Ideal pH and water Perimeters for Guppies?

[mandy2936]

Hi!

I will be getting a 10g with 4-6 Guppies and a shoal of Dainty Catfish.
I have been getting mixed answers , so I decided to ask a question here.

1) What is an ideal pH level for these fish?

2) How hard should the water be? Soft, Hard, Really Hard, etc.
My testing kit gives the results in words rather than numbers.

3) What should the temperature be? How does 75˚-80˚F sound?

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[thunderwaved]

The pH doesn't really matter. As long as it is stable throughout the tank, you should be fine.

Try to keep it around 6.8 to 7.2.

 

[happygirl65]

As the previous poster suggested the best pH is a stable pH. That is true for all fish be they hardy or delicate. When it comes to breeding that is often a different story entirely....however guppies tend to breed readily...if you give them a nice nest of java moss the babies will thrive...which can be great fun to watch.
Guppies prefer medium to hard water, once again consistency is the key to keeping any fish happy once they are acclimated.

They also like slow moving water (imagine that tiny fish being blown around with too much current)
Good luck! Guppies can be SO MUCH FUN!!

 

[mandy2936]

Ok, thanks!
I'll try to keep my pH in the 7 range.
And I'll have my water hard, if not slightly softer.

I will take your advice and just do my best to make sure the perimeters are steady, as that's what matters most.

Thanks again, much appreciated

 

[Lowryder]

I have my guppies in water with a PH of 7.8, GH of 374ppm and a temp of 78. They are happy and reproducing.

 

[BillD]

I keep my guppies in unheated tanks, that range from 66F to 75F depending on time of year. They do well at lower temps and live longer, although they grow more slowly.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Interesting, I have my heater on 24C (75F) you reckon I could get away with turning it down a bit as my tank is just for guppies?

 

[mandy2936]

I mean, if that works for you, BillD then great.

I personally wouldn't leave my Guppy tank unheated as it's not good to have a temperature varying, or the Guppies growth stunted. They're tropical fish who prefer there water 75-80F...

Also, I keep mine in my basement, and it's finished but doesn't have heating yet. The winter temperatures would get REALLY low at night, and I'm going to have more than just Guppies.

Actually, a big of a change on plans... 4-5 Guppies, 3-5 Julii Cories (pet stores near me don't sell Daintys) and 6 Tetras in a 15g

 

[Crepe]

Guppies like harder water and benefit from a tiny bit of salt also. They are also sub tropical/tropical fish and will do fine anywhere from 70-86 degrees.

 

[mandy2936]

Thanks!!

Thanks for the help everyone!