Dedicated to Fancy Guppy breeding in the UK
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Keeping Guppy Records © By Derek Jordan
This article is based on "Keeping Records by Stephen Kwartler at http://www.showguppies.com/ I have previously mentioned the importance of keeping accurate records of your Guppy breeding programs so that you can keep track of when your litters are born and how they are progressing, regarding growth and development of colour and finage. I have previously mentioned the importance of keeping accurate recrds of your Guppy breeding programs so that you can keep track of when your litters are born and how they are progressing regarding growth and development of colour and finage. My personally preference is to use two separate books one to record the breeding programs and one to use as a log too record my observations and thoughts e.g. when the fish started to sex out how big they where at 1 month, 2 month, 3 month etc. when the colour first started to show on the body and fins and when the finage started to develop and anything else you may choose to write down about how your fish are developing. The log that I use for my observations is just an A4 hard backed notebook; however the one I use for my recording my breeding programs is a little more complex. Firstly it is still an A4 hard backed notebook but I have cut the top 4 lines of each page (this can be done with a Stanley knife) then on the inside and back cover I enter the headings that are shown below so that each time you turn a page the headings are always there.
The relevant information is then added in each column for example, if you bought a trio of Red Delta Guppies you would firstly give them an identity number (ID#) and enter this in the table. Next you would look at the colour of the fish, its general body shape, the colour of the finage, the shape of the fins etc. and make notes in your observation log as well as abbreviated notes in the breeding log. Under generation (GEN) if the breeders are from your first litter you would enter F1, if they where from the second F2 etc. If however you acquired them from an unknown source i.e. an auction put the letter P in the box. Under cross type enter either sibling, line, back cross etc or if you do not have the information enter not known (N/K). Under parentage this would be the ID# of the fish that the litter came from or if you have acquired them form someone else simply put their name down again if you do not know put N/K Under date born if you have breed them yourself then you will know this date if you have not and the person who you acquired them from also does not know then again put not known (N/K). Each time the fish have a litter put the date they where born in the next column. Under breeders produced you put the ID# of any new breeders that you select from this line and finally the date the breeders where set up. I have illustrated this below with a completed section.
Each time a litter is born do not forget to mark the tank that they have being put into with the relevant information i.e. the ID# of the parents and the date the litter was born. If you use masking tape and write the information on this with a marker pen each time you move the fish just peel the label off the old tank and put it on the new tank. Even when you separate the females from the males the same information needs to be put on the labels of both tanks as they both have the same parentage. Whilst this may seem a lot of messing about you will benefit from the information in the long run as you will be able to trace the lineage of your fish back through many generations and will also be able to work out how the genetics are made up and what works and what does not especially if you cross reference this with your observation log. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me either by e-mail derek.jordan@sjpp.co.uk but please head the subject matter Guppies or telephone me on 01472 598765 between 8-9 pm Monday to Thursday |