Spawning report: Poecilia reticulata

Name: John Satterlee

Scientific Name of Fish: Poecilia reticulata

Hobby Name of Fish: Yellow cobra guppies

Method of Reproduction: Livebearer

Number and Gender Distribution of Parents: 2 male and 4 females

Origin of Parents: Tank Raised, obtained a year or so ago from Steven Kwartler (International Fancy Guppy Association award winner)

Approximate number of fry: 15

Date of Hatch or Birth: Sep 14, 2022

Date of Free Swimming If Hatched: N/A

Approx. Number of Fry at 30 Days: TBD

Approx. Number of Fry at 60 Days:

Aquarium Conditions:

pH: 7.2

General Hardness: 150 ppm

Average Temperature (72-76 F)

Salinity: none

Average Nitrate: < 40 ppm

Aquarium Size: standard 5 gallon

Water Source: Rockville MD tap water with Seachem Prime

Water Changes: 80% once a month

Filtration System: sponge filter

Additives: ½ cup of crushed coral

Décor:

Live Plants: Water lettuce, guppy grass to keep nitrates down and to provide hiding spots for the fry. Spawning mops and sponge filters to provide fry hiding spots.

Substrate: bare bottom

Lighting Type and Timing: Home Depot light, 12 hrs on/12 hrs off

Food Fed to Parents and How Often: Tetra Color Tropical Flakes morning and evening. Freshly hatched baby brine shrimp every other day.

Food Fed to Fry and How Often: Finely ground dry fry food morning and evening, Fresh hatched baby brine shrimp every other day.

Additional comments: I have been raising around 8 different strains of fancy guppies over the past two years. I have over 500 guppies currently. This strain is stable---the parents and offspring almost always took alike with rare exceptions. This is not the case for some other guppy strains. After every other batch of fry, I set up a new set of breeders with the best looking 2 males and 4 females I can find. This latest batch of fry are enjoying their new abode in “Dean’s Fry System”. It is very convenient for feeding the fry and for keeping track of their growth. The fry are kept with the overhead lights off, so they only receive indirect lighting from nearby tanks. Also they have a little guppy grass for cover and to provide biofilm/nutrients. I am wondering if the ability to feed the fry in a focused way using the fry system during this critical period of their development will help to generate larger and/or more robust adult animals down the road.