Guppy Fish
The "millionfish" — one male and one female can produce hundreds of offspring in months. With 300+ color varieties, live-bearing reproduction, and incredible hardiness, Guppies are the #1 beginner fish worldwide. Our complete guide covers everything.
📋 Species Overview
🏠 Tank Setup
- Minimum 10 gallons (40L) — 20 gallons+ recommended. Rule: ~1 gallon per inch of fish.
- Gentle filtration: Sponge filter or HOB with adjustable flow. Strong currents stress them and damage delicate fins.
- Heater required — maintain 22–28°C (72–82°F) consistently. Fluctuations are deadly.
- Secure lid mandatory — Guppies are excellent jumpers.
- Live plants: Java moss, hornwort, guppy grass provide hiding spots and fry survival zones.
- Water: pH 7.0–8.0, hardness 8–12 dGH. Weekly 25% water changes.
🎨 300+ Color Varieties
Guppies are the most color-diverse fish on Earth. Males are vastly more colorful than females. Popular types: Fancy Guppy, Cobra, Koi, Snakeskin, Tuxedo, Half-Black, Moscow, Lyretail, Delta, Veiltail, and countless combinations. Colors span red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, black, white, and neon variants. Many keepers maintain all-male tanks to enjoy maximum color without population explosions.
🧬 Breeding: Livebearers, Not Egg Layers
Guppies are livebearers — females give birth to free-swimming fry, not eggs. Key facts: Gestation 21–30 days, 20–100+ fry per birth, females store sperm for months (one mating = multiple pregnancies), fry are born fully formed, ratio should be 1 male:2–3 females to prevent harassment, and adults will eat fry unless protected by dense plants or separated.
🍽️ Diet
Omnivores. Feed high-quality flakes or micro-pellets 2–3× daily, supplemented with brine shrimp, daphnia, or bloodworms 2–3× weekly. Feed only what they consume in 1–2 minutes. Overfeeding is the #1 killer — it destroys water quality fast.
🤝 Tank Mates
✅ Good: Other livebearers (mollies, platies), small tetras, corydoras catfish, rasboras, honey gouramis, snails. ❌ Avoid: Fin-nippers (tiger barbs, bettas), large/aggressive cichlids, any fish big enough to eat a guppy.
⚠️ Top 5 Beginner Mistakes
- Tank too small (10 gallon minimum, not a recommendation)
- Wrong male-to-female ratio (harassed, stressed females)
- Overfeeding (destroys water quality)
- No live plants (critical for fry and water quality)
- Not accounting for population explosion (they're called "millionfish" for a reason)