How To Keep Red Dragon Guppy Fish
How to Keep Red Dragon Guppy Fish: Care Guide for a Vibrant Showpiece
Red Dragon Guppies are one of the most eye-catching guppy strains in the hobby. With fiery red tails and elegant dragon-scale patterns, they add instant visual appeal to any aquarium. But beyond their beauty, they’re also easy to care for — making them a great choice for both beginner and experienced aquarists.
Keeping Red Dragon Guppies healthy and thriving just takes some attention to water quality, good nutrition, and a stress-free tank setup.
Tank Setup
Red Dragon Guppies can be kept in tanks as small as 10 gallons, though a 20-gallon tank gives them more room to swim and display their beautiful fins. A planted tank with gentle filtration and a sponge filter is ideal — guppies appreciate cover and resting spots but also love open space.
They’re peaceful and do well in community tanks, as long as they aren’t housed with fin-nippers or aggressive fish.
Water Parameters
Red Dragon Guppies are hardy but thrive best in stable, clean water. They’re especially sensitive to ammonia and nitrites, so always cycle the tank before adding them.
Ideal water parameters:
Temperature: 74–80°F (23–27°C)
pH: 7.0–7.8
GH: 8–12
KH: 4–8
TDS: 200–300 ppm
Harder water helps maintain their color and health, and regular water changes (25–30% weekly) will keep them active and breeding-ready.
Diet and Feeding
A high-quality diet is essential to bring out their intense red coloration and to keep their long fins in good condition. Red Dragon Guppies will eat just about anything, but variety is key.
Feed a mix of:
High-quality guppy pellets or flakes
Live or frozen foods (baby brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms)
Spirulina- or astaxanthin-rich foods to enhance red tones
Feed small amounts 1–2 times daily and avoid overfeeding, especially in smaller tanks.
Tank Mates
Red Dragon Guppies are peaceful and social. They do well in groups of 3 or more males or in trios of 1 male to 2–3 females if breeding is your goal. They pair well with:
Otocinclus
Avoid aggressive fish or those that might nip their tails, like tiger barbs or larger cichlids.
Breeding and Fry Care
Like all guppies, Red Dragons are livebearers — meaning they give birth to free-swimming fry. If you’re keeping both males and females, breeding will happen naturally.
To raise fry:
Add floating plants or moss for hiding spots
Separate pregnant females to a breeder box or separate tank if needed
Feed newborns crushed flakes, baby brine shrimp, or microworms
The fry grow quickly with regular feeding and clean water.
Final Thoughts
Red Dragon Guppies are a striking and beginner-friendly addition to any freshwater aquarium. With their vivid red tails and dragon-scale shimmer, they’re both beautiful and easy to care for. Just give them stable water, a balanced diet, and a peaceful environment, and they’ll reward you with nonstop color and activity.
