Guppy fish is one of the most well-known fish species you own, and we all know that they are also straightforward to maintain. In this article, you will learn what steps you need to take to provide these beautiful fish with a happy and healthy environment. We will give you a guide to best practices for properly caring for your guppies, which are not only very popular but also a great source of food and shelter for your fish.
Table of Contents
History & Popularity
The fish, which give birth to live young, were discovered in South America in the 1860s and were once used to control mosquitoes. They were ultimately added to the pet trade and bred to show their fantastic ability to reproduce. These excellent fish are found in many parts of the world, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and even the Atlantic.
Tank Size
Guppies age to an average of 2 inches long, but some guppies can grow up to 6 inches long and up to 8 inches long. If you want to raise the babies, start with a small aquarium (5 gallons or less) and feed them with live aquarium plants. For smaller aquariums, I recommend an aquarium of 5 gallons or a Guppy Trio. Given the rapid propagation, an aquarium of 10 – 20 gallons is more suitable for larger fish such as sharks, sea lions, and sea turtles.
Also, use gentle filtering with a sponge filter to prevent the small fries from getting sucked in. Avoid adding aggressive fish that suffocate or eat the fins, such as sharks, sea lions, and sea turtles. Guppy tanks are a fantastic sight that creates a perfect balance between the beautiful green color of the fish and their distinctive fins. Keep the guppy fish tank at least 10-20 feet away from other fish and avoid adding aggressive fish that suffocate or eat the fin.
Water Quality
Like many livebearers, guppies behave best at a pH of 7.0 or higher, but not at a pH of 6.5 or lower and not in acidic water.
They also like to live in better waters with a higher pH and have become one of the best guppy breeders of all time. Wonder Shell is often used to increase water hardness and mineral content, but if your water is generally soft, add Wonder Shell to your aquarium, which increases water hardness and adds minerals to the aquarium.
Heating
An aquarium heater is recommended to heat the water to 76 – 78 degrees Celsius, as the new line of fancy guppies is not the original species found in the wild. At this temperature, the guppy fish should have an average lifespan of two to three years.
If you increase the heat to 82 degrees Celsius, the fish will grow faster and have more babies, but it takes forever to grow, and you can only have babies every six months. If you lower the temperature to 72 degrees Celsius instead, you will extend your life by 3.5 years or more. But if you reduce it to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the fish will only live for 18 months and then have no babies.
Color
Guppies come in a wide range of colors, with gray being the most dominant color among all the guppies. Color variations are usually seen on the upper and lower body. Although the head, upper body, and tail are typically lighter than the tail, color variations are common on both the lower and upper bodies.
Filteration
Some Guppy fish owners do not use filtering systems at all. Still, I recommend the current filters to all tank owners in the tank phase because they are easier to use, even if necessary.
In my opinion, it is best to use a filter in your tank to ensure that the water around your fish is always clean. Since guppies do not have an unusually large bioload, filter systems can be incredibly powerful and can cause significant damage to fish and their food.
Feeding
Guppies are specialists at begging for food, but they can overfeed their owners, leading to constipation and other health problems. Adult guppies can get so much food that some of them can eat for up to a minute.
When raising a brood, you can increase the feeding to three to five times a day, but make sure that the meals are much smaller, so that excess feed does not contaminate the water.
The easy-to-use squeeze bottle allows for fast and efficient feeding in the tank, and high-quality salmon-based feed has been developed, especially for guppies and other nano fish. Guppy fish is not picky eaters and can be satisfied with various foods such as salmon, tuna, shrimp, eggs, and even fried foods. You even graze on algae that grow in aquariums and algae from other fish in your aquarium.
Why They Die Early?
The sad truth is that guppies sold in pet stores can be relatively weak and mass-produced in many countries and kept in very confined conditions, making them more susceptible to disease. They are highly inbred to maintain their unique colors, but the unfortunate fact that they are kept in very confined conditions makes them more vulnerable to infection. Some diseases can only be detected when they have been delivered to wholesalers and retailers around the world.
Once your guppies come to you, they may need a lot of care and attention. Therefore, be prepared to give them a lot of time and possibly medication to treat diseases and infections.
Wonderful Fish
Guppies can bring color and excitement to your tank and are a wonderful addition to any aquarium. When keeping guppies, make sure that they are fed correctly and that the right combination is kept together to avoid problems. You will enjoy this little purchase, and they can be taken to any tank to provide color, excitement, and beautiful additions to an aquarium!
