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Encyclopedia / Livebearers / Guppy
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Variations

14 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Guppy

Poecilia reticulata · Millionfish, Rainbow fish, Fancy guppy

Colorful, hardy livebearers that breed easily. Males have big painted tails.

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6 cmBody length, without tail ✓
22–28 °CTemperature ✓
7–8pH ✓
41 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Black skirt tetra nips fins, and Guppy has long fins.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Not recommended
  • Serpae tetra nips fins, and Guppy has long fins.
Not recommended
  • Tiger barb nips fins, and Guppy has long fins.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

332 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓8–20 dGH
Group size ?3 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Top
Care level ?Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓1–3 years
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Fast

Behavior

Peaceful top swimmers. Keep 2–3 females per male, or males only.

Food

Flakes and micro-pellets; some plant matter.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Male Guppy
Male
Female Guppy
Female

Males are smaller and colorful with a big tail and a pointed anal fin (gonopodium). Females are larger and plainer.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Livebearer · Easy

Livebearer. After a gestation of about 4-6 weeks females give birth to live young, usually 20-40 per brood (5-100 reported). Adults eat the fry, so plants, a breeding box or moving the fry helps.

Pairing

Buy 1 male and 2-3 females, or a small group. Pick the best colors for line breeding.

Setup

40 L tank with floating plants or a breeding box and a sponge filter. Keep males and females together.

What starts it

No trigger needed; females give birth about every month once mated.

Eggs

10-40 young per birth; gestation is about 4 weeks.

Raising the fry

Fry are born ready to eat. Feed crushed flake, baby brine shrimp and microworms several times a day. Separate fry from adults or use plants as cover. Sort by size and sex early.

Common mistakes
  • Overcrowding
  • Inbreeding without selection
  • Leaving fry with adults
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionNortheastern South America & Caribbean – Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana & nearby islands
Rivers and lakesCoastal rivers of Venezuela and streams of Trinidad
HabitatStreams, ditches and pools
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
See it on the world map

Plants that suit it

RicciaVallisneriaCryptocoryneDwarf sagittariaCabombaHygrophila polyspermaWater wisteriaHornwort

The story of the guppy

Named after Robert John Lechmere Guppy, who sent specimens from Trinidad to the British Museum, where Albert Günther named them in his honour in 1866 (the species had already been described by Wilhelm Peters in 1859). It has been released in many countries to control mosquitoes.

Wilhelm Peters described the guppy in 1859. Its common name honours Robert J. L. Guppy, who sent fish from Trinidad to London in the 1860s. It became one of the most popular aquarium fish and a classic study animal for evolution.

First described by Wilhelm Peters in 1859. Named for Common name after Robert J. L. Guppy, who sent specimens from Trinidad.

  • Trinidad guppies are a famous case study of evolution by natural selection.
  • Females can store sperm and give birth several times from one mating.
  • Guppies were released in many countries to control mosquito larvae.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources