Above: In this picture is a nice young Premium Fancy Female Guppy, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

In the picture you can also see the female's large abdomen and a dark spot at the rear of her abdomen.

This spot is called a "gravid spot", and the dark color is actually her babies showing through her translucent belly.

This female looks like she will release some babies very soon.

Comments: These are premium quality Fancy Guppies. We never see fish like these in the live fish stores or in the online stores that we visit.

Premium Pet Fish are more energetic, hardier, and have brighter colors with a beautiful metallic sheen.

Click here to learn more about our Premium Pet Fish.

Origin: Guppies are one of the most colorful and most popular aquarium fish.

Their ancestors originally lived in Northeastern South America, but Guppies are now found throughout most of the world.

There are many color varieties for sale in this store.

Maximum Size: In aquariums, Female Fancy Guppies can grow to be about 2" long, including their tails.

Behaviors: Most female Guppies eat, eat, eat, and release baby Guppies about once a month.

Guppies are not aggressive to other fish.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include Corydoras Catfish, small Tetras like Neon Tetras, small Rasboras, Plecostomus Catfish, Honey Gouramis, and other small fish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Guppies can live pretty well from about 72 to 86 degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable from about 78 to 82 degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Flakes.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: Guppies seem to be tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.

Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8.

We ship them in this water.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: It is probably best to house these fish in at least a 10-gallon tank, but more is better.

Keep at most one Guppy per gallon.

Decor: Guppies do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live plants are beautiful, improve the water quality, and are enjoyed by Guppies and baby Guppies.

Water Sprite and Java Ferns are very good plants for Guppy aquariums. Non-toxic driftwood is also very good.

Click here for more about aquarium plants.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel filters are highly recommended.

A Penguin 100B Filter in an aquarium with 10 to 20-gallons of water is ideal, and a Penguin 200B Filter is the right size for a 20 to 30-gallon aquarium.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range.

Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Guppies live for a few years. In the meantime the next generation of Guppies have usually been born.

Gender: It's easy to tell the males from the females even at a very young age.

Females are less colorful, plumper, and have a dark spot on the rear of their abdomens.

Breeding: You do not need a male! Even a very small young female is pregnant, and will release babies in a few months, provided the the water is good, and she is fed plenty of premium fish food flakes.

A female Guppy will release live babies and not lay eggs like many other fish species.

The babies start eating bits of food shortly after being released.

In her abdomen the female usually has many more fertile eggs. that will soon become live babies and then be released about a month after the previous bunch was released.

This process can continue for about 5-months without a male anywhere in the aquarium.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Popularity: For a long-long time Guppies have probably been the most popular aquarium fish.

Names: The scientific name for Guppies is Poecilia reticulata.

Variations: There are many-many color varieties that are all the same species and so will interbreed to produce even more color varieties.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Guppies, including a picture gallery.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.