Guppy Tank Mates, Breeding, Tank Set-Up for Beginners
A very popular, ornamental fish that is easy to breed.
Species Info:
Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are a vibrant freshwater fish that has been intensively bred for ornamental features in the aquarium hobby. There are many patterns and colorations of guppy, with new ones still being developed!
Guppies are a livebearing fish native to Northeastern South America and the Caribbean, particularly in countries such as Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana. This species is naturally found in streams, lakes, and rivers with dense vegetation and calm, moving water. Wild-type guppies (not ornamental strains) are much duller in coloration and fin size compared to line bred strains that are commonly found throughout the aquarium trade.
In the aquarium trade, guppies are well known for their reproductive rate, giving birth to anywhere from 20 to even 100 fry in some cases!
Some common guppy strains in the aquarium world include:
Blue Mosaic
Cobra
Moscow Blue
Panda
Red Tuxuedo
Aquarium Set-Up & Care
Below you will find important information on how to ensure your guppies thrive under your care
| Ideal Water Parameters for Guppies |
| Temperature: 70-82 °F (21-28 °C) |
| pH: 6.5-8.2 |
| Ammonia, Nitrite: 0 ppm |
| Nitrate: No more than 5 ppm |
| Hardness: Ideally 8-12° for both gH and kH |
Tank Size:
Guppies are active swimmers and can easily overpopulate an aquarium with their reproductive rate. We recommend providing an aquarium at least 10 gallons in size for a minimum of six adult guppies. Because guppies prefer calmer water flow, we also recommend purchasing Aquarium Sponge Filters for effective filtration without turbulent water movement.
Diet:
Guppies are omnivorous and will readily eat many types of available aquarium foods. They will accept both forms of flake and pellet commercial diets, and various types of frozen foods including brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, mysis, and krill. Guppies will also graze on algae, biofilm, and diatoms as well.
Social Group & Behavior:
Guppies are a relatively peaceful fish that can be kept with other appropriate species. Based on our experience, guppies do best in a mix sexed group with 2-3 females for every male fish. Bachelor groups of male guppies can lead to excessive distress with a lack of females present in the aquarium. Even in larger male groups, some instances of male-to-male harassment can occur.
Guppies will also thrive when kept alone/solitary or as a 1.2 trio. We do not recommend anything less than a breeding trio for guppies, as males can consistently harass a female and induce excessive stress from courtship and mating attempts.
Tank Mates:
Guppies are a peaceful species that can coexist with many different species of fish. However, they should not be placed with fish that are known to nip fins or be moderately aggressive including Serpae Tetras and specific species of African Cichlids.
Here are some of our best Guppy Tank Mate Choices:
1) Corydoradinae Catfish (Corydoras)
2) Neon Tetra
4) Amano Shrimp
10) Platies
Breeding Guppies
Breeding guppies is quite simple and does not require much labor/effort on the breeder's side of tasks. Maintaining optimal water quality, and feeding high quality, protein rich food is enough for your guppies to begin reproducing. Having a good male-female ratio is also important to ensure that females are able to develop offspring without excessive stress that could affect the quality and survival of the fry.
The gestation period of guppies is usually between 3-5 weeks. Once the fry are fully developed, the female will give birth to fully swimming fry.
In case you are unable to retrieve the fry out of the tank, or do not plan on separating them, we strongly recommend purchasing fast-growing aquatic plants like Guppy Grass. Aquatic plants help provide natural cover and provide safe spaces for guppy fry from their adult parents, which may eat their fry.
In addition, aquatic plants are excellent in absorbing nutrients and fish waste, aiding in water filtration and optimal conditions for your fish to thrive!
Conclusions:
Thank you for reading this article on guppies. If you have any questions, please contact us at our email address: scholarlyexotics@gmail.com; we will respond back as soon as possible!
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