Guppy - submitted by d9hp

[fishfreek]

[center:4c6c185947]The Guppy
Poecilia reticulata[/center:4c6c185947]

written by d9hp


The Guppy, in its many different colors and varieties, is a great and hardy fish. Kept by many beginners, it is not a very hard species to keep alive. It will survive large parameter swings, and most temperatures, from the mid 60’s to the upper 70’s and low 80’s. It will also be comfortable in an environment with a pH of 5.5 to about 7.8.

This is one of the most easily breed species, most of the time doing it monthly. If given a mate, they will almost definitely breed. This fish is a livebearer, meaning its fry are live, there is no eggs. The normal number of offspring is anywhere from 2 to 10, and sometimes more or less.

The one big problem about this species willingness to breed is that it will inbreed, causing birth defects, and general problems with the fry. Many store-bought fancy guppies have been inbred by fish farms, just to make more money, you are much better off finding a reputable breeder if you are looking to breed them yourself. This should not discourage you to buy store bought guppies, they are still hardy, and full of life and color. In fact, most store-bought guppies are much more resilient to disease and general problems the usual aquarists faces.

If you decide to breed guppies, that is great, but it takes a lot of time and dedication to do so properly. Very small tanks are great for raising fry, but when encouraging mating in adults, a 30-gallon tank, or something in that range, should be used.

For more information on breeding guppies, check these links:

http://guppyplace.tripod.com/Breeding.html
http://allsands.com/Pets/Fish/guppie...ing_xdw_gn.htm

There are many different colors and types of guppies; the most common are

Black Phantom Delta Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Blonde Tux Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Blue Cobra Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Blue Delta Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Green Cobra Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Lemon Cobra Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Neon Blue Tux Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Red Cobra Delta Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Red Fire Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Yellow Tux Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)





Guppy Links
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/s...21&pCatId=1100
http://guppyplace.tripod.com/Breeding.html
http://allsands.com/Pets/Fish/guppie...ing_xdw_gn.htm