Breeding guppy fish can be a very entertaining and educational venture for kids and adults alike. It provides a learning ground for biology, genetics and behavior. It also imparts a sense of responsibility on behalf of the caretaker, which will benefit them in various aspects of their current and later life. At the same time, it can’t be overstated how fun of a task it can be. Breeding guppies, due to their easy going and hardy nature (scientific name: poecilia reticulata) can be an excellent introduction to this wonderful hobby.
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Fancy guppies are one of the most popular tropical aquarium fish species in the United States. One reason for this is that they come in so many varieties and add a nice exotic touch to any home. Another is that the amount of energy that goes into their proper care is relatively low. Breeding guppies is an activity that gives you a lot of leeway in the amount of work that you must put in. The guppy has a naturally high reproduction rate. You just don’t have to put in much effort to have a thriving community of beautiful colorful fish. In this sense, when looking to breed these active little guys, you can have an observational or semi hands-off approach. This sort of “ant-farm” approach can be very enjoyable for children wanting to get started in the hobby. They will learn that the females will typically be grey and dull while the males will have more variation and color. Also, they will notice that these fish are known as live-bearers, which means that the baby fish, known as fry, will come directly out of the female, and not an egg.
The hobbyist will still have to take a few simple direct measures to be successful. They will have to correctly feed the adult guppies and young fry respectively. Guppies eat anything from brine shrimp to algae. However, food given to the fry must be small enough so it doesn’t tax all of their energy. A good technique is to crush some fish flakes into a fine powder for fry. Using this approach a normal female gestation period would be roughly 20 to 40 days. At the end of this period, the female could give birth to anywhere from 2 to 50 fry.
The hobbyist will have to properly test the PH and salinity levels of the water in the aquarium. Guppies are very adaptive and can live in an aquarium with trace amounts of salt, but too much and they will die. Additionally, guppies are traditionally accustomed to hard water however will tolerate a ph ranging between 5.5-8. While this is not a tremendous concern, the exact hardness of the water may be a variable worth tinkering with. In my personal experience I have had the greatest success with a ph of 7-7.4. It may be a wise idea to speak with your local aquarium retailer about the type of water the fish have been kept in, and make adjustments accordingly.
During normal periods, the temperature for breeding guppies should be 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. While the female is in gestation however, the ideal temperature is 79 degrees. The caretaker might also want to facilitate the birthing process by removing the female from the main tank and placing her in a birthing vessel. This should not be done too early, and the vessel should consist of 50% water from the original aquarium. Having the birthing vessel is also helpful in protecting the fry from adult guppies, which if kept in the original aquarium, would have to resort to hiding in assorted plants. Overall, this is the safest way of breeding guppies.
The virtue in the hobby of is in its versatility. Easily one of the easiest freshwater tropical fish species to care for, yet also one of the most rewarding to breed for either pure enjoyment or even to sell and profit. I wish you all many years of joy to come in the world of guppy breeding!
