Help Us Fish Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:54:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Can You Keep Guppies And Angelfish Together? Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:54:43 +0000 Guppies and Angelfish are two of the most popular species of aquarium fish that you can buy. Both of them can bring any aquarium to life with their beautiful colorings...

The post Can You Keep Guppies And Angelfish Together? appeared first on Help Us Fish.

Guppies and Angelfish are two of the most popular species of aquarium fish that you can buy. Both of them can bring any aquarium to life with their beautiful colorings and active natures. But can you keep guppies and angelfish together?

Unfortunately, Guppies and Angelfish do not make the best tank mates. Angelfish can be aggressive at times and will almost certainly attack the smaller Guppies and cause unrest in the tank. In this article, we will look at some of the reasons why this happens.

Guppies And Angelfish Together

Keeping Fish Species Together

Having an aquarium can be a beautiful, standout addition to your home. The bright array of colors and variety of fish species can brighten up any room and make it a focal point when done correctly.

However, it can often be a difficult job to maintain a fish tank and to keep harmony amongst its inhabitants. Not all of the fish species will live together peacefully. Sometimes certain species will clash with one another, making for an aggressive tank environment.

Some fish species will actively kill off other species, usually ones smaller than themselves. Other species are extremely territorial and will not share tank space with the majority of others and will vehemently defend their habitat. 

Even if these fish attacks do not result in deaths, it will still cause significant issues for its inhabitants. Aggressive tanks will cause the fish to be under constant stress. This will lower their immune and subsequently increase the risk of illness and disease.

In this article, we will look at the tendencies of both Guppies and Angelfish, two widespread species of aquarium fish. We will highlight any potential complications with them sharing the same space and what can be done to improve the likelihood of a peaceful tank.

Tendencies of Guppies

Often referred to as community fish, Guppies are one of the easier fish species to keep in your aquarium. They are small in size, usually ranging from 0.5-1.4 inches in males and 1.1-2.4 inches in females. 

On average, they live around 1.5-2 years, but if they are in the right tank conditions, they can live for 3+ years. Typically very colorful and active fish are fantastic for beginner tank keepers and won’t require a lot of specialist care. 

They are particularly good tank mates as they are very peaceful and will not show aggression to any of the other fish species. The only aggression they tend to show is towards their own young as they can often eat their offspring.

The main problem with Guppies is how vulnerable they are to the attacks of other fish species, particularly the bigger and more aggressive ones. It is for this reason than it is usually advised to keep Guppies with other small species of fish.

Can You Keep Guppies and Angelfish Together?

Tendencies of Angelfish

Angelfish are not exactly considered to be community fish. They are one of the more aggressive species of tank fish. They can often cause problems for smaller fish species, such as Guppies.

Although they are beautiful and colorful fish, they can create many problems for tank owners. Angelfish should be carefully monitored when selected to coexist with other species.

They can get quite big, up to around 6 inches in length, which is much bigger than the Guppies. They are predatorial fish and can live for about 10-15 years in most cases, so it is important to keep them in the right tank environments. 

Angelfish often display territorial behavior and can fight amongst each other and with other fish. For best results, it is advised to keep them with other medium-large sized fish and to have at least a 50-gallon fish tank.

Can You Keep Guppies and Angelfish Together?

Can You Keep Guppies and Angelfish Together?

So can you keep Guppies and Angelfish together? Unfortunately, the answer to this one has to be a resounding no. As we mentioned earlier, the Angelfish are aggressive species and will attack most fish that are smaller than them.

Angelfish can grow up to around 6 inches in length, while Guppies are between 0.5-2.4 inches. The size difference is too vast, and the Angelfish will almost certainly present a real danger to the Guppies.

However, some people report having these two species living together in harmony. If you were adamant about having both of them in the same tank, then it would be advised to get a huge space for them to coexist in. 

A lot of the problems with Angelfish arise due to a lack of space and them becoming aggressive in response, due to their territorial nature. 

One suggestion would be to introduce the guppies while the Angelfish are very young. This way they will not pose an immediate threat to the Guppies. That way, the Angelfish will grow up being used to being around the Guppies are reduce the chances of an attack.

That being said, the studies still suggest that even with these measures put in place, it would always likely end in the death of the Guppies.

Below we will look further into the possible complications of having these two species in the same tank.

Other Possible Complications

Guppies are known for being incredibly fertile. They reproduce at a very high rate, and if you don’t control the ratio of male to female Guppies, then you can end up with a lot of Guppy fry. This can be a problem if there are Angelfish present in the tank.

The chances are, the Angelfish will almost entirely eat the Guppy fry. The only way to avoid this would be to have a net or the fry or have a completely separate tank for them ready to go as soon as they are born.

Can You Keep Guppies and Angelfish Together?

Bottom Line

So can you keep guppies and angelfish together? Angelfish are one of the more exciting aquarium fish that you can buy due to their fascinating nature. They are relatively aggressive and have unpredictable personalities at times. This is a stark contrast to Guppies.

Guppies are popular due to their peaceful nature and their compatibility with most aquarium setups. They will be able to coexist with most fish species without any problems from the Guppies themselves. 

The issue is usually with the other fish species they are sharing the tank with. Our advice is to keep these species separated if it’s possible. Guppies are a great tank mate for the majority of aquarium fish, so if you already have them in your tank, then you won’t be short of options.

If you already have Angelfish in your tank, then you may want to consider getting a different species to keep the harmony in your tank. They are excellent tankmates for a lot of mid-large sized fish. Just keep in mind that if any fish in your tank bear live young, then the Angelfish will most likely eat them.

Thanks for reading!


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Can I Keep Cherry Shrimp With Guppies? Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:50:43 +0000 Cherry Shrimp and Guppies are two of the most popular species of aquarium fish, especially for beginner tank owners. They are peaceful species that don’t require too much special attention,...

The post Can I Keep Cherry Shrimp With Guppies? appeared first on Help Us Fish.

Cherry Shrimp and Guppies are two of the most popular species of aquarium fish, especially for beginner tank owners. They are peaceful species that don’t require too much special attention, making them perfect for most tank setups. But can I keep cherry shrimp with guppies?

The short answer is yes. They can live together, but it will take a specific tank set up and some maintenance on your behalf. In this article, we have looked into the tendencies of each species and some measures you can take to ensure harmony in the tank.

Can I keep cherry shrimp with guppies?

Keeping Fish Species Together

Any responsible aquarium owner would want to make sure that they are trying their best to create a harmonious and peaceful habitat for its inhabitants. The fish that you keep inside your tank will have a much longer and happier life if you do so.

