Guppies are one of the most beautiful and undemanding aquarium fish. They are kept by both novice aquarists and experienced breeders, due to the fact that guppies get along well with other inhabitants of aquariums and reproduce easily. Caring for them is very simple.
The calming effect of fish in an aquarium on humans is not even worth talking about. And who in childhood did not dream of having a pet? A good option for this is the guppy fish. Low maintenance, it comes in a wide variety of colors, is easy to breed and does not need any additional accessories for life in the aquarium. Many even breed special types of guppies, crossing different individuals.
The average lifespan of a guppy in home aquariums is 2 years. But some individuals, with very good care, live up to 5 years.
Living conditions
A guppy can live a whole life even in a three-liter jar, but it is worth noting that at the same time its color will not be very diverse, rather the fish will remain mostly gray and uninteresting. A completely different matter is if the fish is placed in an aquarium with a volume of 5-10 liters. Its color will become brighter after a while. In male guppies, you can see all sorts of shades on the caudal fin and body (orange, blue, purple, red), if you adhere to a certain temperature regime, water purity, and the required hardness.
The water temperature can range from +18 to + 30oC, but the most acceptable for growth and development is from +24 to + 26oC. For reproduction, females require temperatures above 26 ° C, but for raising individuals of large size and increasing life expectancy, lower thermometer readings are optimal - 18-22 ° C.
The primer is best suited for medium grain, dark color. Against the background of its gray and not expressive females look more colorful than they really are, and males of bright and interesting colors will shimmer even more. It is better to plant the back wall of the aquarium with aquatic plants so that the fish, especially the young ones, can hide.
A relatively new species of guppy is Endler's guppy, or dwarf guppies. It was discovered by the scientist John Endler in the waters of Venezuela. Adult males are no more than 2 cm in size.
Calm neighborhood
Guppies are peaceful and calm fish, so they can easily get along with other species. Only you need to select species that are also not aggressive, since they can attack the beautiful, veiled tails of harmless guppies that do not bother anyone. Females sometimes eat their young, therefore, if guppies are raised on purpose, after breeding the fry should be caught and placed in a container where most of the water will be from the old habitat.
It is worth cleaning the aquarium once a week. For this purpose, fish waste and pollution along the walls are collected from the bottom with a special tube. It should be cleaned carefully so that 60-70% of the old water remains in the container. Guppies prefer to eat live food, but dry food is also suitable. It is necessary to feed often, but in small portions. It is preferable to do a fasting day once a week.
Guppies are interesting fish of various colors that do not require complex care and high costs, so even a child can afford such pleasure.
