Guppies have a well-deserved legendary status as aquarium fish and are even well known outside the hobby. The enormous variability of these little livebearers has transformed them from short-finned wild fish with a variety of coloured spots, to a whole host of selectively bred forms in a range of fin and colour types. Fancy guppies are akin to any pedigree animal and are not the tough bullet-dodging fishes that earned a reputation for hardiness. Like domestic dogs they’re all the same animal, but nobody expects a chihuahua to pull a dog sled. The real power of these fishes is their ability to breed and adapt, even these highly bred forms will happily cross breed until your aquarium is home to smaller spotted fish that can tolerate all manner of conditions that would stress their aristocratic ancestors.
Synonyms | Acanthophacelus guppii, Girardinus guppii, Girardinus reticulatus, Heterandria guppyi, Lebistes poecilioides, Lebistes reticulatus, Poecilioides reticulatus |
Distribution | South America: Barbados, northern Brazil, the Guyanas, Trinidad, Venezuela. Introduced to many other countries to help control mosquito populations but had little effect on them. Most specimens offered for sale in the trade are captive bred. |
Maximum Size | 5cm (2") |
Temperature | 20-28°C |
Water Parameters | Freshwater to slightly brackish. pH:7-8, KH: 8-20 degrees. |
Compatibility | Community |
Lighting | No special requirements |
Sexual Dimorphism | Males have a gonopodium and generally much longer ornate and colourful finnage. |
Feeding | Flake, granules, pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods |