Download Setup Tips and Facts about Poecilia reticulata

Setup Tips and Facts about Poecilia reticulata
By Glen Hawkins
1. The Guppy is one the most popular species of aquarium fish in the world, and is also
known as one of the cheapest fish available in aquarium stores even though some forms
may be expensive. Small, beautiful, peaceful, lively, curious and hardy, there are many
colorful variations. The guppy fish is one of the best choices for beginners. However, like
every fish kept in captivity, these fishes also require proper care and conditions.
2. Females are much larger and rounder than males. Females are dull grey, however
males are very colourful and have large fins. There are many strains of guppies and
through breeding you can even create new variants. In size they are 1.6 inches long for
most males and 2.3 inches long for most females. Depending on the strain this can very
slightly.
3. The guppy can be fed a wide variety of foods such as flakes, spirulina, blood worms,
freeze dried foods and other live foods. Though they will accept almost everything, one
shouldn’t feed them low quality foods because it will negatively affect their health and
lifespan. Guppies have small stomachs and can only consume a little bit of food at one
feeding. It is recommended to feed them in small amounts, something that they eat in a
two-three minutes at least 3 times daily. It’s okay to let your fish fast one day per week
as this procedure helps them to empty digestive system, which in turn lengthens their
lifespan.
4. Guppies are prolific breeders! Both parents have to be adult, healthy and not too old in
order to produce good stock. Their expected lifespan is 2-3 years, thus the female
shouldn’t be older than 2 years in order to reproduce successfully. Guppy females
mature at approximately 3 months old, whereas males slightly sooner. The males will
perform a courtship display in front of the female by spreading their fins and curving their
body. Once the female is fertilized, it’s going to take between 28 and 30 days until
gestation period ends and the female gives birth. Her belly will grow rapidly during
gestation period, in the end she might look boxy. Additionally, gravid spot will be visible
on female once she’s pregnant. Bear in mind that Guppies that are close to giving birth
prefer slowly moving water, hide a lot and spend a lot of time laying on substrate or
plants. Some females may refuse to eat when birth is close.
5. Once a female gives birth, the fry can be left to care for themselves immediately after
they’re born. It’s a good idea to separate newborns from other fish to prevent predation.
It is recommended to setup a dedicated guppy fry tank, however ensure water
parameters (pH, hardness, temperature) are identical in both tanks – the “original” and
the “fry” tank. Not keeping the fry tank conditions similar to the original breeding tank will
result in a higher mortality rate as newborn fry are sensitive to sudden and unexpected
changes in water chemistry.
6. These fish will over breed if their population isn’t controlled, always consider this reality
prior to purchasing guppies for your aquarium. Having two females in your aquarium can
result in as much as 80 fry every month as each female can produce up to 40 fry per
month. In five months that means you could have up to 400 guppies in your tank.
7. Another important aspect of raising guppies is their ability to store sperm for months. It
isn’t unusual to see a female fish giving birth even 6 to 8 months after she lives
separately from males.
8. Guppies require fairly warm temperatures (23-24 °C, 73-75°F), but they can live in water
between (19-29°C 66-84°F) as long as pH is stable anywhere between 7.0 and 8.5. Ideal
general water hardness for is 12.0 - 18.0, however they’re known to be able to live in
softer water too. A vegetated tank is perfect for raising guppies as it not only increases
survival rate of newborn fry, but it also imitates their natural environment. Plants such as
Vallisneria spiralis, Echinodorus amazonicus, Cabomba furcata are fantastic choice for
Guppy tanks as they create beautiful sceneries if grown properly. These mentioned plant
species grow quite large, so they’re suitable as background plants.
9. Since guppies are very social fish, they shouldn’t be kept alone. Raising them in a
community tank with other small peaceful fish is okay too. Good tank mates for guppies
include, but not limited to, Corydoras, peaceful Plecos, German Rams cichlids, Platys,
Neon tetras and Mollies.
10. Since this species breeds like rabbits, a good ratio of males to females is 1:3.
11. I would never put guppies into a tank less than 10 gallons. One guppy per gallon is a
good ratio to use.
12. One of the best and most popular fish. If you have never had a guppy I would highly
recommend you try keeping them.
© Glen Hawkins (aka GuppyGuy on the Windsor Aquarium Society forum)