Physical Characteristics

• Fancy guppies grow to around 2 inches long. These fish became popular despite their small size in large part because of their vibrant colors and distinct tails. Fancy guppy base colors include gold, blue and albino. On top of the base color these fish are intricately patterned with green, yellow, blue, black and red, among many other color combinations. Their tales are often larger in surface area to their body and include the sword, double sword, fan, flag and spear designs, among others. Males are more colorful in both the tail and body while females are larger.
  
  

Diet

• In nature, fancy guppies eat insects. However, in the aquarium these fish can eat what most aquarium fish eat, including freeze-dried food, flake food, bloodworms and live food. They may have difficulty digesting freeze-dried food if it's not mixed with flakes. Baby guppies (fries) should only be fed brine shrimp.
  
  

Aquarium Life

• Ideal water conditions for the fancy tail guppy are aquarium temperatures between 72 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit, though in nature they can tolerate anything from 64 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Fancy guppies can handle pH levels between 5.5 to 8.5 and a wide range of water hardness, from between 10 to 30 dGH. Given their ability to adapt in nature, fancy guppies are adept at handling aquarium variances. These fish are considered sociable and can mix with other peaceful fish, though they are known to eat their own newborns.
  
  

Breeding

• Fancy guppies are live-bearers that can produce between four and 60 fish per birth. They are considered easy breeders because little needs to be done to promote reproduction. Gestation takes four to six weeks, and females can give birth as long as six months after males have left the tank due to their oviduct's ability to hold sperm. Pregnant females can be identified by a darkened spot near their anal fin. If you plan on breeding, it's good to have a high female-to-male ratio as they're prolific reproducers. It's also advised to keep floating vegetation around after birth to improve the fry's survival rates.