Breeding Common Guppies at Home

Poecilia reticulata, also known as the guppy, is a prolific breeder in the wild and captivity. It is not a hard fish to breed -- it can happen as easily by accident as it can by design. The rapid reproduction of this species has earned it the nickname the million fish.

  1. Breeding Stock

    • Select the right breeding stock to make sure fit, viable offspring are produced. Investing in quality breeding guppies from a professional breeder is the way to go. Cheap beginner fish from the pet store may have poor genetics or have inherent problems that may include the inability to breed. Young fish are important, because the older the guppies are, the more likely their babies will be born deformed. Elderly male guppies can also sometimes be sterile and, therefore, be of no use for breeding.

    Housing

    • Guppies are not large but they do need some space to move around. As a rule of thumb, eight to 12 guppies need a tank no smaller than 10 gallons. The more guppies in the tank, the larger it must be. Unrelated adult guppies or other fish species may eat the young fish, so a birthing tank may be needed. You can move the pregnant female to a new tank a few days before birth. Add floating weeds or fake plants to the tank where the babies can hide.

    Conditions

    • The water for optimum breeding must have a pH between 7 and 8.5. Monitor and adjust the water regularly to ensure this condition. The ideal breeding temperature for guppies is between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The fish outside of breeding tend to prefer a cooler holding temperature -- between 65 and 68 degrees.

    Feeding the Young

    • If you keep young guppies in a tank with grown fish, keep the adults well-fed so they do not eat the babies. Feed young guppies live microworms and recently hatched brine shrimp several times throughout the day. As the guppies grow, they can manage large, more-fully grown brine shrimp. During each feeding, do not offer more than they can eat within a minute, as this can cause uneaten food to pollute the water.