There is a vast array of aquarium fish species that you can add to your tank, each of them with their own personalities and traits that can either make them compatible or incompatible with other species.

Some tend to be more aggressive than others and can make more calm and peaceful fish have a torrid time trying to avoid them, forcing them to spend most of their life hiding in the corners of the tank in a highly stressed state.

Before adding any new fish to your aquarium, it is essential to consider whether they can coexist peacefully with the inhabitants of your tank, or whether they will clash and cause an aggressive environment.

In this article, we will look further into the tendencies of Guppies and Cherry Shrimp and whether they will make good tank mates or not.

Tendencies of Guppies

Guppies are one of the most popular and widely purchased aquarium fish in the world. At some point, every aquarium owner will have had some form of Guppy breed in their tank.

They are small yet hardy fish with a wide variety of colors that can make your aquarium stand out in the room. Guppies are also relatively easy to look after and don’t require much individual attention.

 It’s for that reason that many pet stores recommend Guppies to new tank owners and beginners. 

Guppies are very peaceful fish and will not cause any problems to most of the other fish species out there. 

They are relatively small and prefer to stay within schools of their own kind. If confronted by an aggressor, they will resort to hiding in the tank and will usually remain there until the threat is gone.

With that being said, Guppies still have to eat something, so if you introduce a tiny species that are on the food chain, then you shouldn’t be surprised if they disappear overnight.

Can I keep cherry shrimp with guppies?

Tendencies of Cherry Shrimp

Similar to Guppies, Cherry Shrimp is also a wildly popular species of aquarium fish. They are particularly popular for beginner aquarists as they don’t require a lot of special care, and they are a relatively hardy species.

Cherry Shrimp are very peaceful too and won’t cause many problems for most other aquarium fish. They also provide several benefits to a tanks ecosystem, but the main one being their algae diet.

They will eat away at a lot of the algae in the tank and keep it a lot cleaner, making the aquarium owner’s life a lot easier.

The problem with Cherry Shrimp is how small and fragile they are. They are a relatively small species, growing up to 1.5 inches in length and are mostly defenseless to attackers.

If you have any bigger, more aggressive species of fish, then the chances are that the Cherry Shrimp will become food for them in pretty short order. In the wild, they mitigate this defenseless with a high breeding rate, similar to Guppies.

Can I keep cherry shrimp with guppies?

Can You Keep Cherry Shrimp and Guppies Together?

So is it possible to keep these two peaceful species together, or will there be complications? Unfortunately, the answer is not as straightforward as a yes or a no. In theory, yes, they can be kept together, but it must be within the right conditions and circumstances.

Even though Guppies are peaceful creatures, they still find themselves higher on the food chain than Cherry Shrimp. As mentioned earlier, the Chery Shrimp are extremely defenseless and are prone to attack from most fish species.

Guppies will seize this opportunity when presented and have been known to attack Cherry Shrimp. While this won’t happen immediately, over a long period, you may notice your Cherry Shrimp population dwindle.

Can I keep cherry shrimp with guppies?

The picture above shows just how small Cherry Shrimp fry can be. As you can see, they would be an easy target for a Guppy.

Steps To Take To Increase Chances Of A Peaceful Tank

Even though Guppies may attack Cherry Shrimp, it is still possible to have these two species living together in harmony. Let’s take a look at some precautions we can take to increase the chances of a peaceful tank.

Introduce More Plants

One of the best things you can do for your Shrimp is to make sure they have enough cover and can hide properly from predators. Not only will the be more protected, but they will be much less stressed for not being out in the open all the time.

Watch The Ratio

Keep an eye on the ratio of Guppies to Cherry Shrimp. If the number of Guppies is too high compared to the Shrimp, then you will be increasing the chances of an attack. If you do plan keeping them together, later try and keep a higher number of Shrimp over Guppies.

Introduce The Shrimp First

It can help to introduce the Cherry Shrimp first so that they can become established in the tank. That way, they can become comfortable and understand where the best hiding spots are, then they have a much higher chance of survival.

Use Proper Shrimp Food

Guppies can be a ravenous species. If you use one type of food for all fish and expect the Shrimp to be able to clean up from the bottom, then they may become malnourished. This can lead them to leave their sheltered area and become vulnerable to attacks.

Bottom Line

So there you have it. Cherry Shrimp and Guppies can live in the same tank in harmony, but it will take some work and maintenance to achieve it. Even after all of your efforts, you may still find that your Guppies are eating the Shrimp.

The Cherry Shrimp are incredibly vulnerable and often find themselves to prey to any species that is bigger than themselves. If you do plan to keep them together, then keep in mind our tips for increasing the chance of a peaceful tank with both of them in.

Thanks for reading!


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Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w Reviewed Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:43:57 +0000 It can be hard to find a good heater for your aquirium. I have just finished reviewing the Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w.  But did it live up to...

The post Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w Reviewed appeared first on Help Us Fish.


Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something.

Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w Specifications

The Eheim Jager heater has the following specifications

  • Fully submersible
  • Thermo safey control protects against running dry
    Will automatically turn off when water level dips too low
  • TruTemp dial recalibrates the heater for precise temperature regulation

The Eheim Jager heater comes in many different sizes. Using the table below you will be able to work out what size heater you will need for your tank.

Tank Size Heater Power Heater Size
7-16 gallons 50 watt 9″
16-26 gallons 75 watt 10.2″
26-40 gallons 100 watt 12.2″
40-53 gallons 125 watt 12.2″
53-79 gallons 150 watt 13.4″
79-106 gallons 200 watt 15.7″
106-159 gallons 250 watt 17.3″
159-264 gallons 300 watt 19.6″

Eheim Jager Heater Setup

I will now take you through the setup of the heater.

Whats In The Box?

When you receive the heater the following items should be inside.

  • 1 x Eheim Jager Heater with 190 cm power cord
  • 2 x Suction Cups
  • 1 x Mounting Bracket
  • 1 x Instructions
  • 1 x White Plastic Ring

Eheim Jager Heater 300 Setup

Make sure to read the instructions before setting up the heater with your tank.  The white plastic ring can be thrown away, it was only used to keep the heater safe during shipping.

My first impressions of the Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w was wow this looks like a well built heater that will last. I was surprised how robust the glass feels, it is advertised as being shatter proof which I now believe.

Heater Setup

First thing we need to do is set the temperature we want the heater to run at.

How do I set the temperature on my eheim Jager heater? You can set the temperature to between 18° to 34° C (65° to 93° F) by twisting the red dial on to the temperature you wish to use, as shown below.

