🐟 Beginner’s Guide to Guppies: Everything You Need to Know

Guppies are one of the most popular freshwater fish in the hobby—and for good reason. With their bright colors, lively personalities, and low maintenance needs, guppies are perfect for beginners and experienced aquarists alike.

Got questions about your setup? Send a photo and some info to info@canadaguppies.com or message us on Live Chat—we’ll help you figure out if anything needs to change.

📚 Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Guppies

2. Setting Up Your Guppy Tank

3. Established vs. Cycled Tanks

4. Water Parameters & Quality

5. Feeding Your Guppies

6. Choosing Tank Mates

7. Breeding Guppies

8. Culling Guppies

9. Conclusion

1. 🐠 Introduction to Guppies

Guppies are small, colorful fish originally from South America. Known for their dazzling fins and endless variety of colors, they’re easy to care for and very adaptable. Their hardy nature makes them ideal for new fishkeepers.

2. 🏠 Setting Up Your Guppy Tank

• Tank Size: A 10-gallon tank works for a small group. If you plan to breed, go bigger—space is key for healthy fry.

• Substrate: Gravel, sand, or even bare-bottom tanks work just fine. Guppies aren’t picky.

• Plants & Decor: Add live plants like guppy grass and Java moss. These create hiding spots for fry and improve water quality. Bonus: snails and plecos love these too and help with algae and leftovers.

• Filter: A gentle sponge or hang-on-back filter keeps water clean without creating strong currents.

• Lighting: Moderate light is perfect. Just enough for your plants and to show off your guppies’ colors.

3. 🔄 Established vs. Cycled Tanks

• Cycled Tank: Has beneficial bacteria that break down harmful waste like ammonia and nitrite into safer nitrates. Essential for all tanks.

• Established Tank: Has been running for months with stable parameters, mature plants, and a balanced ecosystem—ideal for show-quality guppies.

✅ Our recommendation: Start with a planted, cycled tank—but aim for an established one over time for best results.

4. 💧 Water Parameters & Quality

• Temperature: 74°F–82°F (23°C–28°C)

• pH: 7.0 to 8.0

• Hardness: 8–12 dGH (general hardness)

• Ammonia/Nitrite: 0 ppm

• Nitrates: Under 20 ppm

📅 Do 20–30% weekly water changes.
🐌 Add snails like Nerites or Mystery snails—they help clean up leftover food and reduce nitrate buildup naturally.

5. 🍽 Feeding Your Guppies

• Diet: Guppies are omnivores. Feed a variety of:

  • High-quality flake food

  • Frozen/live brine shrimp (boosts color + growth!)

  • Daphnia or micro worms

• Pro Tip: Keep a live brine shrimp colony! It’s a constant, nutritious food source for both guppies and their tank mates.

• Feeding Schedule: Twice daily in small amounts—only what they’ll eat in 2–3 minutes to avoid overfeeding.

6. 🧑🤝 Tank Mates

• Great Matches:

  • Peaceful tetras

  • Corydoras

  • Snails

  • Small plecos (like bristlenose)

• Avoid:

  • Aggressive fish (bettas, large cichlids)

  • Fin-nippers or anything big enough to eat a guppy

✅ Make sure your plecos get sinking algae wafers to stay healthy!

7. 🍼 Breeding Guppies

• How It Works: Males and females together will breed naturally. Females give birth to live young (fry).

• Gender ID:

  • Males: Colorful, small, with a pointed anal fin

  • Females: Larger, rounder belly

• Protecting Fry: Use Java moss, guppy grass, or breeding boxes to give fry hiding spots—adults may eat them!

8. 🧬 Culling Guppies

If you’re breeding for quality, culling helps maintain your line's strength, color, and health.

• Why Cull: Keeps your strain visually appealing and genetically strong.

• How to Cull: Remove any fish with deformities, dull colors, or weak health. Rehome them, move them to a community tank, or if necessary, humanely euthanize using clove oil.

• Always be responsible and humane.

9. 🏁 Conclusion

Guppies are a fantastic addition to any freshwater tank. Whether you’re keeping a small group or building a breeding colony, the key is consistency, clean water, and a balanced ecosystem. Add in friendly tank mates like snails and plecos, and even live brine shrimp, and you’ve got a thriving aquatic world.

💬 Still unsure about your setup?
Send us a photo and details to info@canadaguppies.com or message us through Live Chat—we’re happy to help!

🎉 Happy keeping—and happy breeding!