The easiest way to get ourselves a friend is to have a pet in our house, but let’s face it, taking care of cats, dogs and even birds is difficult and requires a lot of responsibility. Still, the other preference of those who say they want to have a pet is aquarium fish such as guppies. Of course, there are those who do this job professionally and have wonderful aquarium systems.
Guppy is one of the most popular aquarium fish both in the world and in our country. Because it has a great appearance, it is very easy to maintain and most importantly, it can reproduce extremely quickly and easily when suitable conditions are provided. Of course, these are just the known ones, and there are details you never knew about. Let’s take a closer look at interesting information about guppies.
Unusual information about guppy fish:
- The guppy species was discovered more than a hundred years ago.
- India got rid of malaria thanks to the guppy.
- There are more than fifty varieties of guppy.
- Their average lifespan varies.
- Guppies are easy to care for, but there are important points to consider.
- If you do not pay attention to the aquarium size, they will die.
- Guppies eat anything, but they do have some favorite foods.
- They breed like crazy.
- Beware, it may eat its own offspring.
- Not every fish can live with guppies.
The guppy species was discovered more than a hundred years ago:
The guppy, known in Latin as poecilia reticulata, is a tropical fish originating from South America. It lives in fresh water and reaches a maximum of 6 cm in length. The guppy was named after the marine biologist who studied it after it was discovered and brought to England in 1866. It is both carnivorous and herbivorous. Their colors vary, but the male ones have more vibrant colors.
India got rid of malaria thanks to guppy:
Malaria is a deadly disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. In 2014, India started a great fight against malaria, but it was inconclusive. As a last resort, swarms of guppies were released into the mosquito-ridden waters. The guppies were fed with delicious mosquito larvae, thus stopping the breeding of new mosquitoes. This event, called the guppy movement, is used by some Asian countries from time to time.
There are more than fifty varieties of guppy:
- red mosaic guppy
- red tail guppy
- full black guppy
- yellow tiger guppy
- blue grass guppy
- koi guppy
- panda guppy
- moscow guppy
- mosaic guppy
- cobra guppy
- Tuxedo ( tuxedo ) guppy
- albino guppy
- albino full red guppy
- hb yellow pastel guppy
- red dragon guppy
- Hb white guppy
- Multi Color Guppy Guppy
- grass guppy
- albino guppy
- full red guppy
- elephant ear guppy
Here are some of the most popular guppy varieties. These types are popular because they are easy to find and easier to care for. There are some rare guppy species, but they are both extremely expensive and more demanding to care for. If you don’t have a special interest anyway, you can’t go to every pet store and find it.
Their average lifespan varies:
The lifespan of guppies can vary depending on how they are cared for. A well cared for guppy can live even 2.5 years. Of course, if they live in a small bowl rather than a well-equipped aquarium, if they are not social enough, they can die in a much shorter time if different kinds of food are not given. However, since they are easy to care for, they are difficult to die in a short time.
Guppies are easy to care for, but there are important points to consider:
The most important detail during guppy care is the temperature of the aquarium water. It is recommended to keep the aquarium temperature at 25 degrees continuously. It does not die at lower temperatures, but its lifespan is reduced. If the aquarium temperature drops below 20 degrees, the guppy gets sick and dies in a short time. Remember, the guppy is a tropical fish originating from South America.
Another detail that needs attention during guppy care is the plants in the aquarium. Since there are plenty of plants in the area where he lives in his natural life, there should be a vegetation on the bottom of the aquarium where he lives. Especially for breeding guppies, plants and rocks are of great importance because the fry need a place to hide.
If you do not pay attention to the aquarium size, they will die:
Since guppy is a small fish, you may think that it will live comfortably in a small bowl, but you have to use at least a 15-liter aquarium for a healthy life. Otherwise, he will feel like in a prison cell and die. Besides the plants, the aquarium should also have ornaments because they like to hide, but you must be careful that these ornaments are not of the kind that will harm them.
Guppies eat anything, but they have some favorite foods:
Guppy fish are both carnivorous and herbivorous, so they will eat whatever you give them and therefore they are extremely easy to feed. It is important to pay attention to the amount of feeding and the frequency of feeding. A guppy that is not fed enough regularly cannot develop, color and, more importantly, reproduce.
Protein-rich foods such as daphnia and artemia are ideal for guppies. They also eat raw vegetables. They love vegetables such as peas, cucumbers, spinach. The important thing is to provide food variety. Just like humans, if they eat vegetables and meat from time to time, they get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
They breed like crazy:
It would not be wrong to say that guppies are fish with high libido. Especially since male guppies are very active in this regard, there may be situations where there should be more than one female guppies in an aquarium.
The female guppy hatches between 20 and 30 days after mating. Yes, guppies do not lay eggs. The number of puppies born alive may even be 200, but an average of 50 puppies are born. The female is ready to mate again shortly after calving. The born cubs are ready to mate after about 3 months.
Beware, it may eat its own cub:
It is extremely important that the aquarium temperature is 25 degrees for the guppies to mate. A regular and varied diet is required for healthy sperm and egg production. It is essential that the water is clean, but the most important thing is the plants and ornaments in the aquarium.
Guppy fish, by nature, can eat their young. For this reason, there should be plenty of plants and ornaments in the aquarium so that the fry have the opportunity to hide and grow. Some aquarium owners make special areas for the fry to hide in, but if the aquarium has enough plants and rocks with hiding holes, there is no need for a special area.
Not every fish can live with guppies:
If you have a dream of setting up a large aquarium, of course, there will be fish different from the guppies, but do not think that the guppies live in harmony with every fish. For example, angelfish are a predatory species and can pose a threat especially to the young. Species such as beta fish, cherry barb fish, neon tetra fish can live in peace with guppies because their diet and lifestyle are similar.
We talked about extraordinary information about guppies, one of the most popular aquarium fish in the world and in our country. We also gave general information about guppy care, but you can get help from a specialist when necessary, as the care conditions may change depending on the environment.