Guppy Fish Care – All About Guppies

Guppy Fish is the small and most popular tropical freshwater fish.

Guppies are most favorite among the fish keepers for their dynamic colorful body and beautiful fins. Moreover, guppies are easy to take care and low in maintenance making them good choice for beginners.

This article will help you to know all about guppies life cycle. Guppies are pocket-friendly and peaceful pets, but you still have to learn how to take care of a guppy fish for a healthy life.

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Guppies Origin

Many are excited to know where do guppies originate from. Guppy fish belongs to the Livebearing Tooth Carp Family.

In 1859, the first time guppy fish was found in Venezuela (South America) and discovered by Wilhelm C.H. Peters.

At that time, guppy fish was known as Poecilia reticulata.

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Facts Of Guppy Fish

– Guppies are omnivorous. They can eat food based on plant and also animal meat.

– Guppies eat their fry.

– Guppies are used to combat a deadly disease called malaria in Africa and Asia.

– Guppies can survive without food for long periods.

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Features Of Guppy Fish

What are the characteristics of a guppy which make them so popular among fish keepers.

Guppies are live-bearers meaning instead of laying eggs guppies give birth to live fry. They prefer to live in freshwater but can adapt and live under different water conditions.

Guppy fish are known as million fish as it has amazing reproducing capacity and can breed rapidly. Guppies are also called rainbow fish as they come in all colors of rainbow.

Appearance

Guppies are the most attractive freshwater fish with more than 300 varieties of colors and patterns.

Guppy fish is mostly bred for getting a variety of colors, patterns, and fins.

Metallic, solid color, bi-colored, and multi-colored guppies are popular color guppies. The prominent patterns in guppy fish are snakeskin, tuxedo and mosaic. The most common guppy fishtail shapes are fan tail, pin tail, flag tail, swordtail, spade tail, round tail and lyre tail.

The body color of male guppy fish is more stunning than females.

On average matured guppies can grow up to two and half inches long. Female guppies are almost double in size as compared to male guppies.

Guppy fish have unique characteristics and the ability to adapt to the ecosystem making them favorite pet fish.

Lifespan

A beginner always has a question how long do guppies live? Guppies lifespan is 1-3 years, whether in the wild or an aquarium. But some guppy fish do survive up to 5 years.

The lifespan of a guppy depends on numerous factors like genetics, water condition, diet, stress, size of tank and environment.

You can improve the lifespan of your guppies by providing high-quality food, and suitable water parameters, keeping them with compatible tankmates, taking preventive measures against diseases and adding hiding spots.

Amazing facts “How fast do baby guppies grow?” – Baby guppies take 3 – 4 months to grow from newly born to fully grown. This depends on factors like food, water parameters and other care taken.

Behavior

Guppy fish is a social fish and show schooling behavior which means they love to swim with other tankmates. They are active swimmers and keep on exploring the aquarium. You can also observe mating behavior very common among male guppies.

Guppies are known as peaceful fish but sometimes may become aggressive. Try to identify the reason behind this behavior. Hiding is a natural behavior to get a sense of security.

Guppies are enthusiastic eaters meaning during feeding time they swim at top of tank. If guppies are stressed or sick, then they will show lazy behavior.

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Guppy Fish Care

Guppies are popular among fish keepers because guppies are easy to look after.

Fishkeeper needs to follow a care routine. So, I have listed guppy care tips to assist you.

Set Up an Aquarium for Guppies

Many beginners have questions on how to take care of guppies in an aquarium. The simple answer is to set up a comfortable environment for your guppy fish.

This quick guide will help with setting up tanks for guppies:

– Choose the correct tank size for your guppies.

– The thumb rule is one inch of guppy fish for every gallon of water will avoid overcrowding of guppy aquarium.

– Harmful substances like chlorine, mercury and lead are present in tap water which can kill guppy fish.

– Dechlorinate the tap water before using it with the help of a water conditioner to remove harmful chemicals.

– You can use a thermometer to measure water temperature.

– To maintain ideal water temperature use a cooler or a heater as required.

– Installing a filter is important to keep tank water clean. Further, proper cleaning and changing of filter at regular intervals is also crucial.

– Adding an air stone helps to keep the tank oxygenated.

– At the bottom of tank add some substrate, live plants, decoration and stone or gravel which provides hiding spots for guppies as well as removes toxins and bacteria from water.

People ask on social media “Do guppies need a light?” – Yes, sunlight helps but due to overheating, it is suggested to use an artificial light with a timer to set a sleep schedule which can keep guppy healthy.

Tank Size for Guppies

The question about what size tank do guppies need also raises another question how many guppies should be kept together in a tank.

Guppies are small fish and adult guppies grow up to 2 inches. The golden rule is one inch of guppy fish requires one gallon of water.

For instance –

If you have 5 guppies each of 2 inches needs 10 gallon tank, while for 3 guppies requires 5 gallon aquarium.

If you follow this rule while setting up a tank for guppies, then you will provide enough space for your guppies to swim and move comfortably around the aquarium. This simple thing saves your tank from getting overpopulated.

People ask “Can guppies live in a bowl?” – No, guppies cannot live in a bowl. Some of the reasons why you can’t raise guppies in a bowl are limited space, not properly oxygenated, stress, lack of filtration and other factors.

Guppy Male to Female Ratio

The correct ratio of male to female is crucial for guppy’s health.

The male guppy has a normal tendency to mate, so he will be chasing the female guppy. She will try to run and hide as a result she will come under stress.

There are two options to avoid stress in female guppies.

The first option is to set up two separate tanks, where one tank will have only female guppy while others will have only male guppy.

