Guppies for Sale plus Facts, General Care and Breeding Tips

If you are looking to start your own freshwater aquarium, there is one one type of fish that will not want to be without. Guppies are classic aquarium fish which come in a variety of different colors, fin shapes and body patterns. The females are larger than males and are usually not as colorful. Their fins are another way to distinguish them as the females have more rounded looking fins.

Guppy Fish Tank Requirements and Tips

Guppies are most comfortable in a reasonably sized fish tank with around 10-15 companions. You need at least an aquarium having a water volume of at least 40 litres in order to keep 10-15 guppies. Anything under 20 litres will not have enough water as the tank  will still need to be filled with gravel, corals and other accessories and equipment.

Also avoid keeping them in small fish bowls as they are known to have orientation problems. Small bowls may be a tempting cost-effective option but using them will shorten their life expectancy.

Ideally, your tank should contain more females than males to prevent harassment. Guppies do best when they are housed in groups of five or more of the same species and should not be in a planted community tank with no fin nippers.

Buy Guppies Online

One of the best places to buy live guppies is eBay. There is usually a large selection available and you also get the additional benefit of being able to ask the seller questions and tips on how to care for the fish prior to purchasing. Take a look:

Breeding Guppies

Guppies breed are prolific breeders — females are capable of giving birth to up to 200 fry every 28 days. Females are also able to store sperm for up to 3 months, so the females may give birth in consecutive months. They produce an average of 45 fry each month.

If you are going to be breeding them in a community tank, it is best to provide some cover for the fry as they might be targeted by other fish. One recommended type of flora is Java Moss as it is quite thick and dense making it a good place for fry to hide when trying to keep bigger fish away. Alternatively, you may wish to separate them by placing them into a smaller tank.

Guppy Fry Care

Similar to adults, guppy fry are also very easy maintain. At birth, they are already capable of consuming small food such as baby brine shrimp, ground fish foods and microworms. They will eat scraps from their parent’s food, but it is best to provide them with their own food as well to ensure they are properly fed. Guppy fry will rummage for food as soon as they are born so you need to remember to feed them immediately after birth.

Small food such as freshly hatched, frozen baby brine shrimp (Artemia) or microworms are some examples that are suitable. You can also pulverize flake food to a fine powder and feed it to the fry. However, live foods usually promote the best growth.

The fry need clean water and will grow faster with regular water changes. It will normally only take around 4 months before they are sexually mature but they do not stop growing until they are 8 months old.

Guppies are an affordable and easy maintenance choice for any aquarium. They are friendly, colorful and have a visually appealing appearance which is I would recommend them.

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