How to Become a Good Breeder
Written by Mike Khalid for the IFGA
So you want to breed large show quality guppies. This is every breeder’s dream.
Well you can achieve your dream with patience, discipline and by starting with good established breeding stock. There are some excellent breeding stocks available to beginners and experienced breeders.
First select the color you want to raise.
With about six to eight small tanks (two 2 1/2 gals., two 5 gals., four 10 gals.), you should be able to raise some nice show quality guppies.
Let’s start with the first batch of babies. Place them in a 2 1/2 gallon tank. Feed the babies as often as possible with growth food and baby brine shrimp – up to 6 times a day with frequent water changes.
At the end of 20 days, move the whole batch into a 5 gallon tank. Continue the feeding routine.
Remove remaining food from bottom of tank every other day, cull the slow growing fish. Be ruthless!
At the end of 40 days you can now separate the males from the females and place them in a 10 gallon tank, all the time culling and reducing the number of fish in each tank.
At the end of two months your 10 gallon tank must have no more than 12 to 15 guppies in each. The water change routine must be rigorously followed, so must the feeding schedule.
At the end of the third month, you should now have selected your breeding and show stock.
If you have the luxury of extra tanks for holding more fish, you can combine all the culled males into one 40 or 50 gallon tank for disposal later.
Remember the rules: good stock, good dry food and baby brine shrimp, frequent water changes, ruthless culling and you will be rewarded with excellent show quality guppies. Try it!