The second option is to follow a golden rule for every male guppy there should be three female guppies. The best male to female guppy ratio is 1:3.

Choose the option that suits you better. This is an important step in taking care of guppy fish.

Water Parameters For Guppies

Guppies are popularly known as hardy fish and to keep them healthy the quality of water plays an important role.

Many people are confused about what kind of water do guppies need.

In nature, guppy fish live in tropical freshwater. It is difficult to replicate nature but below mentioned ideal water parameters will help build a good ecosystem for guppies.

Guppies require properly aerated tanks, so make sure water is oxygen-rich.

The most frequently asked question is “When should I change the water for guppies?” – Every week change 25% of the water and also a clean the aquarium, filter, heater, cooler, substrate and other hiding spots.

Pro-tip: I check water parameters with the help of API Master test kit weekly.

Feeding Guppies

Guppy fish is easy to feed, so this is one of the reasons why guppies are very popular among fish keepers.

Most often the beginners ask how many times a day should I feed my guppy.

Guppy fish is small with tiny stomach, so you should feed small quantities 1-3 times a day. During the day, you should feed a variety of high-quality food to guppies to provide a balanced diet food for their overall growth and development.

You should not overfeed guppies because this pollutes water quality and results in health problems. If in case you have overfed, then the simple solution is to make guppies fast for a day. This will help guppies to digest food.

Some people ask me “What is the best guppy food?” – Bloodworms, veggie mix, frozen shrimp, pellets and flake food are great food for guppies.

Monitor Guppies for Diseases

Just like other fish, guppies also suffer from bacterial infection, fungus and parasites.

There are some common guppy fish diseases like white spots/ich, fin or tail rot, gill flukes, mouth fungus, swim bladder disorder and dropsy. Some are curable diseases while others are incurable.

These preventive steps help to take care of guppies and protect against the majority of diseases:

– Weekly perform 25% water change and clean tank.

– Keep guppy fish in suitable water parameters as well as temperature.

– Daily monitor your guppies and look for any signs of sickness, disease, or infection.

– Separate sick guppy fish and transfer it into the hospital tank.

– Quickly remove dead fish and decay plants from your aquarium to avoid ammonia spikes.

– Follow a schedule to regularly feed your guppies.

If the preventive measures are not taken on time, then guppy fish may die.

Pro-tip: – Seachem ParaGuard is a medication that helps in treating common guppy fish diseases such as fin or tail rot, white spot and velvet. – I add some API aquarium salt to prevent the spread of infection.

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Guppies Tankmates

Guppies are calm and shy in behavior.

Neon tetra, Swordtail, Kuchli loach, Platy fish, Cherry barb, Corydoras Catfish, Cherry Shrimp and others are fish that are compatible with guppies.

Aggressive fish like Cichlids, Endler’s Livebearers, Angelfish and other big fish will continuously chase guppy fish which can end up in stress as well as at risk of being eaten up.

As you know guppy stays at top of tank, so you should select tankmates that stays at the bottom or middle of tank. This swimming zone distribution makes your aquarium look beautiful and avoids overpopulation.

Other than swimming there are other factors such as behavior, size, diet and water parameters in which tankmates should be compatible for their overall health and to maintain peace in an aquarium.

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Breeding

The beginners and experienced guppy fishkeepers are excited about guppy fish breeding. One can achieve success only if one understands the fundamentals of breeding.

Guppies are given the name “million fish” because they reproduce very fast. The female guppies don’t lay eggs but give birth to live guppy fry, hence also known as livebearers. The gestation period of guppy is 28 days.

“Do female guppies store sperm?” – Yes, female guppies store sperm in her ovary for about 6 months.

These steps assist you on how to breed guppies-

1. Choose healthy three female guppies and one male guppy fish based on color and shape of fin. Keep the ratio 3:1 to avoid stress on female guppies.

2. Now, select a 10-gallon breeding tank with a good filter and heater. Add some hiding spots for guppy fry and avoid substrate as it hurts newborns.

3. Maintain ideal water parameters and put all the guppies in the breeding tank to breed.

4. Provide a nutritious diet to breeding guppies.

5. Once breeding is done separate the male guppy and non-pregnant female guppy to their respective tanks.

6. Look for pregnancy signs such as dark gravid spots on female guppies. The gestation period lasts for 28 days. The pregnant guppy shows exact signs of labor like contractions, no appetite, staying still and hiding.

7. Once pregnant guppy finishes giving birth, you should immediately separate the female guppy to the main tank. By doing so, you are saving guppy fry from being eaten up by mother guppy as they lack parental instinct.

8. Give tiny 4 – 5 healthy meals a day to baby guppies for faster growth. After six weeks is the correct time to introduce guppy fry in the main tank, when they are grown half an inch long and do not fit in the mouth of adult guppy.

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Conclusion

This guppy care guide will help you in taking care of your lovely pet fish.

Setting up a comfortable guppy tank with the correct tank size, ideal water parameters, feeding regularly, compatible tankmates, best male to female ratio will improve your guppy health and increase its lifespan.

If you have any question, please mention in the comment box.

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FAQS

1. Do guppies need air pumps?

No, guppies don’t need air pumps but if you install it will properly circulate oxygen.

2. How many guppies should you buy at once?

It is suggested to buy one male and three female guppies at once.

3. At what age can you tell the gender of guppies?

It takes almost three weeks to tell the gender of guppies.

4. How can you tell if a guppy is male or female?

Female guppy will have small triangular anal fins with a gravid spot. While male guppy have narrow, long and pointed end anal fins. This will help you to tell if a guppy is male or female.

Happy Guppy Keeping!

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