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Guppy

Scientific name: Lebistes reticulates

Origin: Central America

Temperament: The Guppy is a peaceful fish and it is therefore popular in community aquariums. If you are a beginner aquarist, a community aquarium with Guppy and other peaceful and adaptable fishes is a very good start.

Diet: Feed your Guppy a varied diet to prevent malnutrition. Live foods and Tubifex worms are two good choices.

Care: Taking care of a Guppy is not very difficult. You can add some salt to the water to combat some of the common aquarium diseases. This does not mean that your Guppy should be kept in a brackish aquarium.

Water conditions: The Guppy is a tropical fish and will do best when the water temperature is 25 – 28 degrees C (77 – 82 degrees F). The pH should be in the 7.0-7.5 range.

Gender: Distinguishing between male and female Guppies is not very difficult, since the male has a gonopodium. The gonopodium is an anal fin that has transformed into a reproductive organ. A male Guppy is also very colourful, while the female is not (sometimes with the exception of her tail). A female Guppy will grow larger than a male Guppy.

Breeding: Guppies are livebearers and the female will give birth to free swimming fry. If you want any fry to survive, you should make sure that the aquarium contains plenty of hiding spaces where they fry can avoid being eaten by the adults. Hiding spaces can for instance be created using plants. You can also place the fry in their own tank and reintroduce them to the main aquarium when they are large enough to avoid being eaten. Breeding Guppy is not hard, so if your first batch gets eaten you can just wait for the next one.  

Additional comments: If you have other fishes, you can breed Guppy and use as food. Guppy fry can be served as food for small fish, while adult Guppy is suitable for medium sized species..