screenshots of videos of some of the pairs.
A breeder tail not a shower.
A shower tail not a breeder.
The setup as it is today.
Realized now, I do not actually take pics of individual fish as I am always just looking at them. Will try to remember to take and upload some soon.
Attachments
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I have been getting into guppies lately, a fun fish to keep after all these years of ignoring them.
To be honest i havent had them for probably 20 years but now just have them and cories in the tank, peaceful and colourful and stress free mostly.
The line breeding thing is tempting but i can imagine the number of tanks would grow quickly and so would the stress levels.
To be honest i havent had them for probably 20 years but now just have them and cories in the tank, peaceful and colourful and stress free mostly.
The line breeding thing is tempting but i can imagine the number of tanks would grow quickly and so would the stress levels.
I also overlooked them for years as everyday fish every beginner has.
Then realized after research, given the space I had, it would be the closest I could get to breeding pedigree livestock which was done by many previous members of our family.
Even the "show guppies" I find are easy to keep. Slightly more work if you want to line breed but nothing in the realm of discus or angels.
The tanks could potentially grow but I have set a limit on the amount to dedicate to them. if I want more space I add some growout here and there. Or if I need more tanks I have 2 options, reduce breeding pairs/trios, or give up one of my other tanks. This keeps me in check with tank numbers.
What guppies did you get?