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I was in complete shock when my pregnant guppy died just 1 day before giving birth.
The female guppy was showing the normal signs of giving birth, so as a guppy lover I was puzzled and asked myself why my pregnant guppy died before giving birth.
Just like me, you may have faced a similar situation and your pregnant guppies may die 10 days or 1 week before giving birth.
| Over the years of experience, I learned that there can be many reasons why pregnant guppies can die before, during or after giving birth such as stress, inadequate water condition, sickness, and old age. |
In this article, I have explained why pregnant guppy died before giving birth and how to take care of pregnant guppy fish.
Table of Contents
Reasons Why Mother Guppy Died Before Giving Birth
Reasons#1 Stressed Pregnant Guppy
The major reason for pregnant guppies dying before or during birth is stress.
Pregnancy itself is stress. Pregnant guppy feels more tired, less active and stays still at the bottom during pregnancy.
Female pregnant guppy is often chased by male guppy for mating. She is not able to find enough place to hide and go in stress, which causes the death of the pregnant guppy before giving birth.
Guppy can also experience external stress like poor water quality, unfriendly tank mates, spikes in ammonia, or changing water temperatures.
There are various signs of pregnant guppy being under stress:
- Change in swimming pattern
- Eating less or not eating at all
- Continuous hiding in the tank
- Losing color
Sometimes it may happen your female guppies go into labor and then die.
Solution #1
– Move pregnant guppy to a new tank. Keep the water parameter the same as the main tank.
– Provide sufficient hiding spots by adding plants, caves and rocks.
| Pro-tip : I use a separate tank or breeder box to make pregnant guppy comfortable. |
Reason #2 Inadequate Water Condition
Water conditions play an important role in the reproduction of guppies which is often overlooked.
If the water is unclean then female guppies may have weak immune systems. They can get sick more easily. This can also harm their ability to reproduce.
Fluctuations or imbalances in water parameters can put unnecessary stress on pregnant guppies, leading to pregnancy complications.
Solution # 2
– Regularly monitor and test important factors like pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels which makes life of your pregnant guppies easy.
– To remove impurities and keep the water flow smooth, set up a reliable filtration system.
| Pro-tip : To ensure a comfortable environment for guppies: – use the API freshwater master test kit to monitor water quality, – consider Seachem Prime Conditioner to remove ammonia and nitrite and – use an aquarium heater to warm water or a chiller to cool water. |
Reason #3 Sick Pregnant Guppy
Did you check the health of your guppy when you bought it from a pet store? It is possible that when you bought it, your guppy was already sick and pregnant.
Your sick guppy fish will show symptoms like erratic swimming, eating less food, unfriendly behavior, less energy, and hiding in the corner of tank.
Sometimes if you do not identify these symptoms of illness early, you will not be able to treat it correctly, as a result, your pregnant guppy fish may die before giving birth.
As a guppy lover, you should know about the diseases that can affect the health of guppy and also learn how you should treat them.
Solution #3
– Constantly monitor your pregnant guppies before, during and after their pregnancy.
– If you notice any symptoms of sickness, quarantine it and provide adequate treatment.
– Always consult the veterinary clinic.
| Pro-tip : I use Tetra Lifeguard for many diseases and separate it into a breeder tank. |
Reason #4 Old Age Pregnant Guppy
Guppies average lifespan is 2 to 3 years.
The signs of old age guppies are swimming slowly, remaining inactive in the tank, and not showing interest in eating.
As the guppy grows old, their immune system gets weak, so sometimes old age guppy keep dying even before becoming pregnant.
Pregnant old age guppy find it difficult to give birth to fry as their body are not capable of handling stress.
High level of ammonia and nitrite in an aquarium causes stress to guppies which leads to internal organ failure resulting in the death of your pregnant old guppy fish.
Solution #4
– Feed old age pregnant guppy with healthy and nutritious diet food.
– Keep the aged pregnant guppy in a separate tank so that you can monitor it regularly.
– Clean the tank and maintain water parameters.
| Pro-tip : I provide nutritious food like brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, or pellet/flake food and also hiding spots. |
How to Take Care of Pregnant Guppy
Taking care of a pregnant guppy is an important task. There are many points to consider before, during and after the pregnancy which will make your guppies life easy and comfortable.
When you see a dark gravid spot near the tail or gaining weight it is a sign of pregnant guppy.
– First, you should set up a breeding tank with water parameters the same as the main tank.
– Identify the reasons behind guppies stress such as incompatible tank mates, sickness, and treat them properly.
– Maintain stable water parameters and cleanliness.
– Provide a balanced diet consisting of plant and animal-sourced protein and fats.
– Remove sick and dead guppy from the tank.
Can a Dead Guppy Give Birth?
Yes, when pregnant guppy dies during labor, then also it is possible for the guppy fry to take birth.
If a pregnant guppy dies before a few days or weeks of delivery, then the guppy fry will also die.
Before delivering fry if a pregnant guppy dies, then some fry may be born and others may stuck in the birthing canal and die.
Conclusion
Guppies are known as million fish because of their capacity to reproduce multiple times in a year.
As discussed in this article, guppies may face certain issues like improper water parameters, unhealthy food, dirty tanks, and filters.
Fixing these issues will help your pregnant guppies to deliver healthy fry. It will also stop your pregnant guppies from dying before giving birth.
If you have any issue please feel free to post your question in the comment box.
FAQS
1. How long to keep guppy fry in breeder box?
Ideally, guppy fry should be kept in breeder box for 4 to 5 weeks.
2. How long are guppies pregnant before giving birth?
Normally, guppies are pregnant for 25-30 days which can vary.
3. Why is my pregnant guppy not giving birth?
Complications in pregnancy, stress levels, and inadequate tank conditions are the most common reasons for pregnant guppy not giving birth.
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.
