Skip to content
Guppy, photographed on a transparent background

FreshwaterIn the market70 coinsCommon

Guppy

Poecilia reticulata

Drifts below the surface, fanning its wide tail.

The Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Poeciliidae. It swims in midwater, close to the bottom. Adults grow to about 4 cm; the largest on record measured 5 cm (standard length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 60 cm long and water at 22–28 °C.

Size
4 cm
Smallest tank
60 cm
Temperature
22–28 °C
Care
Easy

In the aquarium

Temperature22–28 °C
pH7.0–8.4
Hardness10–25 °dGH
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Moderate
Water layer
Surface
Group
Happiest in a group of 3 or more
Plants
Plant safe
Drawn to scale in a 60 cm tank

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

  • Nano60 cm · 65 litres26 of them
  • Standard90 cm · 180 litres72 of them
  • Wide120 cm · 300 litres120 of them
  • Living room180 cm · 650 litres260 of them
  • Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres480 of them
  • Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres576 of them

Who it lives with

In the wild

Water type
Freshwater
Climate zone
Tropical
Habitat
Midwater, close to the bottom
Largest on record
5 cmstandard length, tail fin excluded
Aquarium trade
Traded commercially

Conservation status

Classification

  1. OrderCyprinodontiformes
  2. FamilyPoeciliidae
  3. GenusPoecilia
  4. SpeciesPoecilia reticulata
  5. Described byPeters, 1859

In other languages

Spanish
Gupi
Dutch
Gup
Turkish
Lepistes
Russian
Гуппи
Japanese
グッピー
Chinese
孔雀魚

Quick answers

Guppy size: how big does it get?
Adults reach about 4 cm. The largest on record measured 5 cm (standard length). Record sizes among the 5 Poecilia species on LumaReef: 2 cm (Endler's livebearer) to 15 cm (Sailfin molly).
Guppy tank size: what is the minimum?
A tank at least 60 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Nano tank or larger.
Guppy water parameters: what does it need?
Temperature 22–28 °C, pH 7.0–8.4, hardness 10–25 °dGH. Close to what most Poecilia on LumaReef need (23–28 °C).
Guppy tank mates: what can it live with?
It gets along with 81 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Black neon tetra, Glowlight tetra, and Neon tetra.
Guppy: alone or in a group?
Keep at least 3 together.
Guppy and plants: is it plant safe?
Yes, it leaves plants alone.

All Poeciliidae speciesAll species A–Z

Sources

Guppy: compiled from these references.