Does Temperature Affect Guppy Breeding?

[00:00:05] Hi, welcome back to The Aquarist Edge. Today we're going to be talking about a little fish that many of you I'm sure have kept, maybe you currently are keeping them. They certainly are a staple of the hobby and whether you are a young child or a seasoned and experienced aquarist with many years behind you, I believe that this topic is one that is relevant and it will certainly be one that I think allows us to have greater success in the breeding of these fish.

[00:00:35] So yes, I'm speaking about the guppy, that amazing little fish that seems to show up everywhere.

[00:00:41] So we're going to talk about the topic, does temperature affect the breeding of guppies? And we're going to explore practical tips and some of the scientific insights to help you understand how to optimize your guppy breeding.

[00:00:54] So let's get on with it.

[00:00:56] Guppies are scientifically known as Purchilia reticulata. They're definitely some of the most popular fish in the hobby.

[00:01:04] They've got fantastic colors, a variety of colors and tail fin shapes and so forth, and they breed incredibly easily.

[00:01:11] They are overviviparous. Well, that was an interesting word, overviviparous.

[00:01:16] That simply means that they give birth to live young rather than being eggs.

[00:01:20] This reproductive method allows them to rapidly increase their population when the conditions are correct.

[00:01:26] It's also one of the reasons it makes it so popular for young children.

[00:01:29] It's an incredibly rewarding thing for children to be able to breed their guppies.

[00:01:34] So let's quickly have a look at the life cycle of guppies so we understand what's going on as they breed.

[00:01:40] Their life cycle can be broken down into three stages.

[00:01:44] The first one is the fry stage.

[00:01:46] So after a pregnancy or a gestation period of about 21 to 30 days, female guppies will give birth to live fry.

[00:01:53] These little fish are about five to seven millimeters long and are fully formed.

[00:01:57] They're ready to swim away straight away.

[00:02:00] Then they go to the juvenile stage and they reach about their sexual maturity at around two to three months.

[00:02:06] And during this time, they grow very quickly and you'll start to see their colors develop.

[00:02:11] The third and final stage is their adult stage.

[00:02:14] And once the guppies reach maturity, males will start displaying their colors and they will start courting the females.

[00:02:21] In many cases, I guess you could say they start harassing the females.

[00:02:24] The females will become visibly rounder as they prepare for pregnancy.

[00:02:28] So let's talk a little bit about the ideal temperature range for breeding guppies.

[00:02:34] This normally is between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.

[00:02:38] Within this range, guppies are certainly more likely to breed successfully.

[00:02:42] Temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius can slow down their metabolism and reduce their reproductive activity.

[00:02:48] While temperatures above 30 degrees can be stressful and even harmful and can lead to decrease fertility or indeed mortality.

[00:02:56] So in the warmer months here in the southern hemisphere, that's from September to about March, are the months when your guppies are most likely to be breeding.

[00:03:05] And during these months, you'll want to make sure that your tank has the ideal temperature.

[00:03:10] So why does that temperature really matter?

[00:03:13] Well, there are three main reasons.

[00:03:14] The first one is their metabolism.

[00:03:16] The warmer temperatures generally increase the metabolic rates, leading to faster growth and quicker maturation.

[00:03:22] So when the temperature is right, your guppies will mature faster and be ready to breed sooner.

[00:03:28] Secondly, it influences their behavior.

[00:03:30] The higher temperatures can enhance breeding behavior in males, making them more active and aggressive in courting females.

[00:03:36] You might notice that males are displaying their colors more prominently and performing all kinds of courtship dances in front of the females.

[00:03:46] Thirdly, we need to talk about the survival of fry.

[00:03:49] So the baby guppies born at optimal temperatures tend to have better survival rates due to their improved health and their vigor.

[00:03:57] So ensuring that the fry are born in a stable environment can make a significant difference in their development.

[00:04:02] So let's talk about some of the practical tips then for breeding guppies.

[00:04:06] Let's talk about the environment.

[00:04:08] So we'll start with tank size is probably the most obvious.

[00:04:11] And I would say that a minimum of about 38 to 40 liters or so is recommended for bears.

[00:04:18] More space will allow for better water quality and reduce stress on the fish.

