- Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata
- Common Name: Guppy
- Aquarium size: 80 liters
- Temperament: Calm
- Temperature: Between 22º and 28º
- pH: Between 7 and 8.5
- Diet: Omnivore
- Length: 3 to 4 cm, males. 6 cms, females
Description
The Guppy Fish belongs to the Poecilidae family , which in turn is part of the Cyprinodontiformes group.
Among the freshwater aquarium fish they are probably the most popular, there are four basic reasons for their popularity:
- They are very easy to care for fish, suitable for the most novice acuryophiles.
- They have an attractive color palette, and a very striking and distinctive tail fin, which can vary from one specimen to another, but which always attracts attention due to its enormous beauty.
- They are very resistant, they are able to withstand the most typical mistakes of novices.
- They reproduce easily. Getting to reproduce fish in the aquarium is always a great satisfaction.
There is a curiosity about these fish and their discovery, as with other animal and plant species, was «discovered» in different places, by different people who gave it different names. We owe its
scientific name (Poecilia reticulata) to its true discoverer, the zoologist Wilhelm Peters in 1859.
But its trade name «Guppy», we owe it to the naturalist John Lechmere Guppy. Guppy’s name is remembered because he did a great job with this fish, eradicating malaria.
But they are not the only names it has, since in Trinidad it is known as «million fish» because of the ease with which it reproduces. In Argentina and Uruguay it is known as «guppies».
Morphology
Guppies have an evident and marked sexual dimorphism, so it is easy to distinguish male Guppies from female Guppies.
Male guppy
Males are smaller in size compared to females (between 3 to 4 centimeters) and have a greater variety of colors. Another differentiating characteristic is that they have a modification of the anal fin called the gonopod , which is their sexual organ, located at the back of the fish and having a shape similar to a stick.
Male Guppy fish, displaying his gonopod
The tail fin of the male Guppy Fish is surprising for the large number of shapes it can have.
Due to the crosses and genetic modifications to which it has been subjected over time, we can find male Guypps with pointed, rounded, crown-shaped, delta, double-sword fins and the most common and appreciated, the tail fin shaped like a fan.
Female guppy fish
In the Guppy fish the females are larger (between 6 and 8 centimeters) , voluminous and dull in color. In species bred in captivity and selected for aquariums, the tail fin has a more intense coloration.
Types of Guppies
Due to the great demand for Guppy fish, the big producers of aquarium fish are constantly looking for a surprising new variety, which is to the taste of aquarists.
Among the most demanded Guppy fish, some varieties of Guppy have been with us for a long time, while others are recently created.
- Shovel tailed guppy
- Superior swordtail guppy
- Lower Swordtail Guppy
- Double sword tailed guppy
- Lyre-tailed guppy
- Round tailed guppy
- Needle-tailed guppy
- Spiky tailed guppy
- Tiangular-tailed guppy
- Fan tail guppy
- Flag-tailed guppy
- Veil tailed guppy
In addition to the above, which we could say are the traditional Guppys, there are a few Guppy fish that I would like to highlight, either because they are considered a different variety (endler) or because of their super original coloration (leopard) or because we may be before a new mutation (crown tail).
Guppy endler
The Guppy endler or Poecilia Wingei has bright metallic colors, which may be due to its habitat of origin.
They have a multicolored coloration, with gray, gold or silver tones, which makes them very attractive and desired in aquariums.
In terms of size, they are quite similar to normal Guppies. Its tail fin is transparent, and quite normal compared to the most commercial Guppies.
Without a doubt, its appeal lies in its metallic coloring.
Leopard Guppy
Leopard Guppies stand out for the coloration of their tail fin. The true leopard Guppy is the yellow one, but there are equally showy colorations, such as the male leopard Guppy rose gold, semi black, mosaic green, diamond blue, yellow cobra … and a good number of equally striking colors.
Guppy crowntail
It is a variety of recent appearance, they are the Crown-tailed Guppy. To achieve this new variety, they have sought to generate mutations in their fins.
It is not yet a species admitted in exhibitions, because it has not been possible to establish some guidelines with which to be guided.
Within these Guppys, there are three subgenera, swallowtail (swallowtail), combtail (with a tail similar to Betta) and merah.
Distribution and habitat
The Guppy is native to Central America, South America and the Southern Caribbean. It can be found in the wild in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, as well as the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Netherlands Antilles.
In tropical areas it is used to fight mosquitoes that transmit malaria, as they are large consumers of mosquito larvae.
Although this is their original distribution, the Guppy fish that we buy in stores are bred in captivity to be sold.
It is a fish highly appreciated by all those who are new to fish farming, as it is very robust and easy to reproduce.
It can be found in many places, where it adapts easily: streams, swamps, murky areas, even in brackish waters.
Aquarium conditions
The size of the aquarium should be 80 liters, 45x30x30.
Guppy fish prefer hard water, although it can live in other more acidic or mild conditions, a good pH is between 7 and 8.5. The water temperature must be between 22º and 28º.
They are fish that like to have at least 12 hours of light a day, and although some breeders think that in a Guppy aquarium it is not necessary to add substrate, or place any type of plant, personally I think it is quite cruel to keep a fish in captivity as if they were in a prison, not to mention the need to provide them with shelter and privacy.
Depending on the color of our Guppies, we can placesubstrates of different colors , to make them more attractive and attractive.
As for aquarium plants, all of us (and if you don’t know, I’ll tell you about it) we know that they are a component that helps us maintain the quality of the water, and therefore, the health of our fish.
What plants to put in a Guppy aquarium? Well, in this article: aquarium plants , you have very good advice and a wide variety of plants to choose from.
To maintain good fish health, it is recommended to change 20% of the aquarium water once a week.
Ideas for setting up your aquarium
- Best complete aquariums
- Best Small Aquarium
- Best external filters for aquarium
- Best aquarium heater
- Best Aquarium Oxygenator
- Best Aquarium LED Display
- Better sand
- Best substrate for aquarium
- Best compost for plants
- Best Aquarium Stones
- Best aquarium logs
- Best Aquarius Test
- Best Ph meter
- Best fish food
- Best Fish Food Dispenser
Diet
Although in the wild they basically feed on insects, especially red mosquito larvae, captive breds admit a wide variety of foods .
Mosquito larvae cannot be absent from their day , as they provide them with a large amount of proteins, necessary for their growth.
The diet must contain daphnia, brine shrimp, which must be supplemented with plant foods in the form of green algae.
There are also many dry foods on the market in the form of flakes, flakes or granules, which are usually very good, because they contain algae, crustaceans and other components that vary depending on the brand and the fish’s diet.
A good diet has a direct influence on the coloration of the Guppies, so it is important to keep them healthy and well fed, in addition to adding group D vitamins from time to time.
It is advisable to feed them several times a day because they have a very high metabolism. Quick. They should be offered small amounts of food, just those that they can devour quickly, so we will avoid that part of this food ends up at the bottom of the aquarium, damaging the quality of the water.
Behavior and compatibility
Guppies are quiet fish , although they should not be placed next to species that bite their fins, such as the Siamese fighting fish, which is very territorial and cannot stand fish as active as Guppies.
However, among the fish compatible with Guppys, we can mention the Mollies and the Lemon Tetra and some other characins.
In the aquarium the male tends to constantly harass the females, to avoid this type of overwhelming situation, it is recommended to have one male for every three females.
Guppy Compatible Fish
In the following list you will find fish that are fully compatible with Guppys , because they have a similar behavior and the aquarium parameters are similar, we could say that they meet three basic requirements:
- They are peaceful fish
