Guppy care guide
Poecilia reticulata · Poeciliidae
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is an aquarium animal. It belongs to the Poeciliidae family. It is native to North-eastern South America and the southern Caribbean (Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles); introduced or feral in around fifty other countries. It occurs in almost every kind of habitat from high-altitude streams to turbid swamps, and some populations live in brackish water.. Water temperature: 17°C – 28°C. pH: 7.0 – 8.5. Care difficulty: Easy.
How do you care for Guppy?
| Temperature | 17°C – 28°C |
|---|---|
| pH | 7.0 – 8.5 |
| Placement | Mid-to-upper water; a tank of at least about 45 × 30 cm (~41 litres), moderately hard or harder water (8–30 dGH), a planted tank with floating plants, and no strong currents. |
| Growth | Small: about 6 cm (2.4 in) standard length. |
| Difficulty | Easy (very adaptable; but many commercial strains are weakened by inbreeding and over-production) |
| Family | Poeciliidae |
How do you trim and propagate Guppy?
Wild fish are mainly insectivorous; tank-bred guppies accept most foods. In the wild type the males are the more colourful sex with longer fins, taken to extremes in the selectively bred varieties. A livebearer, so fry appear continually.
What problems affect Guppy?
Commercial fish are often weak, and long fins invite nipping. Long-term maintenance in soft, acidic water does not suit them.
How do you fix Guppy problems?
Keep it in moderately hard or harder water, and not with fin-nippers such as tiger barbs or serpae tetras.
Where does Guppy come from?
North-eastern South America and the southern Caribbean (Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles); introduced or feral in around fifty other countries. It occurs in almost every kind of habitat from high-altitude streams to turbid swamps, and some populations live in brackish water. · Biotope regions: South America.
What should you know before buying Guppy?
Introduced in around fifty countries: never release fish into rivers, ponds or lakes.
Sources
- Poecilia reticulata (Guppy) — Seriously Fish
- Poecilia reticulata — FishBase
Care details checked against these sources on 2026-10-29.
See Guppy in a living world
- Community Planted Tank — aquarium
Last updated · Open the interactive 3D guide · All species care guides