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Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata
Maximum Size: 4-6cm
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Origin: South America
Diet: Omnivores
Breeding: Live-Bearing
pH Range: 7.0-7.8
Guppies are a hardy, well-known and extremely popular fish as they make a colourful addition to the aquarium.
Guppies will reach full-size maturity at about six months. Females generally get larger than the males - Males reaching a maximum size of 2-4cm and females between 3-6cm. Even though Guppies are a small fish, they are quite active, so you want to make sure they have plenty of space to swim around and room to put in decorations. Lack of space can inhibit their growth. We suggest at least 40 litres for 8 Guppies. Generally, have at least 5 litres for every Guppy.
Guppies are known as a tropical fish as they cannot handle the colder weather. Although, in Western Australia it is uncommon for your Aquarium to reach below 15°C. Below this temperature your Guppies may not survive. Not suitable for outdoor ponds in Winter!
Feeding: Guppies tend to swim near the top of the water so we generally feed them small floating pellets (such as the Micro Pellets) or Flakes (as these can be crunched into smaller sizes). Guppies can also be fed live or frozen foods such as Bloodworms or Brine Shrimp.
Reproduction: Guppies are livebearers, meaning they give birth to fry instead of laying eggs. Guppies will generally breed throughout the warmer months, but they can also breed during Winter if the temperature in the tank is right. The Gestation period is between 20-30 days, and they can produce anywhere between 20-200 fish at one time. If you are planning on breeding Guppies you will need to make sure to have plenty of space and places for the fry to hide. Guppies will eat their fry. Males can be quite aggressive towards each other so make sure to have 2-3 females per male.
Gender Differences:
- Colour - Males tend to be much more colourful and have patterns like spots or stripes. The bright colouring is used to attract the females. This isn’t a 100% accurate way to tell the sex though as some females can have nice colouring.
- Body Shape – Males have slender, long bodies and Females are rounder.
- Dorsal Fin (Located on the top of the fish) – Males have longer, flowing dorsal fins and Females have shorter dorsal fins.
- Tail Fin – Males generally have long, wide, colourful caudal fins with patterns. Females caudal fins are shorter, not so wide and not as colourful.
Introducing Fish: Make sure you have put a Water Conditioner/Chlorine Neutraliser into your new pond before introducing fish. We suggest to not overstock a new pond with fish too soon, the water needs time to balance and age. If you have just filled the pond, you will need to wait at least a week or two before introducing fish!! Keep an eye on new fish for the first few hours after they have been released into the pond to make sure they are settling in well.