Guppy care
Poecilia reticulata · Venezuela, Trinidad and northern South America
Guppies need a 10 gallon or larger tank, 72 to 82 °F, moderately hard water and a group of three or more, and they will breed in any tank that has cover for the fry.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2.8 in (males 0.6 to 1.6 in, females 1.2 to 2.8 in)
- pH
- 7 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 8 to 18 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep guppies
Guppies need a 10 gallon or larger tank, 72 to 82 °F, moderately hard water and a group of three or more, and they will breed in any tank that has cover for the fry. Keep two or three females per male, or an all-male group to avoid fry; males chase females constantly.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen foods, some vegetable matter. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Guppy tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Peppered corydoras
2.8 in · 20+ gal · 64–77 °F
Variatus platy
2.8 in · 15+ gal · 61–75 °F
Bronze corydoras
2.75 in · 20+ gal · 72–80 °F
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
3 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Reticulated hillstream loach
3 in · 20+ gal · 68–75 °F
Peacock gudgeon
3 in · 15+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
DrawingRabbit snail
3 in · 20+ gal · 76–84 °F
Keep apart
Silvertip tetra: Silvertip tetras nip long fins like those of guppies.
American flagfish: American flagfish nip long fins like those of guppies.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Serpae tetra: Serpae tetras nip long fins like those of guppies.
Black skirt tetra: Black skirt tetras nip long fins like those of guppies.
Gold barb: Gold barbs nip long fins like those of guppies.
What a guppy tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon guppy tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon guppy tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Guppies need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding guppies.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common guppy problems
- Endless fry: plan for an all-male tank or a way to rehome young.
- Fin rot and clamped fins in soft, acidic or dirty water; test and change water first.
- Females stressed by too many males; keep at least two females per male.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Poecilia reticulata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peppered corydoras Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Variatus platy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Silvertip tetra Filtropat; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Serpae tetra Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black skirt tetra emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gold barb Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Endler's livebearer Dgrummon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Molly LPA74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Platy Monika Korzeniec, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