As far as I know 65° to 93° F is the largest temperature range you can get for an aquarium heater.

Next connect the two sucker cups to the mounting bracket as shown below.

Eheim Jager Heater Sucker Cups

Now connect the mounting bracket to the heater and click in to place as shown below.

mounting bracket heater

Heater Placement

You can now place the heater in to your tank

How to place eheim Jager heater in my tank? simply place the two sucker cups on the glass on the inside of your tank. .  Be aware that the power cable is quite thick and might be an inconvenience for your placement of the heater.

It is recommended to place the heater at the opposite end of the tank to the pump.  This way it should heat up your tank quicker.  Once the heater is in place connect the power cable to the mains.

Heater Placement

Expect the heater to heat the water very quickly.

I am not to sure what to make of the thick cable? I guess it makes the heater extra safe, but is it needed? I have never known an aquarium heater to have an issue because of the cable.

Monitoring The Temperature

Now we have the heater in place it is a good idea to monitor the temperature of the water.  If the pump was to stop working there are no obvious signs it is not working and your fish will suffer as a result.

I highly recommend you purchase an aquarium thermometer to monitor the water temperature. I use the Capetsma Aquarium Thermometer (Shown Below) which I love because it has a built in alarm that you can set if the water temperature goes below or above what you set.

Capetsma Aquarium Thermometer

In my tests I used the capetsma aquarium thermometer and a Fluval Celcius Digital Aquarium Thermometer to monitor the water temperature and I found that the Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300w was very accurate at warming the tank to the selected temperature.

I found that the temperature was out by about 1°F which I believe it very acceptable.

Overall Thoughts

I think that this is one of the best glass aquarium heaters on the market today.  Especially considering how much it costs.  This is a well made affordable heater that I highly recommend.

  • Feels well built / high quality
  • Very good price
  • Heater will shut off when removed from the water
  • Very accurate
  • Designed for use in both freshwater and saltwater
  • Highly rated on amazon
  • Power cable a bit bulky











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Why Do My Guppy Fish Keep Dying? Wed, 06 Nov 2019 13:12:20 +0000 There’s nothing more provoking for a fish owner than looking into your tank to see one of your guppy floating lifelessly at the surface of the water. This can be...

The post Why Do My Guppy Fish Keep Dying? appeared first on Help Us Fish.


This can be even more annoying if, over the next few days, more guppies start to dying for an unknown reason. This will leave you wondering as you don’t know what is making them die, and you will keep questioning yourself, thinking you have done something wrong.

Why Do My Fish Keep Dying?

Why are my guppies dying one by one?

It might be a case of Fresh Tank Syndrome.This is the theme that is used when fish become sick or die in a newly constructed tank/aquarium. It is normal for fish to produce ammonia, and this is formed when waste is released into the aquarium water by the fish. Surplus fish food and debris also rot in the aquarium, and this too can escalate ammonia levels.

Some people select to do a fishless sequence when they first purchase an aquarium to establish the aquarium and organize it so that it is a safe environment for fish to grow well once they are introduced. A fishless sequence can be a complicated process, but it involves imitating the changes that would occur when fish are added to an aquarium – but without the fish.

This means that you need to introduce ammonia to the aquarium yourself to develop the filter so that when you introduce the fish, the area won’t cause them any harm.

Moreover, most of the people add their first fish to a tank within seven days after setting it up, without any issues. Problems can arise, though, if your tank/aquarium is not correctly cared for. If you’ve newly lost fish or your fish have become sick, here’s our guide to possible problem causers.

Bad Water Quality

The kind of water in the tank plays a big part in the growth of your guppies, and if it is not up to solve, your fish can pay the critical price. Ammonia and nitrite are just two of many common issues that you might come across while caring for a tank, and both can affect your fish.

Many things can lead to ammonia, such as fish waste, remaining rotten food at the bottom of the tank, and dead fish not being removed quickly. Overfeeding your fish is a practice that is worth circumventing.

Deficient Water Changes

If you don’t conduct steady water changes, then fish waste and surplus food will remain in the aquarium. A fish tank filter plays a huge part in eliminating food and waste, but it can still help to frequently add fresh water so that issues don’t keep circulating.

Water changes need to be done at least once in 5 to 7 days, and you should get into the routine shortly after buying your fish tank, rather than waiting for issues to arise before you start to alter your tank water. To make sure that your water value is good enough for your fish, using a test kit often can be helpful.

Why Do My Fish Keep Dying?


It may shock you, but just like humans, fish can become strained quickly, and this can be bad for their well-being. The more stress they go through, the more prone they are to being affected by diseases, and the more they tussle to fight these sicknesses.

Stress can be caused by disorders such as loud noises, needless substrate changes, hands being placed in the fish aquarium, and bullying from other guppies. It’s best to avoid troubling the fish tank unless necessary.

ALSO READ THIS, Do Guppies Sleep At The Bottom of Tank?

To avert the fish from picking on each other, it’s worth proving that the fish you buy is well-suited before placing them with others in the tank. Some species of fish can’t live incoherence, and you might find one or two fish chasing others around the aquarium or biting their fins.


Overcrowding is a famous fish killer. Many tank owners can get carried away when buying fish, buying far too many for the size of the aquarium you have constructed.

This not only gives the fish fewer space to move around in, but it also raises the chance of there being an ammonia issue. A good rule to follow is just one centimeter of fish per liter of water in a tank.

This aids you to work out a lot of fish you can stock while taking on board, but be aware that not all fish are the equal size. Even if you don’t have a lot of fish in your aquarium, adding numerous fish at once can lead to high ammonia levels, while a rapid and dramatic change can kill the fish off fast when they don’t have clean water to swim in.

It’s best to slowly introduce your fish to the tank a few at a time, making sure that you acclimatize them correctly. 

You may be concern that your fish are starving and will die if they aren’t well fed. But it is more harmful to feed your fish excessively. Overfeeding is a common issue, and it can be risky even if you’re only guilty of it on occasions.

Leftover feeds will sink to the bottom of the fish tank and will progressively rotten, increasing the amount of ammonia in the aquarium.

One way of sucking up all of the rotten food is by including a bottom-feeding fish like a catfish to clear uneaten food, but you must be sure they won’t feed on your guppies. Regular water variations can also help to reduce any effects of overfeeding. We know prevention is better than cure, so it is fine not to overfeed in the first place.

Insufficient Chemical Filtration

Remember to apply a de-chlorinator and strain coat when doing a water change to make sure that the water is harmless for the fish. Putting water straight from the tap without treating it first is a typical destroyer of fish.

