Guppy Fish Species Overview

Native to South America and the Caribbean, guppies are one ofthe most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. This care sheet outlinesbasic care needs for a variety of guppy species, including:

·       Fancy guppies

·       Yin yang guppies

·       Blonde tuxedo guppies

·       Turquoise guppies

·       Tequila sunrise guppies

·       Yellow micariff guppies

·       Pinktail guppies

·       Cobra guppies

·       Kohaku guppies

·       Lyretail guppies

·       Endler guppies

Guppies are highly social and should not bekept individually. Instead, guppies thrive when kept in groups of three or morefish from the same species.

Guppy Fish Characteristics

Guppy Fish Supply Checklist

To keep a guppy happy and healthy, pet parents should have thesebasic supplies on hand:

·       Appropriate-sized aquarium

·       Appropriatefood, dry and frozen

·       Decor

·       Waterconditioner

·       Filter

·       Water test kit

·       Full-spectrumlighting

·       Net

·       Thermometer

·       Freshwatersubstrate

·       Heater

·       Airline tubing

·       Airstone

·       Air pump

·       Check valve

·       Refractometer

·       Freshwater salt

·       Live plants

·       Aquariumhood/cover

Guppy Fish Habitat

Choosing the Right Enclosure

A single adult guppy should be housed in a5-gallon aquarium or larger. For each additional guppy in the tank, provide atleast two extra gallons of tank space. For example, a group of three guppieswill need at least a 9-gallon aquarium.

Guppies can leap up to seven times thelength of their body, so their aquarium must be secured with a fitted lid orcanopy to prevent fish from attempting to escape and gettinginjured.   

Always provide the largest habitatpossible, especially as water parameters are less stable in smaller tankscompared to larger ones.

SelectingTankmates

Guppies are best kept with other guppiesbecause they are highly social. Guppies should never be housed alone and shouldinstead be kept in groups of at least three fish from the same species. Ifchoosing to house male and female guppies in the same tank, provide two tothree females for every male. If males and females are housed together, expectthem to breed.

Schools of guppies can also be kept withother community fish with peaceful temperaments, including:

·       Cory catfish

·       Danios

·       Gouramis

·       Mollies

·       Platies

·       Rainbowfish

·       Rasboras

·       Swordtails

·       Tetras

While both species are popular pets,guppies should not be kept in the same aquarium as goldfish. Goldfish prefercooler temperatures than guppies. Goldfish can also grow quite large inadulthood and swallow guppies.   

New tank mates must be introduced to anaquarium gradually, and pet parents should remember that their tank’s ammonia,pH, and nitrate levels will change when a new fish is introduced. Theseparameters need to be monitored carefully after adding new fish.   

Fish should not be kept in overcrowdedaquariums, as these conditions often lead to stress and disease in thetank.

Filtration

A filter system is anessential component in any aquatic habitat. In addition to keeping tanks clean,filters remove harmful toxins like ammonia from the aquarium's water and alsoadd oxygen to the water so fish can breathe.   

Power filters (also known as“hang-on-back" filters) and external canister filters are recommendedbecause they offer effective mechanical, biological, and chemical filtrationand do not take up any space inside an aquarium. Generally, guppies preferwater with slow to moderate circulation.

Tip: An aquarium’s filter should bepowerful enough to process all the water in the tank at least four times anhour. For example, a 20-gallon tank should ideally have an aquarium filter witha flow rate that’s at least 80 gallons per hour (GPH). If only 50 or 100 GPHfilters are available, pet parents should always size up and purchase the 100GPH option.