Guppy – Poecilia reticulata
The Guppy comes from South America. These fish are livebearers – the male has a copulatory organ that it uses to impregnate the female. It is interesting to watch the female grow fatter and then one day – guppy fry can be found swimming in the tank. Unless you want to provide fun and food for other fish in the tank (including other guppies) the fry should be removed. Guppies have been bred to include many different color patterns.
Maximum Size: The maximum length is 2.4 inches.
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons or larger tank is appropriate.
Life span: Average 2-3 years.
Care Level: The Guppy is a relatively easy fish to maintain. On a scale of 1 –10, (10 being easy) it would rate a “8”.
Tank Conditions: Temperature 75 - 82°F; pH: 5.5 – 8.5.
Color: Guppy color variations that have been produced through breeding are numerous. Multiple color patterns can inhabit the same tank and will breed. It should be noted that by cross breeding color variations, you may end up with lack luster offspring.
Temperament: Guppies are the standard along with bettas and goldfish. Care needs to be taken if you want to seriously keep these fish. Larger fish and catfish will harass and even eat these slow moving fish. They should be kept in groups of three or more. Males are sometimes territorial and if you have too many males with few females, the males may harass the females trying to mate. Therefore it is best to have more females than males.
 Diet: Omnivore - Use a good flake food as the basic diet. Some good supplements include bloodworms, tubifex worms, Tetra bits, and frozen brine shrimp. Some greens in their diet, such as Tetra Spirulina flakes are advisable.
Habitat: Provide with live plants rocks, roots etc. The addition of at least one tablespoon of salt per gallon is advisable.
Compatibility: Guppies should only be mixed with other small peaceful fish. It is best to keep in small groups with females outnumbering males. Other peaceful fish that go well with guppies are: phantom tetra, dwarf gourami, neon tetra, corydoras cats and white clouds
Remember that as you look to add more fish to a tank, you will need to increase the tank size. As with all aquarium setups, whether it is fresh or salt, consideration needs to be given to the maintenance of water quality. Too many fish can result in poor water quality that can stress and even kill our fish.
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