Who’d have guessed that the innocent-looking sociable guppies are related to infanticide and cannibalism? Surprising? It’s not unusual to hear stories of fry going missing overnight, leaving just the eyes floating in the water. Or when a guppy bites the tail off another guppy in the aquarium. So, how many of these gruesome allegations are true? Is it true that guppies devour each other? Let’s have a look.
Here’s Everything You Should Know About Do Guppies Eat Each Other?
In most cases, guppies do not devour each other. They’re really quite friendly critters. We can’t rule out the notion completely, however. When the tank gets congested and the guppies are hungry, they have no choice but to turn to cannibalism.
Let’s have a look at some more questions that are relevant to the one above. There’s a lot more to the question “do guppies eat other guppies?” than what we just discussed.
Do Guppies Eat Their Fries?
Guppies are both attractive and low-maintenance pets. That is something we cannot emphasize enough. However, if you don’t pay attention throughout the breeding period, things might quickly get unclear.
Filial cannibalism, or the devouring of one’s own progeny, is a recognized trait of guppies. As a result, keeping your guppy fry in a separate tank from their parents or other adult guppies is always a good idea. As perplexing as this occurrence is, the causes behind it are much more perplexing.
What Makes Guppies Eat Fries?
Before we go into the causes, it’s important to note that this behavior isn’t exclusive to guppies. This characteristic has been seen in a variety of different fish and animal species. Guppies consume their own fry for a variety of reasons.
Factors that cause stress
Several stress conditions in guppies, according to some experts, induce them to devour their own progeny. This occurs in order for the fish to strengthen its own self-preservation instinct.
However, that isn’t a really compelling justification. Even when not housed under stressful settings, guppies are known to consume their fry.
Getting Rid of weeds
Another theory proposed by experts is that parent guppies filter out their genetically poor offspring in order to ensure the species’ survival. The targeted fry is thought to be genetically deformed or missing in crucial survival qualities.
See also Can Betta Fish Eat Goldfish Food? – Petsbent
Fat Storage has been replenished
Guppies engage in filial cannibalism, according to certain scientific investigations, to assure food and energy when other resources are few. This tendency is seen in female guppies in order to restore fat reserves.
Controlling the Population
This rationale may seem implausible to some. However, this hypothesis has been mentioned in a number of scientific discussions. We all know how prolifically guppies multiply, and overcrowding is a regular occurrence. Some studies assume that guppies consume their own waste in order to avoid overcrowding.
Guppies prefer to restrict their development in times of shortage by making each fry less of a burden. So it’s apparent that guppies don’t eat their kids just for the pleasure of it or to satisfy their appetite. This phenomenon has been influenced by complicated underlying circumstances and millennia of evolutionary features. Let’s get a little more into guppies and cannibalism now.
Guppies Eat Dead Guppies, Right?
They do, in fact. Dead guppies and other dead fish are eaten by guppies. It’s nothing personal; it’s simply nature at work. Guppies, who have a cannibalism tendency, will devour their former companion right away. It’s not, however, a habit you want to encourage in your tank.
The corpse will decompose swiftly, contaminating the water. As a result, remove it as soon as possible and double-check the ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank to ensure everything is in working order.
Do Guppies Bite Their Neighbors?
Yes.
Bullying and biting each other and other tank mates are a common occurrence among guppies. While they are mostly friendly and gentle, they may be highly territorial. It’s more likely if the tank has numerous male guppies or if you add additional members to the tank later.
Do Guppy Fry Eat Other Guppy Fry?
No, thank goodness. Guppies do not engage in cannibalism in their early stages of development. They’ll eat everything their parents consume, even brine shrimp, bloodworms, and flakes.
See also Can Guppies Eat Betta Food?
There is, however, a catch. It’s impossible to rule out the idea of an older fry bullying and biting at the younger ones. Nonetheless, it’s really uncommon, so don’t be concerned.
Guppy or Guppy Fry are eaten by what fish?
Life goes in a circle. We’ve discussed how guppies can bully each other and other fish to death if they want to. However, there are times when guppies are on the receiving end. Guppies, for example, are eaten by most carnivorous fish that consume live food. They’re a big hit with the Academy Awards. Smaller guppies are also eaten by angelfish. When it comes to fry, neon tetras, bettas, goldfish, gouramis, and dwarf pufferfish are just a few of the species that like them.
It is impossible to prevent an adult guppy from devouring a living or deceased companion. In most circumstances, there’s nothing you can do about it. You may, however, prevent them from consuming the little fry.
How Can You Make Guppy Stop Eating Their Fries?
Guppy Fry should be kept in a separate aquarium. Begin preparing for a separate tank as soon as your female guppies give birth. Set it up with just clean water that is devoid of any hardiness. Make sure there’s a heater, an air pump (if necessary), and all other necessary amenities to provide a safe atmosphere for the fry. If you’re using a filter, make sure it has a sponge filter or cover it with a towel so they don’t get sucked in.
If you want to school your fry, the R2 Fish School Complete Fish Kit is a good option. Plants should be added to the tank. If you can’t have a separate aquarium, put some live plants in the tank. That will provide a safe haven for the fry. It will help eliminate nitrate and prevent algae formation, which is an added plus. Add a Breeding Box to the mix. If a separate tank isn’t an option, a breeding box may be used instead. It is the most cost-effective and safest solution accessible to you.
It’s a little plastic box for acclimating or isolating fish. With the aid of an air pump, warm, oxygenated water will continually flow into the box. Most ofFish Breeding Box seems to be the best option since it has three separate chambers for the fry. It’s also simple to remove the dividers if you want to use them as a huge hatching box.
See also Are Guppies Aggressive Fish? – By Petsbent
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Conclusion
The question of whether or not guppies devour one other is significantly more complex and contextual than one would expect. Guppies are known to have cannibalistic inclinations, whether it’s eating their own fry, a dead guppy, or battling to the death.
While this is primarily an evolutionary tendency, other conditions such as extreme stress and a lack of resources also play a role. You can protect your guppies from each other by addressing the causes of stress and hunger, as well as implementing basic fry safety measures.
