My guppy had babies in a small tank. How do I keep them and mom safe?

Thanks for your questions about your fish tank. The smell may be from the strain that the extra fish are putting on the filtration system within your tank. You can try to perform a water change, however use caution as the babies are small and may be accidentally removed with the suction while you change the water. Preventing breeding in the future may be difficult, but one area that you may be able to adjust is the feeding of your fish. It is common to overfeed fish, and this can lead to breeding, obesity, and other undesired problems. A general rule of thumb is to feed fish what they can eat in the span of 10 minutes. I hope that gives you a place to start, and congratulations on the young fish!

Ideally, you should wait at least two weeks before disturbing the nest. If you must move it, scoop it and the pups up in one piece and relocate them to the larger cage. Be sure to transfer some of the cleaner used bedding as well.

I assume it is a male Beta? They typically are very aggressive and will kill other Fish. You could try to put a divider in the tank to keep them separate. I have seen those at most pet stores. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for reaching out about your fish fry and including photos of the tank. The tank size should be adequate but also depends on the number of fry being added. Proper filtration and oxygenation will be very important. Good luck.

Chances are if your female platy was kept in an aquarium with male platys the likelihood of her being pregnant is very high. The general rule for keeping both male & female live-bearers in the same tank is a ratio of 2-4 females per male. The reason for this (which you seem to be experiencing) is that the male will become very persistent and chase the females around. Keeping more than 1 female will help alleviate some stress in your aquarium. Both the male and female platy will try to eat the young fry once they are born so you may want to confine the female to a “floating nursery” until they are born. Once the fry are born, remove the female and place her back in the aquarium. From there you can keep the fry in nursery (or move them to another aquarium) until they are large enough not to be eaten.

A female guppy will develop what is known as a "gravid spot" when pregnant. It is triangular and located near the vent on the abdomen under the tail. It will get bigger and darker as she nears spawning. If she was skinny when you got her and she is that big now, she is pregnant. They are live bearers, so the fry (baby fish) will need cover (places to hide) or they will be eaten. It is best to separate them into grow out tanks.

Betta are definitively very territorial and you may notice multiple fights for space at the beginning. Definitively the aquarium must have multiple spots for hiding like Terra Cotta Flowerpots and PVC Piping, moss or bushy plants, ornaments, rocks and driftwoods. This will avoid open fights and will provide good places to have some rest.