Guppies could be easy to care for when adults but hard when they are young. Even their parents could eat them, making their chances of survival even lower. Luckily, The breeding box was created to solve this problem. Read on to learn more about breeding boxes.
Do Guppies Need A Breeder Box?
Guppies must be put in a breeding box, especially if they are about to give birth. The breeding box keeps the pregnant female guppy until she gives birth, at which point she is removed, and the fry is held in the breeding box out of harm’s way. This keeps your baby guppies safe from being eaten by their own parents.
One advantage of using a breeding box is you can simply attach it to your fish tank. If you have a breeding box, this makes it easier and less work to breed guppies since you don’t have to change the water conditions. It’s also more time-efficient because you don’t have to cycle to another aquarium before you can use it.
One major drawback, however, is that a guppy breeder box is only a short-term solution. More time spent inside the breeding box will harm the development of guppy fry. If your baby guppies are showing signs of stress after two weeks, it’s time to move them to an isolation tank or, if they’re big enough, into your main tank.
How Long Should You Keep Guppy Fry In A Breeder Box?
Your guppy fry must stay in a breeder box for 1 to 2 weeks, but any longer than that could be dangerous. They need space to grow, but the breeder box can’t give them room to grow so much. The fry swims a lot but can only grow as fast as possible with enough space and water.
Remember that guppy fries are more sensitive to water parameters than your adult guppies. So, to keep your baby guppies safe, you must ensure that the water in your main tank is in optimal condition. Always monitor the water parameters and keep the ammonia and nitrate levels at zero to help your guppy fries stay healthy.
Also, remember that putting too many fries in a small space can cause stress, killing them, especially if the breeder box can’t handle that many fries. That is why you should pick the correct size of breeder box for your guppy. To keep as many fries alive as possible, use a breeder box that can hold about two hundred fries.
How Long Can A Pregnant Guppy Stay In A Breeder Box?
Your guppies can get stressed out in a breeder box, so you should only keep them there for a week or two. While they are in there, you should monitor their behavior, feed them good food, and keep the water clean. Also, watch how they act to see if they are acting strangely because they could be stressed.
Most baby guppies are born curled into small balls like how they grow up inside the mother guppy. After they are born, they quickly straighten out and swim through the holes in the breeding box to a separate area where only baby guppies can fit. You should let them grow there until they are too big for any guppy to eat.
You wouldn’t want your guppy to die from stress, so they should be taken out of the breeding box a day or two after giving birth before they start eating their babies. Around this time, the mother guppy will be hungry and need to eat enough to regain her energy. Also, keep her away from things that might stress her, like an aggressive fish or the wrong water parameters.
How Does A Guppy Breeder Box Work?
A breeding box is a simple device to separate a pregnant guppy from the rest of the main tank to keep her away from other fish. Since mother guppies are known to eat their young, this tool also protects your guppy babies from being eaten by their parents. Adding a breeding box to your fish tank increases the survival chances of your baby guppies.
Breeding boxes have compartments with holes and dividers that you can attach to the walls of your fish tank or use outside the fish tank. In that way, when a fry is born, they can swim right through the holes and into the other compartment. There are also breeding boxes outside the fish tank where you can transfer your pregnant guppy and monitor her closely as she is nearing giving birth.
You can also use a breeder box to watch your baby guppies without disturbing the other fish in your tank. It can also be used to get new fish used to the tank before you put them in. You can also put a sick fish there to keep an eye on it while you treat it.
How Much Should You Spend On A Guppy Breeder Box?
You can use a breeder box to allow guppies to give birth to fries without eating them, so you can spend as little as possible if you want as long as it. You can even make a DIY breeder box on your own. But if you’re willing to pay more, you can get a breeder box from Amazon.
The price of a breeding box usually ranges from about 24$ to 7$, depending on the brand, size, and materials used to make it. Typically, breeding boxes that are made of plastic are more expensive than the ones that are made of nylon mesh. Nevertheless, both still have the same functions and uses, so both can carry out the same task.
When choosing a breeder box, select the correct size of the breeder box where you would contain your pregnant fish. A breeder box that is too small could maybe stress out your pregnant guppy, in which she might have complications during birth. Also, make sure that the holding compartment can hold a lot of guppies to prevent stressing your baby guppies.