Shortage of Warmth

If you have humid fish, you need to sustain a certain temperature to make sure that they don’t get too cold. Fish tank heaters do this seamlessly, and the majority will control themselves to make sure that the water doesn’t get too warm or cold.

Contaminated Water

Water can become polluted quite easily, and the slightest trace of imported material can cause issues for the tank dwellers. One of the most known ways a fish tank can become polluted is when you are changing the aquarium water or during feeding.

We advise using the same plastics for water changing and working at the aquarium. Never wash this plastic/bucket using cleaning reagents as the smallest drop of washing up liquid can pollute the water, for instance. Water can also become polluted if you add the water directly from the tap without using dechlorinator to eradicate chlorine and other toxins.

Why Do My Fish Keep Dying?


When an illness starts to take hold of your fish aquarium, it can be hard to control, and before you know it, you can lose many of your fish within the shortest time, and in really severe cases, you lose your guppies in hours.

Happily, almost all fish diseases, parasites, and bacteria can be healed with treatments and drugs. Ensure you don’t over-medicate, though, as this can lead to more harm than good.

Disease handling can be a valuable addition to your aquarium kit when your guppies start to get sick or if they give up the ghost. Some treatments can target the problems and stop them from spreading.

But first, you should work out precisely what sickness it is that your fish are suffering from.

Common Fish Disease?


The popular NT Labs Formaldehyde is an awful disease treatment to defeat parasites and flukes. It can be mixed with NT Labs Malachite to fight parasite infections such as Ichthyopthirus white marks/spot, Trichodina, Costia, and Epistylis.

Anchor worms 


i)  Rubbing against objects in the tank

ii) White/green threads evolving from scales

iii)  Swelling of the scales where threads appear

CHECK OUT, How Can You Tell A Male Guppy From A Female Guppy?

Disease Cure

Oase Anti Worm can aid the protection of your fish from bloodsucking worms or lice. Anchor worms, peel worms, gill worms, and the usual tapeworms can all be eliminated with the precise dosage at regular breaks. It’s vital to follow the guidelines included with the disease 

If you have lost some fish in a short space of time, it might be due to coincidence. Many species of guppies only live within a year or three years on average, meaning that death is unavoidable at some point. But it is imperative to keep an eye on their sickness in case there is something in the tank that is affecting the guppy fish and killing them.



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Do Guppies Need A Heater To Survive? Wed, 06 Nov 2019 13:10:59 +0000 Guppies are humid kinds of fish, and they love warmer water. Although guppies can endure in lower temperature water, the chances of emerging types of diseases are really on a...

The post Do Guppies Need A Heater To Survive? appeared first on Help Us Fish.


So, do I need a heater for my guppy fish aquarium? The answer is, YES! It is advisable to heat the water for your guppy fish. The ideal temperature for guppies to thrive in is 72-82 °F (22-28 °C) 

Do Guppies Need A Heater To Survive

The best way to maintain a water temperature of around 72-82 °F (22-28 °C) is to use an aquarium water heater.  I can recommend the FREESEA Aquarium Fish Tank Submersible Heater from amazon.

Guppy Aquarium Heater Size Manual

If you need to sum up the wattage your aquarium needs, use the below guide: 5 watts gallon of water volume. The table below is for in-door tanks/aquariums and room temperature, in which air is set to 70 °F (21 °C).

Tank Size Heater Wattage
Five Gallons / 20 Liters 25 Watts
Ten Gallon / 40 Liters 50 Watts
Twenty Gallon / 80 Liters 100 Watts
Twenty-five Gallon / 95 Liters 125 Watts
Forty Gallon / 150 Liters 200 Watts
Fifty Gallon / 190 Liters 250 Watts
Sixty-five Gallon / 250 Liters 2 X 200 Watts
Seventy-five Gallon / 285 Liters 2 x 300 Watts


 With this arrangement, you will have the ability to heat the tank/aquarium water up to 75 °F (27 °C).

Do Guppies Need A Heater To Survive

Keeping Guppies In-Door

Is there a need for the heater if you preserve your aquarium in your home, which is already heated? If you live in a kind of weather, where it is necessary to warm your home in the winter, possibly you will fix a temperature of 70 °F (21 °C).

Guppy fish can stay at a water temperature of 70 °F. The only issue is that the water of your tank will not read the same temperature as the air because water heats up slowly than oxygen (air), and also cools at a lesser speed. I’ve noticed in a room, where the air hotness is set to 70 °F, the water will heat up to around 64-66 °F (18-19 °C). This is hazardous to your guppy fish.

If you are continuing with these measurements in the winter, you need to obtain a heater for your guppies. The table that is shared above will explain all you need to know about the setup. The table is accurate for keeping a constant water temperature of 74 °F (23-24 °C) in a 10-gallon guppy tank.

Keeping Guppies In Tub or Pot

If you stay in a tropical climate where the temperature in the winter does not fall below 68 °F (20 °C), you can keep guppies separate from an aquarium or tank. There are some cities like Hawaii, where you can keep guppy fish outside the tank or aquarium in a pot or bathtubs all year due to the climate of the town. It is recommended, you know the environment you live and what will be a perfect atmospheric condition for your fish there. The temperature in Hawaii does not go below 68 °F (20 °C) anytime in the year; if you live in this kind of environment, there is no need for using the heater as you already keep your guppies in a tub.

You can still breed and nurture guppies outside in tubs or ponds, even If you live in a region where the temperature drops below the freezing level. The most essential is to set up your bathtubs or pond during the early spring when the temperature does not go below 64 °F (18 °C).

During the day the sun will warm up the water in the pot/tub/pond adequately to be nontoxic for your guppy fish while in the night, the water temperature will not fall so meaningfully, because water cools down slower compared to air.

During the warm summer, you might want to craft some shade around the tub so that you can prevent overheating of the water.

Can You Keep Guppies In Cool Water?

Once the temperature starts falling in the pond, you should prepare to move your guppies back to the tank or aquarium where you can introduce heater, or you can still introduce heater to your pond/tub/pot. To a certain level, you can use heaters to make sure the water temperature of the pond is at your preferred level, but it is very inefficient, according to most users.

If you live in a place with an Inland climate, and in the winter, the temperature often drops under freezing rate, then you might still be able to keep the guppies for months. 

In the winter, all tanks/aquariums should be heated with one or more tank heaters.


Do You Need A Heater For Your Fish Tank?

If you have humid fish that need warmer water that is in standard room temperature, then a heater is indeed required.

