Breeding Guppies: My Guide to Growing a Thriving Colony

🐠 Easy. Fast. Fun.

Breeding guppies is one of the most rewarding parts of the aquarium hobby — and it’s easier than most people think. I’ve learned that you don’t need a complicated setup or a science degree to get it right. You just need consistency, good habits, and a little patience.

Whether you’re just getting started or thinking about expanding your tank, here’s exactly how I breed guppies, care for fry, and avoid beginner mistakes — all based on real experience.

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🧰 My Recommended Tank Setup

If you’re serious about breeding guppies, don’t go smaller than 20 gallons. I’ve made the mistake of starting small, and once you’ve been through a few breeding cycles, the fry add up fast. A smaller tank just becomes a hassle. Give yourself room to grow.

My go-to setup includes:

• A 20+ gallon tank
• Sponge filter (gentler on fry)
• Water conditioner for every refill
• Dense plant cover or decorations for fry to hide
• A sponge over the filter intake (crucial — prevents fry from getting sucked in)

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🧬 Do I Separate Males and Females?

This is one of those “depends on your goal” questions. If you’re breeding at a professional level and working toward a specific strain or color pattern, then yes — selective pairing is important.

But for most hobbyists? Let them swim together in peace and enjoy the process. Watching your colony grow naturally can be just as satisfying as controlled breeding, especially if you’re just getting started.

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🎨 Choosing Which Guppies to Breed

Honestly, I pick the ones that catch my eye. I walk into the local fish store, look for vibrant colors or patterns I like, and grab a few males and several females. A lot of people overlook the females because they’re not as flashy, but they’re obviously essential — and I make sure to bring home more than one.

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🏠 How I Handle Breeding

Unless a female is getting picked on or clearly stressed, I don’t separate them. If needed, I’ll use a breeding box — but I always wait until she’s close to giving birth. Moving her too early can cause unnecessary stress, and that does more harm than good.

For the most part, I let them give birth in the main tank. I make sure there’s plenty of plant cover so the fry have places to hide. If you’re keeping just guppies, fry rarely get eaten, especially with enough hiding spots.

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🍼 Fry Care & Feeding

Once fry are born, I keep them in the main tank. I feed them the same flakes I use for adults, just crushed into powder. I feed 2–3 times a day in small portions, which helps make sure every fry gets something without overfeeding or polluting the water.

It’s a simple routine — and it works.

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🍽 My Approach to Feeding

Keep it simple. There are so many people out there trying to overcomplicate things with specialized food, supplements, and routines. For me, consistency is key.

I feed quality flakes daily, and every now and then I toss in a pleco wafer just for fun — the guppies go nuts for it.

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❌ Common Beginner Mistakes

If you’re new to breeding guppies, here are a few things to avoid right out the gate:

• Skipping water conditioner
• Overfeeding (especially fry)
• Not doing enough water changes
• Adding fish before your tank has cycled

The biggest problem I see? People rushing the nitrogen cycle. Yes, you can add bottled bacteria and put fish in right away — but your tank still has to go through that bacteria bloom. It’s stressful trying to control ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all at once.

My advice: let the tank finish cycling before you add fish. It’ll save you headaches and likely some guppy lives.

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💧 Water Parameters & Testing

I firmly believe that understanding your water is what separates beginners from long-term hobbyists. Get a test kit, learn how to use it, and understand how pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate affect your fish. When you know your numbers, you’ll know how to fix problems before they get out of hand — and that’s what keeps you in the hobby for the long haul.

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🧬 Selective Breeding & Culling

Let’s talk about culling. For the newcomers: culling means removing fry that have obvious deformities or don’t meet your breeding goals. It sounds harsh, but it’s a necessary part of producing healthy, high-quality guppies — especially if you’re breeding with intent.

If you’re not into selective breeding, that’s fine. But I do recommend re-homing or separating fish that don’t fit the look you’re going for — it helps keep your colony consistent and healthy.

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🐟 How Many Guppies Should You Start With?

If you’re just starting, I recommend picking up 2 males and 3–4 females. That ratio will give you a nice breeding rhythm and help your colony start growing quickly within the first six months.

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💬 Final Thoughts

Breeding guppies doesn’t have to be complicated — and it shouldn’t be. Keep your tank clean, be consistent, and focus on enjoying the process. Don’t stress about being perfect. Your fish will teach you more than any forum or video ever will.

If you ever want feedback, help, or just want to show off your fry, jump into our Underground Aquarium Forum. There’s a whole community out there who gets it.

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Keywords: guppy breeding, how to breed guppies, guppy fry care, guppy tank setup, guppy colony
Category: Fish Breeding