Guppies can reproduce at crazy rates. The spawning can happen about once every month, and the number of the fish that is released can go to up to 200. This means that you can have hundreds of new guppies each month!
That asks the question: how to control the population of the guppies? Which fish will actively consume the baby guppies and how to prevent the guppies from reproducing so fast?
Luckily, we cover all this in this article in detail. Often, it is not hard to control the population, you just need to know what to do when the guppies start breeding.
There are many fish species that will eat the fry that guppies spawn. Often, even the guppies themselves will eat their own fry. But if you want to have other fish do that, there are many good species that will eat the fry.
There are, however, some preventive measure you can take to prevent the overcrowding problem in the first place.
This falls under the category of population control. It might require you to get an additional tank and spend more money, but it will be worth it for your sake and for the sake of the fish.
So which fish species will eat baby guppies?
Betta Fish
The betta fish are known as being very territorial fish and sometimes very aggressive. They can be kept together with guppies if they have enough space in the tank; usually, they won’t turn aggressive towards the guppies, but they will eat their babies.
You can use a betta fish for population control. A good thing about this is that even if you have a betta in a separate tank, you can put it into the tank with the baby guppies and the betta will start eating the fry.
This will help you control the population of the guppies and decrease the numbers. In addition, you won’t have to worry about feeding the betta for some time, as you can use it to help you control the guppy situation.
Angelfish
The angelfish are one of the most beautiful fish you can keep in a freshwater tank. Their beautiful fins and the colors on their bodies make them one of the most popular species.
Sometimes, they are named the king of the aquarium, and for good reasons.
Another good reason that you might want an angelfish in a community tank is that they are very friendly and won’t be aggressive most of the time.
Like the bettas, these can turn very territorial if they are threatened, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you keep them with guppies, who are very friendly.
Additionally, the angelfish can be used to control the guppy population. Once the guppy fry spawns, you might find it hard to control the numbers.
Luckily, you can use the angelfish, as it will actively eat the guppy fry and limit the numbers of guppies. The angelfish will eat the guppy fry, and it can be used to control the population.
Dwarf Pufferfish
The dwarf pufferfish is another fish species that can be used to control the population. These fish are known to be very aggressive and territorial, and they might not be the best fish species for a community tank.
Often, it is recommended to keep them with other aggressive tank fish, like the filament barbs and paral fish, but they can also be kept with smaller fish that can swim fast – tetras, rasboras, danios, and guppies.
Because the dwarf pufferfish is and aggressive fish species, you can be sure that they will waste no time before they start eating the guppy fry. The pufferfish can be a greedy fish, and they will not satiate easily.
If you want to make a drastic population control, then the pufferfish is one of the best choices. They are known as active hunters and they will be very happy to consume the guppy fry.
Gouramis
Keeping a gourami with guppies can be a good choice, as the gouramis are slow-moving fish, while guppies move quite fast. The gouramis might turn territorial, and aggression can be seen especially between two male gouramis.
But rarely will they turn aggressive towards other fish species, especially against the smaller ones. One issue that might occur is that these smaller fish might nip on the fins of gouramis; fortunately, that doesn’t happen with guppies.
If you want a good species that will eat the fry of the guppies, then gouramis make a good choice. That is because they are quite large, and they will be able to consume larger portions of the fry. They are known as very good eaters, so they can be used to control the fry population.
Swordtail Fish
The swordtail fish are known as one of the more interesting fish species due to their appearance. They have an especially long tail fin, which makes them unique to look at.
But another good thing is that they are peaceful species that can be kept in a community tank with ease. But the good fact here is that they will actively consume the guppy fry, despite their peaceful character. You can use the swordtails to control the guppy population.
How to Avoid Overpopulation in Guppy Tank?
The guppies can breed like crazy, which can quickly lead to an overpopulation. Luckily, you can do some things that will help you prevent this from happening. One of the best things you can do is to separate males and females before they even start breeding.
Another good way is to breed the fry in a separate tank, and then put a good fry-eating species into this breeding tank. Avoid overstocking the tank in the first place and give the guppies enough space to live, which is an important thing.
What to do With Excess Guppy Fry?
That is a question that many guppy owners ask. There are some things you can do – you can place a fish that will consume these fish, or you can feed them to another fish species.
But you can also breed them and sell them or keep the for yourself, if the numbers are not too big.
Conclusion
Guppies can breed at extraordinary rates. You can use some fish species to control the population of the guppy fry.