A heater is even more so of a necessity in a small tank, which is more exposed to temperature changes due to the low water volume.

These changes in temperature are stressful to your fish and can cause infection and even death to your guppy fish.

A tank/aquarium heater will help preserve the water temperature stable and keep your fish healthy.

Do Guppies Need A Heater To Survive

How to Select A Heater For Small Aquarium?

When selecting a small aquarium heater, there are a few factors to put into consideration, they are:

i) The size of your aquarium; The volume of water in the aquarium matters a lot. 

ii) Temperature; According to the guidelines explained here, know how to measure the room temperature; this will determine if you need a heater or not.

iii) Know the amount of heat that’s necessary in your aquarium/tanks.

The capacity of small aquarium heaters is measured in watts while the more the wattage, the more powerful the heater. For instance, a 50 W heater is adequate for a ten-gallon tank/aquarium.


See If Guppies And Neon Tetras Can Live Together In The Same Tank


Expectantly, this piece has aided you to agree if you need a heater for your guppy fish or not. If you need more explanation about using a heater in your aquarium or you want to share your experience with us, then feel free to share your thoughts through the comment section. 



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How Long Do Guppies Live For? Wed, 06 Nov 2019 13:05:12 +0000 I always receive this same questions by guppy’s lovers/trainees who want to keep guppies in their aquarium:In a nutshell: the life span of a guppy fish depends on numerous factors....

The post How Long Do Guppies Live For? appeared first on Help Us Fish.


Guppies generally live between 1-3 years, but it is not unusual for guppies to live up to 5 years if they are kept in good conditions.

Fundamental elements are what help differentiate guppies that live for less than a year, and those that live for over the stipulated three years. Some of the factors are viable guppy genetics, consuming quality food, sanitize/regulated water parameters, and minimize stress can help to elongate the year’s guppies will live.

How Long Do Guppies Live For

How to Increase Guppy Fish Longevity?

Below are ways you can help your fish live longer than it would have lived, these methods are proven, and they work.

i) Guppy Genetics

You can do whatsoever you want if your guppies have genetics that is not viable. In most scenarios, guppies with bad genetics will give up the ghost before it attains the adult stage.

Purchasing your guppy fish from expert guppy breeders who care about breeding fit fish with good genetics is a good start to better the life span of your guppy fish.

Pet marts are also a trusted source to purchase your guppies because they usually sell healthy fish. However, fish breeders have complained on various platforms, that guppies purchased from pet marts tend to live less long than guppies bought from breeders.

ii) Giving Healthy Diet

Besides viable genetics, your fish need a quality diet to develop and live a longer life. I WROTE HOW TO PREVENT AND TREAT CONSTIPATION

Guppies will consume almost anything you give them. You can provide them a commercial or home-made meal. It is essential to feed them a diverse kind of food.

If you decide to feed guppies with commercial food, select a known brand. You can find many guppies feeds in pet marts or online platforms like veggies, spirulina, etc.

If you fancy preparing your guppies meal at home, make sure you give your guppy fish the needed vitamins and minerals. Guppies prefer fresh feeds and cocked veggies such as cucumber, watermelon, spinach, carrots, green beans, and few others.

They also love live feeds like daphnia, vinegar eels, or saline shrimps. These are feeds that make guppies live longer and healthy though the cultivation of live food is not more expensive.

Whatever you feed your guppies with, be it commercial or home-made food, Ensure they consume varieties of food, and you don’t give them more than they need.

The Lifespan of Guppies – How Long Do Guppies Live For?

ii) Giving Guppies Accurate Water Parameters

Water parameters are perhaps the most vital factor for keeping guppies healthy and live long. Guppy fish are very resilient and can live in a wide range of water parameters. Here is the most appropriate water quality for guppy fish:

The temperature should be: 72-82 °F (22-28 °C )

The pH level should be: 6.8-7.8

The hardness of the water should not be more than (dGH): 8-12

0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, not more than 10 ppm nitrates

In most scenarios, clean tap water is the best for guppies. But be cautious with the tap water. Tap water contains dense metals like lead, chlorine, and chloramine in low measures, which is non-toxic for human beings consumption but is very toxic for your guppy fish.

Make use of water conditioner when performing water changes to eradicate the toxic elements from the tap water. Some breeders use Seachem Prime to eliminate the harmful components from the tap water.

Read my detailed article about seven aquaria digital thermometer.

iii) Reducing Stress

Just like we are humans, guppies can also undergo stress. There are indeed many reasons that will cause stress in your guppies. Below are the most known stress factors for guppies:

Poor tank mates

Bad water circumstances

Absence of hiding space

Overcrowded in fish aquarium/tank

Excessive light

Insufficient male to female ratio

If you rear your guppies in a free(public) tank, other fish might traumatize them. Some other varieties of fish are very hostile like the angelfish, and it is not advisable to keep them alongside guppies in the same aquarium.

The Lifespan of Guppies – How Long Do Guppies Live For?

Guppies like to have hiding space in a tank, though when they feel safe, they do not hide under leaves. Moreover, it is a great idea to give guppies some sort of hiding spaces. Female guppies are stressed continuously by male guppies while they need to relax. You will notice female guppies hiding between plants or other aquarium ornaments. Having live plants in your tanks aids the survival rate of guppy fries also. Aquarium plants are very useful in improving the parameter of water.

Overcrowding also causes stress to your fish, work on this. You can use bowls, tanks, and the likes if you do not have standard aquariums. There is a reduction of oxygen in the aquarium, and the infection spread fast when there is overcrowding.

iv) Guppies also sleep. They need to relax, and they need dimness for this. Excessive illumination will lead to stress and, finally, death. If you use non-natural light in your guppy’s aquarium, ensure you turn it off within 6-9 hours in every 24 hours. If you are very busy or you often forget things, there is a light that switches on/off automatically, try to get such for your aquarium.

If you want your guppies to sleep more, so they can live longer, it is advisable to stock one male to three females ration to reduce the stress your female guppies might face. I know those male guppies are better-looking, and people tend to purchase more of the male guppies than females. This is not a good idea. Excessive numbers males compared to the female will pester and stress the female guppies so much, and you might lose a substantial number of female guppies to the hand of death. If you purchase guppies for their vibrant colors and not for reproduction, then you are free to stock only males, especially if you run an aquarium for sightseeing or excursion.



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Do Guppies Poop Before Giving Birth? Wed, 06 Nov 2019 13:02:42 +0000 Guppies are livebearers, which means when guppies attain maturity, they give birth to live, feasible, free-swimming offspring. They do not lay eggs, knowing how guppies give birth can aids aquarium...

