I have heard some people talk about how they have had their pregnant, or should I say, their supposed pregnant guppy for a long time without the fish having fry and I wondered what really happened, since the normal period a pregnant guppy could take to deliver her fry is between 28-34 days. To answer this question perfectly and identify the causes of this, I made thorough and convincing research.
Why is my pregnant guppy not giving birth? Stress, water temperature, and type of diet could prevent a pregnant guppy from giving birth.
There are so many reasons that could prevent pregnant guppy fish from delivering her fry.
The above listed are some of the commonest reasons.
In this article, I am going to list and explain the possible reasons why this might happen, they are:
If they feel threatened: Guppy fish have one unique character of only giving birth in an environment where they are comfortable, without any form of disturbance.
There are many reasons why a pregnant guppy will feel threatened, and therefore withhold her babies in her stomach, they include having the wrong tank mates, having people disturb their tank, or, staying in a cold temperature, etc.
When they feel threatened, they might opt to hide and keep their babies in their stomachs, thereby prolonging the delivery time.
The fry may have been eaten: You might be surprised, but yes, guppies do eat their babies.
If you have been seeing your pregnant guppy for a long time without her delivering or seeing the fry, there is every possibility that she may have delivered her babies, but they have been eaten by either the mother or some other tank mates.
This happens sometimes, especially when they are not properly taken care of.
It is highly recommended to buy a birth box or delivery tank as you may choose to call it for your pregnant guppy.
A 10-gallon tank is very okay for her, then buy a mesh too to separate the mother from the fry when she finally has them to avoid cannibalism.
Again make sure the tank is planted and contains caves where the fray will hide.
So, you may think that your fish does not want to deliver, but the babies have been eaten.
The Fry are hiding: Sometimes a guppy might have her babies quite alright, but you can’t see them and you will still think she hasn’t yet because they are hiding in various plants and caves.
This is because the fry are very tiny and could hardly be seen when they hide.
This could make you think that your pregnant guppy doesn’t want to born her fry.
The mother and other tank mates will feed on them, especially the mother who might start eating them in less than 6 hours, so, this is one of the reasons fry always hide themselves.
Sickness: Sickness could prevent a pregnant guppy from having her babies.
Although many types of sickness could cause this, so if you notice that your fish has been having her pregnancy for a very long time, then, the fish must be sick.
What you will do in such a situation is to call the attention of a veterinarian doctor and seek advice, and if possible, medications too.
Type of Diets: The type of foods they eat could go a long way to contribute to preventing them from delivering their babies.
Some foods are not proper for a pregnant guppy, and when taken could delay the pregnancy delivery time.
Foods like blood worms could do this by causing constipation and so should be avoided when the fish is pregnant.
That’s why it’s very important to seek the advice of a professional vet so that, you could be able to give your pregnant guppy the appropriate foods on his advice.
Pea is a nice food to give them at this period.
Why I mentioned pea is because peas work as a natural laxative for fish, and will make them poop out everything in their system, thereby making them healthy again.
Again seek the advice of a vet for proper direction.
Stress: Stress could contribute to guppies delaying the delivery of their babies.
This does happen because this particular fish doesn’t like stress and when stressed, they will be unhealthy and this will affect the delivery time of their pregnancy.
Factors that could cause stress are the type of tank mates they have, having more male guppies than females, chemicals in the tank such as Nitrates and ammonia, etc.
All these could greatly contribute to this, so, that’s why it’s recommended to separate pregnant guppies in different tanks and get water testing kits to know the level of chemicals in their water.
Water Temperature: Guppies are tropical fish, so they need a temperate water temperature and do not like being in cold water.
They do not like a low temperature, especially the pregnant ones, so, keep the temperature very temperate around 65-78°F.
These fish need a heater in their tank, so, get one for them.
Can Guppies Delay Giving Birth?
If you have a guppy that doesn’t seems to want to give birth, you might be asking the same question.
Can Guppies delay giving birth? Yes, guppies normally delay their gestation period if the environment is not suitable for them or they are sick.
They are kind of unique with this, although few fish could do that too, but guppies are popularly known to do this.
This is why you need to take proper care of your pregnant guppy.
Although they are not that expensive, but they are fine fish and entertaining, so, they should be taken proper care of when they are pregnant.
How Do You Speed Up A Pregnant Guppy?
Normally, the gestation period of Pregnant Guppy fish is 21-35 days, but you could speed up the pregnant guppy. well, I will tell you how.
How do you speed up a pregnant guppy? Feed her with more proteinous foods and increase the water temperature day by day and slowly.
They are tropical fish and do not do well on cold water, so setting the heater to a higher temperature little by little every day and feeding them highly proteinous foods will help them to get pregnant quickly and retain it.
With the above, your pregnant guppy won’t have much issue with her pregnancy and it will help them to get pregnant very easily too.
Conclusion
As we normally advise here, contact a vet if anything gets complicated.
Please don’t handle your pet alone unless you are a qualified vet.
