Guppies can have babies at a very fast rate. You can start with a tank of 2 to 4 guppies and end up with a tank of 30 to 40 within months. But where do all these baby guppies (fry) come from? Are guppies egg layers?
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Do Guppy Fish Lay Eggs?
Guppy fish do not lay eggs, guppies are livebearers. This means that guppy fish store their eggs inside their bodies. When the eggs fully develop, the female guppy gives birth to baby fry. During the entire pregnancy, the guppy fish keep their eggs inside their bodies. (See this video to find out how they give birth)
A female guppy is able to give birth to 10 to 120 guppy fry. A guppy fry is only about 0.25 inches in size at birth. It usually takes up to 6 months for guppy fry to reach a size of 1.5 inches (tail not included in the size of 1.5 inches is without taking into account their tails which can be longer.
Conclusion
So, are guppies egg layers? No, guppy fish are livebearers. Females are impregnated by males and carry the baby fry inside their bodies until they are fully developed. They then give birth to live baby guppy that can feed on their own and already know a few survival skills like hiding from adult fish.
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Things To Note
Keeping only female guppies in a tank does not mean that there will be no baby guppies. Females are able to carry sperm from a male guppy for months. Thus, some guppies are already pregnant before you buy them at the store.
- Do guppies lay eggs or give birth?