# Guppy Birthing Dead Fry



## MeowKitty49 (Apr 28, 2010)

I'm having an issue and wondered it anyone has ever had this happen and what causes it?
My female guppy just had about 9 fry two days ago (who are alive and super healthy), but still looked quite preggers after she dropped. Now just today, she is dropping dead fry. They look disgusting (like they've been dead a while), covered with slime and white gunk, eyes blacked over. They smell disgusting as if they've been rotting in her womb as well.

What could have caused this?


----------



## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Environmental stress may have caused her to abort the fry or the fry to become stillborn. Did you test the water parameters? Did you add anything like meds during her term? Is she being harassed by other fish or male guppies that want to get more babies in?


----------



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Ditto Eden. 
The second litter of fry might have:
Been conceived at the same time, just not born right away because they died. Mother's body put an emphasis on the live ones, and gave birth to them safely before getting rid of the dead ones. 
Been conceived later, and have died. This might be a full term (or near) abortion, or less than full term abortion of the dead ones. They may have been genetically defective, or another problem. 
Guppies can have safe births of a few fry now and a few tomorrow and so on for several drops, though it is more common for them to give birth to one litter all in a few hours. Then she fertilizes more eggs and is pregnant for roughly a month before giving birth again. 

Stress to the mother can indeed do this (dead births). Things like water quality or social stress are common causes. 
Also, if you moved the mother in the last week or so of pregnancy by holding her in a net this can be a problem. She is so big a net does not have the support she needs. Catch her in a net but keep her underwater. Transfer her to a cup while still under water, and move her in a cup. Better if this is done early in the pregnancy. If you are moving her to a 'Maternity tank' for a safer birth and to keep the fry safe, fill this tank with water from the main tank so there is no water chemistry stress. A little salt added can be good, too.


----------



## MeowKitty49 (Apr 28, 2010)

Thanks for the responses. It's just that I'd never seen that before in all the guppies I've ever kept. We did move to a new place recently and the water chemistry is slightly different (same PH, different KH). Perhaps the move stressed her out. I did acclimate them slowly to the new water and she was preggers at the time, so perhaps.

I try not to move them when they're giving birth and just provide something like java fern for the little ones to hide in. She actually started hiding in it too, when the time came.

All the guppies I've ever had always gave birth in one go and all alive, so I was a bt confused by this one. The last one I had was a guppy FACTORY. The last drop I had from her (before tragedy struck the tank) was about 109 fry, not including any she ate! XD.

Thanks again. I will keep these things in mind for her next drop. [=


----------

