guppies are not full of shit at all. they are quite easy. they do good as indoor fish, as they prefer a bit of heat in their water. they are allso live bearers, and breed without much provocation. they are allso called ‘million fish’. coz they breed like rabbits.
they are quite a quirky bunch, and its fun to breed them and make your own colours and patterns.
I also used to breed show guppies when I was small, until some bright spark gave me a Black Widow. Needless to say, the new addition to my tank also liked my guppies’ tails… as a snack!
That was a long time ago, but based on my recent research on fresh water aquariums (about 2 years ago) it is always a good idea to spend some time on creating a good environment for your fish. Water filtration, PH level, oxygen supply (not too much or they become hyperactive) etc. Keep your tank out of direct sunlight. It destroys chemicals and advances algae growth.
All this pays dividends at the end. I see there are some colour enhancing food on the market, but speak to a specialist before feeding them different things.
Guppies obviously don’t lay eggs so you don’t need place for them to lay them, but the little ones drop to the bottom of the tank when they are born and need place to hide. The best is to get a special birth tank where you can isolate the pregnant fish. When they are born, they drop down a funnel and the mother cannot get to them and munch them!
At the end of the day, you don’t have to fuss with guppies too much. I started when I was five years old in an old canfruit bottle and they flourished. (Except when they gave birth the first time and the babies had nowhere to hide and when I got a bigger tank and added the damn Black Widow!)
Good luck and enjoy!
PS. Males have pretty tails, but make sure you get some females as well!
I gave my late grandson a tank with some guppies and other species for Xmas one year. He loved them so much he fed them to death! Needless to say, one needs to teach the kids how to look after them and supervise them in the beginning.
i have about 10 adults now, with 5 very handsome females, as the lady i have in the pic.
i allso have a spawning tank, with all the fry in, i have about 50 small fry in there now, and about 10 bigger one with the adults. i do allow them some sunlight, and then i deal with the algae as it comes.
i dont have a filtration system, simply cause the newborn fry get in everywhere, but i have an airstone, and i luckily have gorgeous borehole water which is perfect for them.
i’ve heard of people keepign guppies with their marine fish, coz they are so adaptable.
it’s just an immense pain when the power goes out, and you are left running around with blankets to cover the tank and try and keep some heat in. they dont like too cold water.
Very pretty colours. Bet it’s even cooler watching them moving around and stuff. Is the fish tank located where it can be viewed from an appropriately chilled position?
Your fish are gorgeous GCG. I would LOVE to be able to keep fish, rats and other living pets but my lifestyle as a musician keeps me away from home too much. All I do is feed the local wild birds - and even they moan like crazy when I’ve been away.
get a lizzard. they dont eat all that much. and in winter they sleep mostly. and the vegetarian ones, australian bearded dragons and iguanas, you can plant them a patch of greenery that will last a while. and you can drag them with you, since they are not exactly going to run away.