Guppy Fish Care, and More

What is Guppy Fish? – Care, Sex Differentiation, and Reproduction

Guppy fish, also known as Guppy, belongs to the Poeciliidae family and is a popular freshwater aquarium fish. Due to the ease of their care, they are highly preferred by novice hobbyists. They were first discovered on the island of Trinidad in South America by Robert John.

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How to Differentiate the Sex, Care, and Prices of Guppy Fish? Nowadays, while they are found in many parts of the world, they originally live in the freshwater areas of northern South America and in tropical waters like the Caribbean islands. Guppies are quite sociable fish and prefer to live in groups in their habitats. These groups can have up to 100 guppies.

Guppies reproduce easily and are not delicate fish. This is among the major reasons they are preferred. Just a few can fill your entire aquarium within months.

Furthermore, guppies come in a wide variety of colors. The males have more flamboyant colors and longer fins compared to females. Probably, no matter what color you desire, you can find a guppy to match. Typically, guppies live for about 3 years in their habitats, but some species of guppies have been observed to live longer.

Guppy Fish Care

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Guppy fish care is easier compared to many other species. Guppies are very mild-mannered fish and are generally kept in mixed-species aquariums. However, some species prefer single-species tanks more, as there are fish that might attack guppies, especially on their tail and dorsal fins.

Which Fish Do Guppies Live With?

They can coexist with other live-bearing species like themselves. You can keep guppies with peaceful species such as Corydoras, Rasbora, Molly, Yucatan molly, and Tetra.

How Should a Guppy Aquarium Be?

Setting up a guppy aquarium is much easier compared to many other specific fish. Guppies grow up to 5-6 cm (excluding Jumbo types). The size of the aquarium for guppies can be determined by the fish size and number. Normally, a minimum 40-liter aquarium is required for 3-4 guppies. If your aquarium is too small, the fish can become stressed.

However, our advice to you here is to get a larger aquarium if possible (60 liters or more). The reason for this recommendation is the incredibly fast rate at which guppies can reproduce. The 3-4 guppies you get can become dozens within 1-2 months when combined with the offspring. Additionally, if you want them to multiply quickly, you can keep them in a ratio of 1 male to 3 females.

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Equipment Needed to Set Up a Guppy Aquarium:

1. Aquarium: Regardless of its shape, as mentioned earlier, try to use as large an aquarium as possible (as the aquarium size increases, the costs of other equipment will also increase).
2. Heater and Thermometer: Even though they are robust fish, water temperature is vital. The ideal water temperature for guppies is 17-29 degrees Celsius. If you want them to reproduce healthily, keeping the temperature at 24 degrees is sufficient.
3. Aquarium Filter: Absolutely essential for maintaining water quality and cleaning impurities. If possible, we recommend obtaining a small external filter or what’s called a “waterfall” or hang-on filter. However, you can also use a sufficiently powerful internal filter for your aquarium.
4. Air Pump and Stone: Use an air pump to enhance water quality and ensure it’s rich in oxygen. However, with the waterfall filter, you can maintain oxygen levels by creating waves on the water surface. If you prefer using an internal filter and don’t require extra oxygen, there’s no need to purchase an air pump and stone.
5. Sand or Gravel: The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with sand or gravel. When making this choice, we advise against using brightly painted stones. These painted rocks can release chemicals into your aquarium water, affecting your fish’s health.
6. Aquarium Net (Sieve): You might need to move or remove a fish from the inside. In this case, use an aquarium net. Also, it should be noted, try not to put your hand inside the aquarium as much as possible. Bacteria from your hand can enter the aquarium water, which could lead to fish illness.
7. Hiding Places: By adding plants and stones to your aquarium, you can create hiding and living spaces. Guppies are much less stressed when they have a place to hide. This also encourages them to reproduce faster.
8. Aquarium Chlorine Remover: You might not need to use chlorine remover in some cases. If you let tap water sit in an open container for a day, the chlorine will evaporate.
9. Gravel Vacuum: Cleaning the bottom weekly is crucial. Doing so prevents the deterioration of water values. Otherwise, diseases or deaths can be observed in your fish.

How Should I Feed My Fish? What’s the Best Guppy Food?

Guppy food should be predominantly plant-based. It’s not right to feed your fish with only one type of food. Feed them twice a day with at least two different foods. Instead of using different feeds on the same day, use plant-based feed for five days a week and protein-rich food for the remaining two days.

