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Newbies are curious to know many things and what to learn everything to make their guppies comfortable. One of the question they have in their mind is “Do guppies sleep?”
| Yes, just like us, guppies sleep at night as they remain active during the day. |
Now you know guppies do sleep, you may be more curious and have other questions:
– When do guppies sleep
– How do guppies sleep
– How much do guppies and guppy fry sleep
– Where do guppies sleep
– Is guppy sleeping or dead
In this article, I will answer all the questions relating to guppies sleeping habits.
Table of Contents
Do Guppies Sleep?
Certainly, guppies sleep but sometimes it’s hard to recognize whether guppies are sleeping or awake.
Similar to other fish guppies sleep with their eyes open as they don’t have eyelids.
It is important to know why guppies require sleep and the simple reason is everyone needs to relax, so guppies also sleep to lower brain function.
Guppy fish sleeping behavior boosts immunity and good health.
I have a schedule of turning off the aquarium light at 7 pm which helps my guppies to relax after a long day.
When Do Guppies Sleep?
Guppies sleeping schedule is like that of humans.
They find it easy to sleep when it is dark, so at night when you switch off light guppies take rest.
Always remember to turn off aquarium lights during night which will help your guppies sleep and relax.
Guppies remain super active in daylight or when the tank lights are on.
If you forget to turn off lights you can use an aquarium light timer to auto on/off tank lights.
When I was new in fish keeping I used to forget to turn off lights after a week my guppies started stressing. So I installed this aquarium light timer which helped me a lot in managing my guppies sleep timing.
How Long Do Guppies and Guppy Fry Sleep?
Most fishkeepers believe that guppies and guppy fry sleep for 7 to 8 hours a day.
There is no exact answer to how long do guppies sleep as it may vary depending on their physical activity during day.
As guppies are active and swim around the tank all day long until they get tired.
Generally, guppy fish sleep at night when it is dark and wake up during the day when there is natural light or aquarium lights are on.
If you keep your tank lights on for 24 hours you may find dead guppy fish in your aquarium.
Additionally, too much light will help algae to grow fast.
It is suggested to keep your lights off in your aquarium for 8 to 10 hours to promote guppies good health.
How do Guppies Sleep in a Tank?
As you know, guppies do sleep. So the next question comes how does guppies sleep?
When your guppies are sleeping, look for the following signs:
1. When guppies are not moving at all for quite some time.
2. They lay at the bottom of tank on substrate or in plants.
3. Guppies staying still of floating at top of tank.
4. There is no eyeball movement.
5. To avoid danger guppies may hide in caves or other decorative items.
6. When dark guppies will not respond to outdoor sound or even food.
7. Guppies breathe slowly.
8. Sometimes guppies look like dead fish or not moving.
In this way, you can also know where do guppies sleep.
How to Improve Your Guppies Sleep Quality?
Sleeping is important to relax mind. To improve your guppies sleeping habits you have to provide stress-free environment.
– Feed guppy with various diet foods like fish flakes, live foods and frozen foods. When belly is full, guppy can sleep peacefully.
– Use programmable light if your fish tank is away from natural sunlight.
– To avoid aggression, keep your guppies with friendly tank mates like mollyfish or goldfish.
– Proper water parameters will help in maintaining the quality of water. It will increase the level of oxygen in the tank.
– Hiding spots such as plants, rocks and decorative items help in providing sense of security to your guppy fish.
By taking above measures you will surely be able to give quality and stress-free sleep to your guppies.
Do Guppies Sleep Upside Down?
No, guppies do not sleep upside down. There is something wrong with your guppy or the water parameter is not optimal.
Firstly, your guppy fish is behaving strangely due to inadequate water conditions that can be caused by overcrowded tank, overfeeding and unclean tank.
Secondly, guppies suffer from swim bladder disease, so they find it hard to swim, lay on the bottom of tank or float on top of tank.
Do Guppies Sleep At The Bottom Of The Tank?
Yes, guppies rest and sleep at the bottom of the tank.
When the aquarium lights are on and if your guppy is staying at the bottom most of the time, then it is a sign of illness or poor water quality.
Guppy Sleeping Or Dying?
Many times sleeping guppy look like dead guppy. It is very hard to distinguish between guppy sleeping or dying.
There are few methods with which you can know guppy is dead.
– You turn on tank lights and you don’t get any response.
– There are no movements of fins and tail.
– Add some food in tank if there is no response.
– There is no breathing from the gills and mouth.
– If guppy is motionless when you pick up the net.
By applying above methods you will know whether guppy is sleeping or dying.
Conclusion
Like any other fish, guppies do sleep and their sleeping hours are similar to ours which is 7 to 8 hours.
Sleeping will boost the guppies immune system and increase reproduction capacity.
In general, guppies do sleep at bottom of tank, still at top of tank, hide in decor or plants, have no eyeball movement, and breathe slowly.
To improve guppies sleeping habits, you need to feed a balanced diet regularly, use tank light timer, keep compatible tank mates and check water parameters.
FAQS
1. Do guppies sleep with their eyes open?
Yes, guppies sleep with their eyes open because they don’t have eyelids.
2. Do guppies need light?
Yes, guppies need light for physical growth and good health
3. Do fish close their eyes while sleeping?
No, guppy fish don’t have eyelashes so they cannot close their eyes while sleeping.
I am Alexa with 5+ years of experience in fishkeeping industry with expertise in taking care of guppies, aquariums, and dealing with diseases. Moreover, I am lovely wife, dedicated mom, and passionate guppy fish keeper. If you are into guppy fish keeping like me, you are in the right place. Explore the blog, ask questions, and enjoy guppy fishkeeping journey with GuppyAdvisor.
