Why Are Guppies So Popular?

Discovered in South America around the 1860s, this hardy livebearer (or fish that gives birth to live young) was once used as pest control for mosquitos. They were eventually introduced to the pet trade and have been bred to display almost every colour, pattern, and fin type imaginable.

What Do Guppies Need in Their Tank?

Guppies grow to an average of 2 inches long, so the smallest tank size we recommend is a 5-gallon aquarium for a trio of guppies. But given how quickly they reproduce, a 10- or 20-gallon aquarium would be more appropriate in the long run. If you plan on breeding them, start with a ratio of one male for every two to three females, and provide lots of cover (such as live aquarium plants) for the babies to hide in. Plus, use gentle filtration like a sponge filter so that the tiny fry won’t get sucked up.

A guppy-only tank is truly an astonishing sight to behold because of their flashy fins and energetic behaviour, but you can easily keep them with other peaceful tank mates. Just avoid adding any aggressive fish that may nip their fins or eat them, such as tiger barbs or Bala sharks.

What Water Is Best for Guppies?

Like many livebearers, guppies enjoy pH levels at 7.0 or greater. They also like hard water with good amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals. If you live off well water with high pH, you’re going to become one of the best guppy breeders ever.

An aquarium heater is recommended to keep the water warmer at 25 to 27°C, since these new lines of fancy guppies are not as resilient as the original species found in the wild. At this temperature range, your guppies should have an average life span of two to three years. If you raise the heat, the fish will grow faster and make more babies – but they’ll only live for 18 months. If you lower the temperature, their life span may increase to 3.5 years or longer, but they’ll take forever to reach adulthood and may only have babies every six months.

How Often Do Guppies Need to Be Fed?

Guppies are pros at begging for food, so owners often overfeed them, which can lead to constipation and other health issues. Feed adult guppies once or twice a day, as much as they can eat in one minute. If you are raising fry, you can increase the feedings to three to five times a day, but make sure that each meal is much smaller in amount so that you won’t foul the water with excess food. Guppies are not picky eaters and will even graze on algae growing inside the aquarium.

Is My Guppy Fish Pregnant?

If you have at least one male and one female (or your female guppy originally came from a tank with males), then the answer is probably yes. Males are very colourful and have a modified anal fin called a gonopodium that looks like a pointy, horizontal stick under their bellies. Females are usually larger in size, less colourful, and have a fan-shaped anal fin behind their bellies. They give birth approximately every 30 days and will predate on their own young unless you provide lots of hiding spots for the fry. 

If you want to make lots of babies, increase the amount of food you give them and do partial water changes more frequently to keep the water quality high. Once the fry start to show their colours (around two to three months old), you can give them away to friends, feed them to other fish, or try selling them to your local fish store.

Why Are My Guppy Fish Dying?

The unfortunate truth is that guppies sold in pet stores can be fairly weak. They’re highly inbred to get those amazing colours, mass-produced in many countries, and kept in very crowded conditions that make them more susceptible to disease.