Need your expertise help.

[aniroc]

Can anyone, I know i'm asking for a bit too much xD but can anyone teach me or inform me on how to set up a proper breeding tank for guppies, I'm the beginner of all beginners.

What is the minimum amount of water per fish?

What type of water do they need? Would i need any special chemicals to put in the water?

What are some good plants that Guppies like?

How does the feeding process go?

What are some compatible fish that can go with them? I heard there are some kinda of suckers that cleans the tank for me =D

How often would I need to clean the tank?

Are guppies a hardy type of fish?

And for a good setup around how much would it cost?

And if anyone here owns a pet store or aquarium, I would be happy to purchase tanks/fish/fish food etc from you. Just sell me the right stuff for the right set up ;P (If only there were tutorial classes for stuff like this T_T)

Thanks guys,

Steven.

Edited June 29, 2010 by aniroc

[delyall]

Google is your friend. It should be your first stop for most of these questions.. its easy to find information rather than asking us to find it for you.

Id also suggest looking at this site - http://www.aqadvisor.com/ but thatll only help when you have a tank and filter, but itll tell you the temp for the water, and if you have it over/understocked etc.

Edited June 30, 2010 by delyall

[Yanagi]

Great website - full of info. :(

[Terribletegs]

Like others have said, google is your friend. However it is sometimes good to get other peoples' tried-and-true methods, especially Australian specific ones.

You have asked how to set up a 'proper' guppy breeding tank, so I am going to share how I set up a breeding tank. That is, a separate tank solely for breeding guppies. If you aren't seriously into breeding guppies you can put them in your community tank and they will breed. But if you want to do it right and produce quality babies, you need a dedicated tank.

What is the minimum amount of water per fish?

I find a 2 foot tank (61cm) is ideal, although you can go smaller. The larger the water volume, the easier to keep clean, but you also want the guppies to be concentrated (at least while they are babies).

What type of water do they need? Would i need any special chemicals to put in the water?

Whatever water comes out of your tap, treated to remove chlorines and chloramines. A beginner will be better off with this than worrying about fiddling with pH etc. Guppies will thrive in a wide range of water parameters.

What are some good plants that Guppies like?

Whatever plants *you* like. A bare tank bottom is easier to keep clean so you may want to consider floating plants or ones anchored to driftwood etc. I use weighted down ambulia with java moss and java fern but this changes depending on what I have available.

What are some compatible fish that can go with them? I heard there are some kinda of suckers that cleans the tank for me =D

I would steer clear of putting anything else in your breeding tank for guppies.

How often would I need to clean the tank?

Ideally you would be vaccuuming any waste daily and doing a partial water change every 2-3 days.

Are guppies a hardy type of fish?

Bombproof, provided they have fresh water and are not overcrowded.

And for a good setup around how much would it cost?

I could easily set up a killer breeding tank for under $100. You will need a tank, heater, filter/airpump (sponge filters work well). Plants are optional but a good addition. And the breeding fish of course.

For best results you would have the virgin females living in the tank for a week or so to get settled. Then introduce the male(s) for a few days, then remove them again. It will take about 28 days for the first babies to appear. Once the females all seem to have dropped their fry, remove them too leaving just the babies. Feed the babies 2-3 times a day, clean the tank a lot, and you'll have nice fry.

Hope this gives you some ideas! :)