The post Do Guppies Poop Before Giving Birth? appeared first on Help Us Fish.

Guppies are livebearers, which means when guppies attain maturity, they give birth to live, feasible, free-swimming offspring. They do not lay eggs, knowing how guppies give birth can aids aquarium lovers to enjoy breeding healthy guppies more without stressing the pregnant guppy or risking the lives of the young fries (baby guppy).

Do Guppies Poop Before Giving Birth? Whenever a pregnant guppy is pooping many times than the norm, most of the time, she will give birth in an hour’s time though some female guppies start having high poops from the second week of pregnancy.

Let us discuss this first. You need to be sure if your female guppy is gravid or not. Gravid is a fishery terminology that the good thing is, it is not hard to know if a guppy is gravid. If you are caring for male and female guppies in the same aquarium, female guppies get pregnant fast within days most of the time, unless they are infertile.

During pregnancy, female guppies usually possess a bulging belly. Their gravid spot, which is directly above their anal fin, will turn prominent and darker. In the few weeks of pregnancy, their stomach will continue to expand, until the fries are out.

Do guppies poop before giving birth?

How To Know If Female Guppies Are About To Give Birth.

Female guppies usually deliver their fries within 25-35 days after mating with male guppies. It is difficult to predict the exact date when they will give birth to the fries. Moreover, there are ways from which you can detect that your female guppy is about to deliver.

When your guppy hides between plants or isolate themselves or stay in the corner of the aquarium, those are the sign that your female guppy fish is in labor and set to deliver fries. These factors are unusual to guppies; that is why it is not hard to detect. Once you see a pregnant guppy isolating herself, then it is time to put her in a separate aquarium.

Details About Guppies Giving Birth

The first question friends ask when they visit our aquarium for the first time is, “Like how many babies do guppies produce?” The answer is here, whenever a female guppy gives birth, the female will “drop” 2 to 200 baby guppies, called fries, this delivery usually takes place within 4 to 6 hours, while atimes it takes over 12 hours. Though there are hours spacing in between the fries delivery.

The baby guppies usually give birth to curled shaped fries, just as they appear in the mother’s womb if you subject them to a scan. Immediately after birth, like tadpoles, they will straighten themselves and start swimming.

Moreover, healthy newborn guppies often swim in ascending order, this shows perfect health, but guppies that are stressed or not fully formed are found at the bottom of the aquarium as they sink.

Do guppies poop before giving birth?
This Is What Happen When Guppy is Set To Give Birth.

Female guppies can become pregnant after their three weeks birthday, and if the females are not quickly parted from male guppies, they can deliver once every month consistently for a decade. Guppy lovers must swiftly learn to spot the signs of a pregnant guppy in the tank. It is essential you also know weight gain and the blackening of the gravid spot close to the anus below the tail.

The pregnancy period for guppies is usually from 21 to 30 days (within 22 to 26 days most times) according to the aquarium’s temperature, cleanliness, and the female guppy’s health. Close to the end of the pregnancy period, the female will display signs of the imminent birth.

Pregnant Guppies Signs Of Delivery

Fish display different signs when they are close to delivery, guppies are no exception, and every female guppy will show similar signs when she’s ready to give birth. The nuggets below will guide you when next your guppies are pregnant.

i) The female navel during the gestation period is usually box or square in shape.
ii) The gravid spot is very black or dark
iii) Female guppy that is almost ready to give birth will start finding a hiding place in the tank.
iv) Variation in eating behaviors, such as snubbing food.
v) Quivering or shuddering signs during contractions
vi) Consistent, rapid breathing, this can be scary if you have not seen it before.

When a female guppy displays symptoms that she is set to give birth, the best suggestion is to isolate her to a delivery tank or net inside the standard tank or in a separate aquarium. This will single her from other fish in the tank, so she do not need to pass through too much stress. Some delivery tanks have dividers that give the fries a safe place to start swimming immediately after birth. Ensure you feed your guppy when she is done giving birth because hungry guppies love to eat fries.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Delivery Tank

A simple method to make your guppy delivery area and preserve the pregnant guppy and her fries safety is by using a small stainless/plastic soda-type bottle.

Cut the upper part of the bottle, leaving a strip of about one inch to four inches extended sticking out from the bottom half.

Use a hairdryer or other heating component to twist the strip out and down so that it forms a “hook.”
Use a knife to bore holes on the bottle.
Place the bottle into the aquarium/tank, using the hook to lock it to the top of the tank.
Place the fries in the bottle. This way, they can swim inside the container, and water from the aquarium will fill the bottle while the bottle itself saves the fries.

Do Guppies Poop Before Giving Birth?

Guppies have long, whitish or translucent, stringy poop? A times guppies refuse to eat due to this, and the poop is usually awkward. White poop is most times, a sign of some diseases or infection. Whenever a pregnant guppy is pooping many times than the norm, most of the time, she will give birth in an hour’s time though some female guppies start having high poops from the second week of pregnancy.

Do guppies poop before giving birth?


It will amaze you that a female guppy can become pregnant immediately after delivering fries because they can store sperm in the body for many months, and not all their sperm get fertilized at once. Before the death of a female guppy, you are guaranteed to have over 2,000 fries.


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How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food? Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:56:26 +0000 What can you do when you are not around for a few days or maybe a few weeks? How do you feed them or how to change water while you...

The post How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food? appeared first on Help Us Fish.

What can you do when you are not around for a few days or maybe a few weeks? How do you feed them or how to change water while you are away? What happens if you don’t give them food at all for days?

How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food? Adult guppies can live without food for up to 2 weeks, though we have heard about guppies that live six weeks without a feed two weeks is the standard — moreover, there are things to put into consideration before parting with your guppies for such a long period. But, guppy fries will not survive more than 2 to 4 days without feeds.

How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food?

Before Parting With Your Guppies for Weeks, You Must Do the Following

i) Prepare Your tank Before Leaving

ii) Keeping your tank clean regularly is vital if you want to nurture and keep healthy guppies.

iii) Do filter upkeep few days before parting with your guppies

iv) Do a finer water change (50-70%) one day before leaving

v) Put tank lights on a timer

vi) Remove rotten plant matter or dead/dying fish

vii) Do filter routine

viii) Doing constant filter maintenance is essential.

Unwanted waste and debris can build up in the filter as time goes. This has to be removed because it can be an awful source of nutrients and ammonia. In case you use a sponge filter, you should only wash the sponge in a plastic/bucket with tank water, and it is great to take it back to the aquarium.