What To Look For In A Guppy Breeding Box?
Breeder boxes are an excellent way to keep fry separate from adults and give them a place to grow until they can be transferred back into the main tank. Since it will be their temporary shelter, choosing what’s best for your guppy fry is a great idea. Here is a list of things to look for when selecting a breeding box for your guppy.
1. Different Compartments
The breeding box is there to stop the parents from eating the fries. So, when you buy a breeding box for your guppies, you should look for one with separate spaces for the parent fish and the fry. Ensure the divider between the two sections has small slits where the guppy can swim through.
2. Water Circulation
When buying a breeder box, you should consider how water flows between the box and the main fish tank. If it is an internal-type breeding box, you can put it in the aquarium and let the water flow through the vents. But in an external-type breeding box, you may need to buy a second water pump to flow between the main tank and the breeding box.
3. Material
Acrylic is the best material for breeding boxes because it is strong, lasts long, is waterproof, and is as clear as glass. So, you can watch your guppy fries and give them proper care. It’s also safe to use in an aquarium, so you don’t have to worry about your fish getting sick.
4. Big Size
Size is something else to consider when choosing a breeding box for your guppies. If you want to keep your guppies from getting too stressed, you shouldn’t put them in a small breeding box. Choose a breeding box that is big enough for your guppy fries to swim around.
5. Easy To Set Up
Choosing a breeder box that is easy to set up and keep clean is important. Internal breeder boxes are easy to use because you can stick them to the aquarium’s glass with a suction cup. On the other hand, since the external type needs its own air pump, it may require more work to set up.
What Are The Best Breeding Boxes For Guppies?
There are many different shapes and sizes of breeding boxes, and some have even more features and functions than others. When choosing breeding boxes, select the ones other aquarists have used and tested. Here are some breeding boxes that other aquarium keepers have used and liked.
1. Fluval Multi-Chamber Holding and Breeding Box
This simple external breeding box is easy to get to and maintain, and you can watch the fry grow without bothering them. This breeding box is also easy to use as you don’t need a separate heater or filter to use it. Since it’s big, you can use it to get new fish used to the tank before putting them there. But this breeding box needs its own air pump, so you may need another one.
Pros:
- Accessible
- Easy to mount
- Enough size to keep guppy from being stressed
- Has a compartment to hold guppy fries
- It can be used in multiple ways
Cons:
- Needs a water pump or air pump
- Fry could get sucked into the main tank
- Continuous water spluttering noise
2. Capetsma Fish Breeding Box
Capetsma breeding box is an excellent breeding box for guppies because they have a separate chamber where guppy fries are held. It has holes on the sides that let water flow through and another hole that leads to another space where the baby guppies can swim. You can use this breeding box by attaching it with a suction cup to the inside of the glass wall of your aquarium. But if algae are on the aquarium glass, it might stick poorly.
Pros:
- Fits a pregnant guppy and her fries
- Very Cheap
- Has three different sizes to choose from
Cons:
- The suction cup won’t always stick to the aquarium
- Fries can sometimes escape through the sides
3. ISTA IF-648 Hang-On Separation Breeder Box
If there isn’t enough room in your fish tank for a breeder box, use an external breeder box like an ISTA separation breeder box. It is easy to set up and use because it is outside the fish tank. Some aquarists say that small fry can sometimes get through the strainer and go back to the main aquarium. However, due to the water circulation design, this may make a lot of sputtering noises.
Pros:
- Accessible
- Easy to mount
- Has a compartment to hold guppy fries
- Can be divided into 3 compartments
Cons:
- Needs a water pump or air pump
- Fry could get sucked into the main tank
- Continuous water spluttering noise
4. Pawfly Aquarium Fish Breeding Box
The Pawfly breeding box for your guppies is easy to use and doesn’t need an air pump or heater. It has panels that help the box stay afloat in the water, and two suction cups can help stick it in the tank’s glass. It also has two different compartments, each for your pregnant guppy and fry, divided by a panel with slits large enough for your guppies to drop into. Some users also said that the guppies can swim right back to the compartment of the mother guppy, so sometimes they get eaten.
