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This new site has great stuff! Not so much about fish, but some! Check it out (its hard to explain)

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Welcome!

Welcome to The New Aquarist! Here you will find information for the newbie on raising and breeding freshwater fish!

Sexing Dwarf Gourami

Sexing dwarf gouramis is very very simple. Many pet stores only sell male dwarfs because the only people who want females are breeders. If you are interested in breeding dwarf gourami, and you need to buy a female, I recommend special ordering the females from a local pet store. The female dwarf gourami looks like a different species. It is pale silver and about a half inch smaller than the male.

Getting a Tank

Before you buy any fish, you must have a tank. I know what your thinking: Aren't tanks very expensive? The answer: yes and no. It all depends on your intrest. I recommend starting out with a 10 gallon, and getting a couple types of fish just to get a feel for it. So that if it turns out that you don't like it, you will not have wasted $100-$200. And if it turns out that you really enjoy it, and you want more of a challenge, then you can buy a large tank like a 29 gallon or even a 55 gallon and you can use the 10 gallon for breeding. A 55 gallon kit is about $200, but you can find one for $170. And, if you think about it, that is less than an ipod, and less than half of and iphone. Though, with other expenses like medication, food, and buying the fish themselves it can add up more. I am not saying this to discourage you, just to warn that being an aquarist is an expensive hobby. Also, when buying a tank, make sure that you plan out what fish you want, and their needs, space and enviroment wise. If it needs a heater, get a tropical kit. They really do save you money!

Guppies

Guppies have become one of the most popular freshwater fish. They are very hardy, beautiful, and easy to breed. Though, what many people don't realize is how easily they breed on their own. If you walk into a large chain pet store and buy a pair of Fancy Guppies, chances are that in a month you could have 50. If you buy Guppies at a pet store where they do not take care in separating sexes of the guppies, then I can almost guarantee that it is pregnant. About two weeks in to a female guppy's pregnancy she will develop a gravid spot. The gravid spot is a dark blotch toward its rear. If your guppy has this, then yes, she is pregnant. The incubation period takes around 4 weeks, but it can take up to 40 days. When the mother is ready to deliver, her stomach will box up which means that her birth canal has dropped. She will also stop eating. You may notice that she will eat but then spit it back out. She also might be searching around in the gravel for a place to deliver. At this point, you would want to add her to a breeder net to save the babies. The mother guppy has a hormone that will stop her from eating her offspring for 48 hours, but to be safe you should add her to a different tank to recover. At this point she will be very hungry, so feed her. Feed the fry livebearer flake and newborn brine shrimp. When they get big enough you may choose to sell them to a local pet store or invest in a large tank to raise them.