If you have an interior or a content filter, you should clean the mechanical filter and eradicate all the built-up muck. You should not touch the biological filter section, because you want to keep the nitrifying bacteria thriving. Ensure you use a filter in your aquarium a few days before your short leave; it will help most of your guppies to stay alive.

Water Change

A day before you leave your guppies, you should do a better water change. We advise you to change 30% of the water every week. You should replace this amount of water weekly; because you will need to preserve the nitrate levels less than 10 ppm. If you are consistent and you measure your aquarium, then they should reach a nitrate level within six to seven days.

When you part with your fish for weeks, we advise doing 50-80% water change. Though this amount of water, you will reduce a lot of nitrates and other fish waste from the water. It will take a lot of time for the nitrates, toxins, and hormones to accumulate to toxicity level.

When doing such a massive water change, I also add nitrifying bacteria to help keep the cluster stable.

How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food?

Aquarium Lights Time Regulator

People ask if you should switch the aquarium lights/off while you are away. We advise using a regulator for your aquarium lights. You can get this is different stores online.

If it is difficult to get a timer, it is better to keep the lights off than putting the lights on 24/7 because guppies prefer dark environment. Though, make sure that the tank environment is not blacked out entirely. Some sort of natural light is still necessary, especially if you have plants with your guppies in the aquarium.

Eliminate Decaying Plants And Dead/Dying Guppies

Getting rid of rotten plants, leaves, or dirty aquarium decorations is an excellent way to lessen water pollution. Lifeless leaves will rotten and will turn into nitrates. While, some of the nitrates can be enthralled by live plants, though few nitrates will remain in the water.

Before leaving your tank, you should also examine your fish. Dying or ill fish should also be taken out of the aquarium. A dead fish will give an ammonia spike, which will lead to more dead guppies. And the chain reaction continues. This is ill-fated, but if you want to save your cluster of guppies, sometime few might be lost to death.

Is it Advisable To Use An Automatic feeder for Your Guppies?

Automatic feeders are a great choice to feed your guppy fish. But, they are not usually a great choice. Some prefer not to feed adult guppies for over ten days to using an automatic feeder.

While for fries, you can set up an automatic feeder for them, and I highly endorse you to do so if you will be out for weeks. There are online stores you can get automatic feeder.

For How Long Can Guppy Fry Live Without Food?

When it comes to feeding, guppy fries are more sensitive than adult guppies. Their survival rate drops significantly after three days without feeding them.

If you have guppy fries in your aquarium, it is a good idea to set up an automatic feeder with precipitate food to feed the fry once in 24 hours. Nourishing them with a tiny bit of feed once a day is sufficient to keep them alive and will not contaminate the water too much either.

In a well-organized tank, where microfauna and algae are available, guppy fries can live for a much longer time if food is constant. Fries eat soft algae, shrimps, daphnia, and other minute creatures that stay in the water. These feeds will help them to stay longer in your absence.

How Long Can Guppies Live Without Food?


To figure it up: guppies can survive without food for at least two weeks if the water quality is excellent. So if you are embarking on a more extended trip, do more significant tank upkeep before parting, and your fish will be just well.

If you have fries, you need to feed them at least once a day. So have them in mind. Be free to share your views with us.




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What Are the Guppy Fish Growth Stages? Sun, 03 Nov 2019 16:02:51 +0000 The survival rate of the Guppy fish in aquariums is dependent on how you keep them out of danger and maintain good conditions for their growth. For this, you need...

The post What Are the Guppy Fish Growth Stages? appeared first on Help Us Fish.

The survival rate of the Guppy fish in aquariums is dependent on how you keep them out of danger and maintain good conditions for their growth. For this, you need to know about the details of the Guppy fish growth stages that enable you to take adequate measures.

What Are the Guppy Fish Growth Stages? There are four distinct guppy fish growth stages. The characteristics vary at each stage. The four stages are, Guppy fry, Guppy Juvenile, Young Guppies and Adult Stage guppies

What Are the Guppy Fish Growth Stages

Therefore, you need to take into account the various threats to their survival. Moreover, you have to also take care of creating the right conditions for their proper growth.

We will consider the factors that create a healthy environment to ensure that your aquarium has big, healthy and colourful Guppies.

What Should You Know About Guppy Fish Growth Stages?

Guppies Size

This is very important to decide the size of the aquarium. So just how big do the guppies get? How soon do they reach there full growth?

For this, you would do well to remember the formula five-five. This, in short, indicates that the size of the fish is 5 cm and it reaches the size within 5 to 6 months.

The female of the species reaches its full-grown size of 5 cm (2 inches). In striking contrast, the males are shorter in length, with a maximum of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) only.

The 4 Guppy Fish Growth Stages

  1. The Guppy fry Stage
  2. Guppy Juvenile stage
  3. Young Guppies
  4. Adult Stage guppies

Important Aspects of the Guppy Fish Growth Stages

The Guppies do not have a larval stage as they do not lay eggs. Instead, they are livebearer fish. After fertilization, the baby guppies develop within the mother’s body for approximately 30 days.

Guppy Fries

fry Guppy Fish

The babies, or the Guppie fries, are capable of swimming freely right from the time they are born. They also have an acute survival instinct and are seemingly aware that their life is at threat in the hands of the other full-grown fish.

Therefore, they look for hiding places until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. Their bodies are small – just about 0.6 mm (1/4 inch) in length. Also, they are very frail at birth but become bigger and stronger within a few hours.

Once they are born, the first thing they do is to look for a place to hide. This is because they are at risk of being eaten by adult guppies and the other bigger fishes.

It is for this reason that you should try to design the aquarium which has a lot of plants and rocks that give them hiding places.

You may also consider separating the pregnant female adult Guppies. Similarly, keeping baby guppies away from other fish for a week in a breeding box increases their survival rate drastically.

You can thereafter release them into the main tank along with other fish.

The Guppy Juvenile Stage

The baby guppy fry becomes a juvenile in about a month. The most distinguishing factor besides their larger size is their gaining color.

Besides this, you will also be able to distinguish their sex by the relative size as well as the easily visible gravid spot in the females. On the other hand, males have smaller tails. Besides, you can also observe their gonopodium start forming.

The juvenile Guppies are up to 2 cm (3/4 inches) in length in about a month, during which they mature sexually and become young guppies.

Young Guppies

Guppy Fish Growth Stages

This is the stage between the Juvenile and adult stages and what we can call as the growth stage to adulthood. During this stage, they grow to their full size and brilliant shades of colors. Therefore, a nurturing environment during this stage determines their life span, as well as their health in the adult Stage.

