Left: Male 'Red-Blonde' Guppies, Right: Male 'Electric Blue' Guppy
Photos taken at Wharf Aquatics
Photos © Sean Evans
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| Common name: | Guppy, Millions fish |
| Scientific name: | Poecilia reticulata |
| Synonyms: | (none) |
| Size: | 2.5" (6cm), males smaller. |
| Origin: | Central America to Brazil, although wild populations have established elsewhere. |
| Tank setup: | Community tank, with live or artificial plants for decor. |
| Compatibility: | Peaceful, community - do not mix with fin-nippers. |
| Temperature: | 18-27oC (64-81oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Medium hard to very hard, and alkaline - pH 7.0-8.5 |
| Feeding: | Omnivorous, small live and frozen foods, flake and granular foods. |
| Sexing: | Males have longer, more colourful finnage and are smaller than females, which tend to be dull coloured.
However, the most definitive feature in males is the gonopodium - a stick-like modified anal fin (used in breeding),
instead of the normal rounded anal fin in females. |
| Breeding: | An easily bred and prolific fish. It is advisable to keep 2-3 females per male to reduce stress on
specific females from the male. Around 30 young are normally produced. |
| Comments: |
The ever-popular guppy is generally a hardy fish which will tolerate a wide range of conditions, though unfortunately many
guppies found for sale these days are not as hardy as they once were. Mixing guppies from different sources can be problematic.
The guppy has been bred to produce longer fins and numerous colour varieties.
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