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You can also mix the foods. While doing this, you can mix one third of the protein feed with the plant-based guppy feed.

Among guppy fish feeds, plant-based flake feeds are the most preferred and are consumed with relish by guppies. You should choose branded, well-known feeds. Do not opt for the feeds sold as “open feed” in most aquarium shops, which, according to the seller, every fish can consume.

These feeds can cause issues like loss of shape, color, and reproductive capacity in your fish. Like other living creatures, fish feeds should contain plenty of vitamins so they can live healthily. The feeds we can recommend to you are:

• Dajana Flora: Contains 25% spirulina and chlorella algae. It accelerates reproduction and strengthens immunity. Due to the chlorophyll it contains, it minimizes the risk of inflammation.
• Tropica Solf Of Amerika (S): Contains herring fish and larvae. The krill content in the feed revitalizes the fish’s colors. It also contains garlic and beta-glucans to strengthen the fish’s immunity.
• Sera Spirulina Tablet Food: A tablet feed prepared with spirulina, seaweed, plankton, spinach, and spices. It can be adhered to glass for feeding.
• Tetra Pro Algae: Contains spirulina and supports fish health. It’s an ideal feed for herbivore aquarium fish. Due to its composition, it pollutes the water less.
• Tetra Guppy: Can be used for all ornamental fish in mixed aquariums. It contains over 40 well-adjusted essential foods.
• Tetra Tetramin: Flake food produced for ornamental fish. It is balanced for color vibrancy, energy, and all other necessities. Contains vitamins and essential elements. It has been fortified with vitamin C to increase resistance to diseases.

How Should Guppies Be Fed?

For feeding guppies, you can use this method; if they consume the provided feed within 2-3 minutes, your feed quantity is correct. If there’s still feed in the water after 3 minutes, it means you are overfeeding. Of course, it’s essential to turn off the filter or stop the water flow before feeding.

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If the colors of your guppies appear dull or faded, you can also feed them brine shrimp (artemia) once or twice a week. Be careful not to overfeed.

Guppy Sex Determination and Breeding

Determining the sex of guppies is easier compared to some other livebearers. By referring to the image below, you can better understand the distinction between male and female guppies.

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• Female guppies are larger than males.
• The fins and tail of the male fish are much more colorful and flamboyant than those of females.
• Males have an organ called the gonopodium, which is absent in females.
• In males, the anal fin is straighter, while in females it is triangular in shape.

When Will My Guppy Give Birth?

Guppies rank higher than most fish when it comes to reproduction. They are among the livebearers. Their pregnancy lasts around 28 days, but this can vary from 22 to 40 days depending on the water temperature and the fish’s genetics.

To determine if a guppy is pregnant, you can easily look at the dark area near the anal fin, known as the gravid spot. The larger and darker this spot appears, the closer the fish is to giving birth. The image below shows a guppy that has been determined to be pregnant.

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For healthy reproduction and to ensure that female fish aren’t harassed by males, the number of female fish should be at least twice that of males. In guppies, a structure called the breeding stripe becomes evident when the fish is around three months old. Once the female reaches three months, she enters puberty and is ready for the fertilization process.

After pregnancy, depending on the fish’s age, species, and genetics, she can give birth to between 5 and 100 fry. Additionally, pregnant female guppies can store sperm in their reproductive tract for an extended period, and even without a male present, can give birth again within 6 months.

How long does it take for guppy fry to grow?

Guppy fry grow considerably within 6 weeks of birth. By the end of this period, a well-cared-for guppy fry should reach a size of about 1.5 cm. Once they reach this size, they are termed juvenile fish and are ready to be moved to an adult aquarium.

The growth rate of the fish is directly related to the aquarium conditions and how the fish is cared for. If you use high-protein foods like live Artemia and brine shrimp, the growth process will be accelerated.

The moment of birth for the guppy fish:

Once you have the necessary information, caring for guppy fish is quite straightforward. Meeting their basic needs will make them sufficiently happy. One of the most important things to keep in mind is not to house guppies with incompatible, aggressive species.

If you’re new to the aquarium hobby, these colorful, beautiful, and mild fish are just for you! You can enjoy watching them by getting a group of guppies.

If you have any other questions about guppies, please don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments.

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