Tips for Guppy Lovers

Guppies are small, relatively inexpensive fish that are good for both beginner and more experienced aquarium owners. They do best when kept in groups and can be kept with fish of similar size and needs, though they have been known to follow other fish around constantly, which can cause them stress. Some guppies have been known to jump out of their tanks, so keeping them in a setup with a lid is a good idea. If found and returned to the water within five minutes there should be no lasting damage to them.

  1. Housing

    • Guppies are active and need plenty of space to swim around. They should have at least a 5 gallon tank per group of three fish. You can keep one male and two females together if you wish to breed them, or keep them all the same sex. Painting the bottom of the tank black will keep the guppies from getting stressed out. The water temperature needs to remain between 72 and 76 degrees, with a pH of 7 to 8.5 and a dH of 12 to 18.

    Feeding

    • Guppies can go a long time without food -- up to two weeks for adults and one week for fry, or babies. However, unless it is an emergency situation, they should be fed two to three times a day. Their stomachs are small, so they should only be given a small amount each time, as any food leftover that they don't eat can dirty the water. Fish flakes, Spirulina, bloodworms, freeze dried foods and mosquito larvae all work well as guppy food, though they will eat almost anything. They should not be given food items that are larger than their body size.

    Breeding

    • If you keep male and female guppies together they will breed, usually very quickly. Some females may already be pregnant when you purchase them. Usually they will have extended bellies and pronounced gravid patches that will let you know of their condition. They can also store sperm from previous matings, so even if they don't appear pregnant when you buy them, they can still become pregnant after you get them home.

      The adults may eat the fry, so it is a good idea to remove them from the main tank and place them in a small tank or plastic container. After a week or two they will need to be moved to a larger tank because they will need more room to swim.

    Warnings

    • Guppies are small, and larger fish such as koi may see them as a meal. Guppies are community fish and do best kept with other fish their own size. They should not be placed with big fish that may try to eat them.

      Vinegar works as a safe cleaner for hard water deposits. Commercial cleaning products or bleach may poison and even kill your guppies if you do not rinse it thoroughly from the tank when cleaning.

      Do not keep your guppies in a round fish bowl because that can cause orientation problems that will eventually lead to stress and health problems. Stress and bad water quality are two of the most common causes of disease and eventually death in guppies.