Your care and attention by giving them the best quality aqua-food and clean water make a lasting difference in their life span. Not only that, but it also makes them reproductive and active for a longer time. Guppies reach sexual maturity in 3-4 months. Thereafter, it is a good idea to separate the males from females, until they reach the adults’ stage.

The Adult Guppy

Guppies reach their adult stage around the time they are 6 months old. At this stage, their size reaches 4 to 6 cm (1.5-2 inches) in the case of females. This is smaller in the case of male guppies.

Their growth rate stops significantly and their activity level reaches their peak, depending on the aquarium size, food, clean water and of course, their genes.

Guppies live actively around 2 to 3 years and given the right conditions are known to almost till 5 years. However, adult guppies are generally infertile and unable to reproduce in about 2 years.

Important Hints for Breeding

The growth rate of young guppies depends upon their health. Providing a high protein diet makes them stronger are they attain sexual maturity in about 4 months. This is one important reason to keep the young males and females apart till they are mature enough.

When they are very young and small female Guppy produces only 4-10 fry. At the same time, a female 6 to 8 months old guppy can easily drop as much as 100 fries. Although the quality of fry is not affected it is better to wait for the female to grow up into adulthood to give a higher number of fry.


Whatever be the guppy fish growth rates, you should feed them a wide variety of protein-rich food to keep the guppies colorful and healthy. Moreover, their main food should be in flaky form for smaller guppies during their fry and juvenile stages.

Also, do keep in mind that when breeding guppies, it is highly recommended to separate males from females when they are 5-6 weeks old. They should be kept in separate tanks until they are 5-6 months old. Besides the quality of fry, another advantage is that at this age of easier to select the robust males and females that are fit for reproduction. This way you can choose only the best ones for breeding.





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Can Guppy Fish Live in a Glass Bowl? Sun, 03 Nov 2019 15:54:53 +0000 If you are limited for space you might consider keeping your guppy fish in a small bowl, but is this a good idea? So Can Guppy Fish Live in a...

The post Can Guppy Fish Live in a Glass Bowl? appeared first on Help Us Fish.


Can Guppy Fish Live in a Glass Bowl? No, preferably you should avoid keeping guppies in a fishbowl. But if you have to, then there are ways to do this.

Can Guppy Fish Live in a Glass Bowl

Small bowls with a few decorative fish like the guppy, along with a sprig of an aquatic plant may seem to be a good idea, it is certainly something that needs more deliberation. Far too many people have started this way, by keeping fish in a small bowl which only ended up dying within a few days!

While aquarium systems are ideal for fish, sometimes there is just not enough space. This is typically so in case of decorative fish you want to display at a bedroom nightstand, or the office desk, or an entry table of your home.

Factors to Consider: How Can Guppy Fish Live In A Glass Bowl 

Fish Bowls Are Not the Right Design and Restrict Oxygen Levels

By their very shape, you will realize that the surface area decreases as the water level rises. How will the exchange of oxygen take place? You might say that you will add pumps but then, space may just not be adequate.

Undersized housing leads to impure water and is bad for the fish. The lack of adequate oxygen will involve a frequent change of water. This may not be a very practical way of maintaining it. Also filling up the jar with anything will reduce the swimming space for fish, which again, is not a good idea for fish health.

Fish Bowls Need More Filtration Effort

Small-sized fish bowls are not meant to house the fish, the aqua-plants, as well as the Marine environment. All of them need fresh filtered water free of chlorine. One practical way to overcome this is to have a suitable filtration system. But where is the space?

You simply cannot install the typical water filtration equipment into these oddly shaped containers. If you are keen then you can find some bigger bowls and come with a built-in filtration system but then they are costly and defeat the very purpose of an economic and lighter decorative fishbowl.

Maintaining Fish Bowls Is Not Easy

Smaller containers are delicate and require more expertise and care. Unless you know about maintaining it within the physical and environmental parameters conducive to fish health, it would be difficult to maintain. You will need to resolve the issue of regularly changing the water without disturbing the balance in the overall environment.

A Fishbowl Is Not an Ideal Environment

Despite all your efforts, you may still find that your guppies have not survived more than a few weeks. This is because, despite all your efforts like changing the water, providing ideal temperature, etc, the fishbowls are simply unable to provide the right environment for your fish.

The small size with less number of fish and short lesser space to move around creates a sort of stress among the fish. They are quite an unnatural environment for them where they are not comfortable and simply do not survive!

So, can guppies live in a glass bowl? Should you keep guppy fish in a glass bowl?


Read on.

How Can Guppies Live In A Glass Bowl?

Selection of the Fish Bowl

Picking the Correct Size of the Bowl is important. A 5 liter Bowl with a big mouth should be the minimum size for one fish. Have a larger size if you want to keep more fish. In any case, do not try to populate the Bowl with more than 3 to 4 fish.

Can Guppy Fish Live in a Glass Bowl 5

Preparing the Fishbowl

  1. Since it is important to give your guppy the right environment for growth, it is necessary to add aquatic life in terms of water plants. Therefore lay a thin layer of porous soil at the bottom, topped up with a layer of gravel.
  2. Now, plant the bowl with plants java moss, water weeds, aquatic grass, etc that are of hardy verity and can grow well under the given conditions.
  3. The gravel and plants are an important factor to give you a biological filtration system.
  4. Fill the bowl only up to its widest part. This will ensure more amount of dissolved oxygen is present in the water.

Add Chlorine-Free Water

Freshwater is important for the fish. While adding it straight from the tap is ideal, you need to ensure it is free from chlorine, chloramines and other dissolved chemicals like the traces of heavy metals.

Change the water regularly by replacing 50% of it every alternate day. Incorporate a filtration system that fits well into the bowl without taking too much space.

Maintain a Low Biological Footprint

  1. Refrain from overstocking the Bowl. Remember, it is better to have just one or two healthy guppy fish than to have more which cannot survive long.
  2. Feed the fish in small quantities and remove the uneaten food regularly, before it contaminates the water.
  3. Keep only one type of sex. This will stop them from breeding and overpopulating the available space.


While there is little doubt that fish bowls are very attractive and add to the overall decoration, keeping guppies in them needs deliberation. So give it a deliberate thought. Do you really want this?

If so, then plan to take all the factors into account. Choose a large enough bowl or upgrade it to 10 gallons (40 Liters). This will help you set up an efficient filtration system and you will have lots of maintenance work at hand. Additionally, it will ensure the healthy growth of your fish which will make you as well as your fish happier.


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