Guppies are one of the oldest fish in the aquarium hobby and yes, one of the most favorites among the hobbyists. Earlier only a few strains were available that everyone recognizes...But today we have new strains, new fin types, and yes lots of new color combinations making guppies more famous. Also, because of Guppy's super-low maintenance guppies are fishes that can be tried by beginners as well as Aquarium hobbyists.
But at last, Guppies are living fish, there are some basic needs to be provided to ensure your guppies are healthy and happy.
- Warm waters.
Guppies are tropical fishes that enjoy warm waters ranging from 22-16 degrees. So if you are living in a warm country like India, you won't have to worry much. But if living in cold regions, the heater is a must.
- Live plants.
Guppies love Live plants, and they look just amazing in a well-planted aquarium. Guppy tank should also always have Guppy grass/hornworts- a floating plant. If you have a plantation tank guppies are a great choice.
- Breeding.
Guppies are called million fish because they reproduce very fast and some pairs can give birth to hundreds of other guppies. Maybe because they are livebearers. Now this will be your choice whether you want them to breed or not. Unless you are an experienced aquarium hobbyist, don't go for guppy breeding hurriedly, because breeding fishes need a lot of care and maintenance. The best thing to avoid unwanted breeding is to add only males to the tank. The other way round, i.e. keeping all females is risky because if the females were in contact with males(in the store or farm) earlier they will still give birth even after some months after separation from the males.
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| Guppy and Livebearer fish resource |
- Male-female ratio.
Now if you wish to keep males females together, then you would have to follow the make-female ratio that is 3:1, three females per one male. This is because male guppies will always harass females for breeding finally stressing them out. In a tank with more females than males, the stress/harassment will be evenly distributed among the many females.
But again if you are planning this for your display tank this wouldn't be a great idea because female guppies have dull grey colors, short fins, and small sizes. Here is a comparison between a male and a female.
- Varied diet.
Guppies like having different types of foods and because they are not very fussy eaters, you can try giving various types to keep them happy.
Want to breed guppy at home? Then do visit this article written by Shahu Sardar: Click here to breed guppies!