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A few weeks ago, one of my female guppy was pregnant and she gave birth to many fries after that she was not able to swim properly. All of a sudden, she died which made me upset and as a guppy enthusiast, I was wondering do guppies die after giving birth?
You might have gone through a similar situation and looking for a few questions such as
– Why did my guppy fish die after giving birth?
– How do you save guppies from dying after giving birth
In this article, I will provide the probable causes and solutions on how can you help guppies survive giving birth.
Table of Contents
Why Do Mother Guppies Die After Giving Birth?
Stress, sickness, labor complications, poor water conditions, and use of breeding box are some of the reasons why mother guppies dying after giving birth.
Female guppies are pregnant almost every month and it is important to note that not all pregnant guppies survive through the birthing process.
Over the years of observation, I saw few pregnant guppies die before giving birth, some may die during labor while other female guppies die after giving birth. There are only some mother guppy fish which survive after giving birth.
Let’s discuss the reasons in detail.
Reason#1 Pregnancy Stress
The most common reason for pregnant guppy die after giving birth is stress.
Pregnancy makes female guppy fish feel more stress than normal.
Further, if there are too many fish in your tank and you keep them with aggressive tank mates adds stress to pregnancy. Also, the lack of hiding spots will increase tension in female guppy fish.
When you start seeing any abnormal signs such as change in swimming patterns, eating less, hiding in the corner or staying at the bottom of the tank, and color loss, then definitely your pregnant guppy is in stress.
Solution#1
– It is recommended to put pregnant guppy with compatible tank mates both during and after giving birth. This gives great relief to mother guppy fish.
– Hiding spaces in smoothens the pregnancy, so you could start with decorating your aquarium with plants, rocks, and guppy grass to reduce stress in the female guppy.
| Pro-tip : I use a breeder box for smooth delivery of guppy fry. |
Reason#2 Already Sick Pregnant Guppy
When I buy guppy fish from the big pet store, they are the majority of times already sick in the store and after that, I bring them home unknowingly.
The female guppy gets pregnant very soon which increases pressure on the fish. So, pregnancy is not the only factor that causes the female guppy fish to die after giving birth.
In pregnant guppies when you notice symptoms like being tired, less active, not eating, or having trouble breathing, then it is not pregnancy alone but there is a high chance of some diseases, infections, or parasites.
This is one of the culprits for guppies keep dying after giving birth.
Solution#2
– Prevention is better than cure. So the one thing I follow is looking for the diseases early which prevents my guppy from dying as I can treat female guppy on time.
– In case of help always consult a veterinarian.
Reason#3 Complications during and after delivery
Guppies are known as “million fish” as they can give birth to 2-200 fry at a time and can become pregnant within a few hours after giving birth.
The birthing process is stressful as it goes on for a few hours, and in some situation, it lasts for a day or two.
Once my female guppy had difficult time releasing fry during labor. The pregnant guppy faces a lot of complications while giving birth to guppy fries.
I have closely looked at one of the labor complications that arose when the fry was stuck in my pregnant guppy birthing canal due to which the female guppy die after giving birth.
Other common pregnancy complications are transportation stress or poor tank conditions can lead to guppy fish die during or after giving birth.
Complications during and after delivery pose a life-threatening risk to guppies, causing stress and potential harm.
Solution#3
When you see your guppy has a problem while releasing fry, you can take the following steps:
– Make sure water quality and temperature should be ideal. Do a test and verify all the water parameters, if required change the water.
– Provide some hiding spots using plants and decorations in the tank.
| Pro-tips : – I provide hiding spots for pregnant guppy by adding plants, rocks, or decorations. – I add some API aquarium salt to ease the pregnant guppy. |
Reason#4 Inadequate Water Parameter
Poor water conditions increase stress in pregnant guppies.
When you move your guppy into the breeding box, just before giving birth, if the water parameter and temperature are different than the main tank, it will cause a lot of stress to the mother guppy.
Bad water parameter weakens the immune system of female guppy, which increases the chances of diseases or organ failure leading your guppy fish die after giving birth.
This will add difficulties in giving birth and potentially harm both, the mother and her fry.
Additionally, it can also affect the re-productivity of pregnant guppies.
Solution#4
– It is advisable to regularly monitor and test key parameters including pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels to ease pregnancy.
– To keep the water clean and healthy use a good filter.
| Pro-tips : – To test water parameters I use API freshwater master test kit. – I maintain a warm water temperature using an aquarium heater and aquarium chiller to cool water. |
Reason#5 Using a breeding box
If you have a pregnant guppy in your tank, you should consider using a breeding box to safely deliver guppy fry.
But in some instances where your pregnant guppy is used to staying in a community tank feels stress when transferred to the breeding box.
If your mother guppy stays a long time in a breeder box which may be small in size and have less space to hide.
This can stress the female guppy, which leads to premature delivery and sometimes your guppies can die after giving birth.
Solution#5
– After releasing the guppy fry, move back your mother guppy in the main tank.
– Provide nutritious and healthy food to your guppy.
| Pro-tip : After moving guppy to main tank I provide hiding spots to feel her comfortable. |
How Can You Prevent Your Guppy Dying After Giving Birth?
If you follow below steps you can help guppies survive after giving birth:
– To keep ammonia and nitrite levels low, change the tank water regularly. Use a filter to keep the water clean.
– Add some decorative items that will provide enough hiding space for your guppies.
– To provide a stress-free environment for your pregnant guppy, keep the light low near the tank and make sure there is no noise around the tank.
– Give extra care and always monitor your pregnant guppies.
– To keep your mother guppy healthy, use a breeder box and provide nutritious food like brine shrimp, blood worms, or pellet/flake food.
Conclusion
Guppies can die during or after giving birth. The main reasons are shock, stress, labor complications, pre-existing sickness, water conditions, and use of breeding boxes.
Save guppies from dying by maintaining ideal water parameters, providing a high-quality diet, making plenty of hiding places, perfect timing for relocation, looking for signs of sickness and go to the vet, if necessary.
These simple steps can increase the chances of guppy survival after giving birth.
If you have any question please feel free to post your question in the comment box.
FAQS
1. How Long Does a Guppy Take To Give Birth?
It will take two to eight hours for guppy to give birth.
2. How do I make sure my baby guppies survive?
When baby guppies get the same water parameters as mother guppy, then it will help baby guppies to survive.
3. Should I separate guppy fry from mother?
Yes, baby guppies will be eaten by mother guppy and other tank mates, if there are not enough hiding spots.
Happy Guppy Keeping!
I am Alexa with 5+ years of experience in fishkeeping industry with expertise in taking care of guppies, aquariums, and dealing with diseases. Moreover, I am lovely wife, dedicated mom, and passionate guppy fish keeper. If you are into guppy fish keeping like me, you are in the right place. Explore the blog, ask questions, and enjoy guppy fishkeeping journey with GuppyAdvisor.
