Information for Aquarist
Introduction
Aquarium is the second largest hobby in the world next to photography. After the gold fish, the guppy is considered the most popular fish kept in home aquariums around the world. The beginner sees the guppy as a colorful addition to their aquarium. Scientifically, the guppy is described as a small, active, carnivorous, freshwater fish, Poecilia reticulata, belonging to the topminnow family Poeciliidae. It was named in honor of the Trinidadian ichthyologist R.J. Lechemere Guppy.

It is the male Guppy, which is often kept in aquariums because of its brilliant coloration. There have been some studies indicating that an aquarium of fish has a calming effect on hectic office atmospheres. An aquarium also plays a vital role in human behavior science in eliminating stress in once life. Therefore in this modern civilization decorating an aquarium in home as well as in office plays a vital role in stress management.

So pet fish may be easy to obtain, taking care of them is still a task which should be met with a firm sense of responsibility. After all, by having any pet in your part of life, you are taking on the charge of another life or lives. Such a commitment should not be taken lightly, even if you're talking about " just a fish". You should also be sure that your fish is sturdy. You can determine this by careful examination 

Selecting your Guppies

Many people want guppies for their aquarium for the sole purpose of having some of the colorful fish to add beauty to their underwater environment.

Begin at your local pet store, of course. Since guppies breed rapidly and often, it is best to start out with one pair. If you begin with a multitude, you will have to consider such things as extra equipment and additional room to adequately house this large family. Your pet shop owner will aid you in selecting your guppies and will be able to give you good advice on their care, feeding.

It is not good practice to house one female with a pair of males. Two males will constantly harass a single female, a very unhealthy situation for all fish involved. The females are normally twice as long as the males. The female's body should have good depth and be well -rounded. You should also be sure that your fish is sturdy. You can determine this by careful examination while it darts around the pet store tank. Also look for a good body shape which is well developed. Make certain its tail allows it to swim in a normal, natural fashion. First, it should be a shade or tone you find pleasing. Second, a healthy guppy's colors should be vibrant and sharp.

Housing your Guppies

The first thing you will need is a fish tank. If this is your experience at keeping fish, the best size should be a tank with a 20 to 30 gallon capacity. Aquariums are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, although the rectangular ones are the most popular. All the experts appear to agree that an aquarium constructed of all glass equipped with a plastic top (and sometimes a plastic bottom) is your best bet.

Fish breathe by oxygen dissolved in the water. Oxygen can enter the water through aeration or simple exposure to the air at the surface. Generally, the more surface area exposed to the air, the more oxygen there is in the water. This is why long and narrow tanks are more popular than tall ones. You should resist the inclination to buy your fish, buy your tank, rush home, fill it with water and start watching. Instead, the wiser fish enthusiast sets up his aquarium completely before buying his fish.

Set your tank in a safe place and fill it with water of the same temperature, as it will be when your guppies are place inside. Most temperature problems can be controlled by the use of an aquarium heater and thermostat. Many varieties of such aquarium heater you available at your local pet stores. The size of the heater you select should be directly in proportion to the size of your tank. Maintaining a proper temperature is important. Guppies do best in water between 75'F and 80'F. However, if you have to transfer fish from one aquarium to another, it is always wise to make a careful check of the temperature and DH and pH levels to make sure there are no drastic differences. This is especially important when transferring newly hatched fry. The DH (or carbonate hardness or water hardness) should be kept around 4' to 6'. Which is approximately 70 to 105 p.p.m. Floating plants are good ideas for inclusion in aquariums where females are to deliver their young. This large mass can protect the young from cannibalistic females. Varieties include crystalwort (Riccia fluitans) and hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum). Normally, if you are going to be away for an extended period, you should clean your tank, making partial water changes and any other periodic maintenance duties before you're scheduled to leave. This way, all anyone has to do in your absence is feed your fish. Some of the commercial feeders can be rigged to dispense food at regular internals. This could be the answer to your problem if you are going to be away for a short time.

Feeding & Health

Feeding your guppies properly is your first concern regarding the health of your fish. They are hardy eaters with huge appetites. They will happily consume any kind of dry food and eat their fill. However, the novice fish keeper must be warned that dry fish foods are not enough to keep their guppies healthy. Many of these diseases can be quickly and efficiently eliminated .in some cases, although it may be a painful decision to make, it is better to destroy a diseased fish rather than trying a cure it and the risk of infecting other fishes in the tank.

The guppy keeper should learn to recognize the general symptoms of environmental upset in his aquarium so he can stop any disease before they break out. One sign to look for is a guppy's at the water' s surface for air. This is a certain indication that the oxygen content of the water has become too low. Many times, this is due to excessive organic decomposition in the aquarium. For instance, such things as uneaten foods, dead fishes, snails and plants can cause this condition. Organic decomposition of this kind consumes oxygen in the water and increases the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide. The fish are becoming asphyxiated. By making a partial water change, which will remove the source of the pollution, and by temporarily increasing the strength of aeration, you should be able to rectify this situation. A relatively common guppy disease is fin rot. If you notice any of your guppy caudal fins become ragged along the posterior edge, then fin rot has probably set in. It is usually caused by an internal infection. Fin rot can be treated effectively by dissolving a wide-spectrum antibiotic such as tetracycline in your aquarium water. 

[ For Breeding of guppies refer to Information for Breeding. ]