How To Keep Guppy Fish
How to Keep Guppy Fish: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Colorful Community Stars
Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are among the most popular freshwater fish in the world—and for good reason. Their dazzling colors, peaceful temperament, and ease of care make them ideal for beginners and seasoned aquarists alike. With just a few essentials in place, guppies will thrive and even reproduce in your aquarium, adding endless life and color to your setup.
Ideal Tank Setup
Guppies are small, active fish that need space to swim and interact. A tank of at least 10 gallons is recommended for a small group, though larger is better for stability and breeding. Use a tight-fitting lid, as guppies can jump when startled or excited.
Decorate the tank with live or artificial plants, which provide cover, reduce stress, and give fry a place to hide. Floating plants like hornwort or water lettuce are especially helpful in guppy tanks. A sponge filter or gentle hang-on-back filter provides enough circulation without creating strong currents that can stress them.
Water Parameters and Conditions
Guppies are very adaptable but prefer clean, stable water with the following parameters:
Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.8–7.8
Hardness: Moderate to hard (8–12 dGH is ideal)
They tolerate a range of conditions, but avoid rapid changes in temperature or chemistry. Perform weekly water changes of about 25% and regularly check water quality using a reliable test kit.
Social Behavior and Tank Mates
Guppies are peaceful, social fish that thrive in groups. Males are smaller, flashier, and often chase females—so it’s best to keep a ratio of 2–3 females per male to reduce stress.
They do well in peaceful community tanks with other small species like Corydoras, neon tetras, mollies, platies, danios, and snails. Avoid fin-nippers like tiger barbs or aggressive cichlids.
Feeding Guppies
Guppies are omnivores and easy to feed. Offer a varied diet that includes high-quality flake or pellet food, along with occasional treats like frozen or live brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, or microworms.
Feed small amounts once or twice daily—just what they can eat in a couple of minutes. Overfeeding can lead to water quality issues, especially in smaller tanks.
Breeding and Fry Care
Guppies are prolific livebearers. If males and females are kept together, expect fry every 4–6 weeks. A single female can give birth to 20–100 fry at a time.
To prevent fry from being eaten, provide dense plant cover or use a breeding box. If you want to raise fry intentionally, move them to a separate tank with gentle filtration and feed powdered food or baby brine shrimp.
Final Thoughts
Guppies are a fantastic introduction to freshwater fishkeeping. With their bright colors, lively personalities, and low maintenance needs, they offer endless enjoyment and beauty. By providing a clean, well-decorated environment and a balanced diet, you’ll have healthy, active guppies that may even start a breeding colony of their own.