Pros:
- Very cheap
- Designed to float
- Can fit two pregnant guppies
- Provides ample space for mother and baby guppies
Cons:
- Guppy fry can easily escape through the divider
- The divider doesn’t always stay in place
- Suction cups sometimes don’t stick to glass
5. Qguai Fish Breeding Box
The Qguai breeding box is a simple and easy-to-use type of breeding box. It has two sections with slits that let water flow freely in and out. You can also put a divider in the top section to separate two pregnant guppies. You have to use suction cups to stick them to the inside wall of your aquarium, which might not work if algae are growing on the glass. The box’s lid doesn’t snap into place, so your guppy could get out and swim into the main tank.
Pros:
- Easy to mount
- Durable
- Has compartments for 2 pregnant guppies
Cons:
- Pregnant guppy can easily escape
- It might not stick on the aquarium glass
6. Senzeal Plastic Fish Isolation Box
This breeding box is a transparent plastic internal-type breeder box that you can attach to the inner side of the aquarium glass using suction cups. It has two compartments separated with a W-shaped divider in the middle and small entrances allowing the baby guppies to drop into. However, this breeding box is small, so it can only house one pregnant guppy at a time.
Pros:
- Very cheap
- Designed to float
- Can fit two pregnant guppies
- Provides ample space for mother and baby guppies
Cons:
- Guppy fry can easily escape through the divider
- The divider doesn’t always stay in place
- Suction cups sometimes don’t stick to glass
How To Make A DIY Guppy Breeding Box?
You can make your own if you like doing things yourself or want to spend less on fancy breeding boxes. You can create one using just a few inexpensive and reusable materials at home. Here is a step-by-step guide to making your own breeding box for your guppy fish.
1. Prepare The Materials Needed
For your DIY breeding box, you’ll need a plastic cylinder container, rubber bands, duct tape, and a net. Ensure the holes in the net are big enough for the guppy fry to swim right through but small enough to keep the mother guppy out. Also, ensure the plastic container is sturdy but can be cut since you will cut it later.
2. Create Two Compartments
To make two compartments, cut the plastic container down the middle horizontally. Make sure you cut the plastic smoothly so that there are no rough edges that could hurt the guppies or damage their fins, which could lead to fin rot. Which could make it even more stressed.
3. Assemble The Compartments
After you cut it in half, take the half with two holes, put the net over the hole, and then use rubber bands to keep it in place. Then, connect the two compartments so the net is in the middle of the breeding box, and secure it again with rubber bands. It will now have a top compartment for your pregnant guppy and a bottom compartment for her babies, with a net in the middle to keep them apart.
4. Put Holes On The Top Compartment
After setting up the compartments, you need to make holes in the top chamber to let water flow in and keep the top part of the DIY breeding box well-oxygenated. You can create holes in the plastic using a hot rod or drill. Ensure you don’t put holes in the compartment holding baby guppies.
5. Attach It to the Aquarium Wall
After you assemble your do-it-yourself breeding box, it will look the same as any other breeding box. The last step is to just attach it to the inside wall of your aquarium. You can stick it to the wall with a suction cup or hang it in your aquarium’s water with a fishing line.
FAQ
How Early Can Guppy Be Put In A Breeding Box?
You can put pregnant guppies in a breeding box a week before giving birth or after being pregnant for three weeks. Guppies can become very stressed when placed in a breeding box, so you should only put them in there for as short a time as possible. If you leave your pregnant guppy in there for more than a week, it will get sick from stress.
Can Week Old Guppy Fry Get Through Breeding Box Holes?
The breeding box holes separating babies from adults are incredibly tiny. However, a week-old guppy can still go through them. The side vents of a breeding box that allows water to flow in and out are even smaller that even a newborn guppy won’t swim right through.
Recap
Guppies are hardy and tough fish but fragile and sensitive when young. Their parents also eat them, so you need a breeding box to keep baby guppies safe. Also, the breeding box is cheap, easy to set up, and easier to get to than building a new tank. You can find a lot of good breeding boxes, and you can even make one yourself.