endless supply of feeders

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CHOMPERS

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Apr 28, 2006
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Sunnyvale Trailer Park
I posted this elsewhere and thought it would be appropriate here:

Here is my low budget guppy factory...buy a ten gallon tank at wal-mart ($10), or in my case, $2 for a clear plastic bin from Good Will. Go back to the fabric dept. and look through the scrap/remnant bin for open mesh netting that is smaller than adult guppies. I paid $.26 for enough to cover two breeder nets. Breeder nets at Wal-mart cost $3 and change (or $4). Don't use the supplied net, use the larger holed net over the frame. I am too cheap to pay $4 for the breeder and made my own frame out of some egg crate that I had. When the tank is cycled, buy pregnant guppies and place them in the breeder net. When they release the fry, the babies drop out of the breeder net into the aquarium and away from the adults. First time moms will release a few and then in a few days, they will release the whole lot. When you see babies, remove them and place them in their own tank. If they swim back into the breeder net they will be a quick snack for the adults. Do not use under gravel filters in the tanks; strong currents can suck the fry into the gravel. They can survive the trip through the gravel and up the risers, but why chance it. Instead, use a small power filter with a fine mesh netting or fabric over the inlet of the power filter. You can use the fry netting from the breeder net or in my case, the remnant bin in the fabric dept. My total cost...less than three bucks. (I already had the filter.)
 
I did something like that but with an 18gallon tall and I heavily planted the bottom half of the tank, I mean heavy. I then put a permenant net in that is horizontal and about 2/3s way up. Its big enough that the baby guppies fall through but adults can swim through it. I literaly produces about 30 guppies a week that grew to full size this way.
 
Thanks for the ideas I happen to have an empty 10 gallon tank just sitting around. It never crossed my mind to raise feeder guppies in it.:grinyes:
 
Glad to be of service. I just picked up another ten gallon and stand from GoodWill. It came loaded with slate and drift wood (obviously from a much larger tank). It also had a large pump from a 75 or 100 gal tank. I got everything for $20. Not bad for a day scrounging around the GoodWills here. I also met a junk dealer that come into tanks of all sizes now and then. He is on the lookout for me now :) I am thinking black molly's for the new tank...one of the Wal-marts here has a bunch of pregnant ones that are ready to explode!
 
I keep mollies in a similar fashion. But the motherload of all feeders are my convicts. I started with 2 and now have hundreds in my 35 gallon. What's amazing now is how small these bastages are when they start breeding again. Right now I have four breeding pair with small fry.
 
I keep about half of my guppies in my Cichlid Tank, they stick to the top; and when they drop fry the feeding begins. The females are ususlly large enough not to get eaten and I have to replace the males sometimes as they are small enough to eat also. But it waorks out well. Might have to try convicts soon?:)
 
just another tip to add, remember feed only the males (keep a few for breeding), which are the colorful ones. this way you have future breeder females, and will have even more feeders, and then you can sell some to your friends, or buy more fish..


I read some where, that a father and son started breeding guppies to feed some of there fish that they had at the time, because the local pet shops in there area didn't carry anything small. and basicaaly they went out and bought a whole bunch of guppies, and put them in a big tank, and as the started to breed, and where getting plenty, they kept expanding. I do believe almost all your guppy feeders come from them still to this day... but don't quote me on that. I read this article somewhere maybe ten years ago...

andy
 
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