[00:04:22] The old adage of put fish in the biggest tank you can afford is actually quite accurate in this instance.

[00:04:28] So don't skimp.

[00:04:30] Even if you have two or three or four guppies, you know they're going to breed.

[00:04:34] Rather provide space.

[00:04:35] It gives the space for the fry to hide.

[00:04:38] And your water parameters can be maintained more easily with more water quantity.

[00:04:44] Water quality is important.

[00:04:45] So you need to be aiming at a pH of between 6.8 and 7.8.

[00:04:51] And regular water changes of about 20 to 30% on a weekly basis or so will help keep the nitrates level low and ensure a healthy environment for your fish.

[00:05:00] And thirdly, heating.

[00:05:02] We want to use a reliable aquarium heater to maintain the temperature range.

[00:05:07] It's always a good idea to invest in a decent heater that's not going to break down, that's not going to fail on you.

[00:05:14] A couple of months ago, I had a situation where I happened to walk into the fish room and noticed that one tank was particularly warm.

[00:05:20] And when I took the thermometer and I saw the temperature, it was sitting at about 31 degrees.

[00:05:26] That was certainly higher than what I'd set it.

[00:05:28] And I immediately was able to disconnect the heater, take it out.

[00:05:31] And the heater was in fact broken.

[00:05:34] And if I hadn't got in there, it looked like the thermostat wasn't working.

[00:05:37] And I probably would have ended up with world guppies had I not intervened at that point.

[00:05:42] So yes, make sure your heater is reliable.

[00:05:45] Don't necessarily go for the cheapest one.

[00:05:47] You don't need to spend a fortune on a heater, but certainly make sure that it's a decent brand and it's reliable.

[00:05:54] In terms of the breeding setup, we talk often about guppy trios.

[00:05:57] That is, one male for every two females.

[00:06:00] And this ratio helps prevent excessive harassment of females by males, which reduces stress and allows for more successful breeding.

[00:06:08] The truth is that male guppies only have one thing on their mind.

[00:06:10] And when you put males with females, they will harass those females incessantly.

[00:06:15] So the more distraction they have, the better.

[00:06:18] Secondly, you need to make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces in your tank.

[00:06:22] Put in lots of plants or decorations.

[00:06:24] For instance, floating plants like water lettuce or even duckweed can provide cover for the females and the fry and it makes them feel more secure during breeding.

[00:06:33] Also, if you have caves and wooden structures and that kind of thing in your tank, the fry can hide from the adult fish.

[00:06:41] Make sure that you're feeding your guppies a varied diet.

[00:06:44] That includes high quality flakes, press some live foods, maybe some frozen high quality food.

[00:06:50] Feed them at least twice a day to make sure they have the energy for breeding.

[00:06:54] But as always, be careful of overfeeding and only provide what they can consume in about two to three minutes.

[00:07:00] You could consider supplementing their diet with spirulina or other algae-based foods to enhance their colour and overall health.

[00:07:07] The truth is that a well-fed guppy is more likely to breed successfully.

[00:07:12] Research indicates that guppy breeding peaks during warmer months.

[00:07:16] Continue to monitor the temperature in your tank using a reliable thermometer.

[00:07:20] That goes along with your good heater that we spoke about a few minutes ago.

[00:07:24] And just be sure that you're checking that if you are serious about breeding your guppies, if you're serious about maintaining high quality guppies in your breeding.

[00:07:33] Make sure that the temperature remains constant as possible.

[00:07:36] There will be variable fluctuations from time to time, but big swings in temperature are not a good idea.

[00:07:42] Bear in mind that there are certain stress factors that can affect your guppy's breeding success.

[00:07:46] Overcrowding, aggressive tank mates, poor water quality, they can all inhibit breeding.

[00:07:52] Also make sure that you take a good look at your light.

[00:07:56] Proper lighting is essential.

[00:07:57] Too much light can stress fish out, or too little can stop them from behaving naturally.

[00:08:02] If you're wanting to selectively breed certain trays, like color or fin shape, consider isolating certain pairs in a separate breeding tank or in a breeding container.

[00:08:13] This will allow you to control the conditions better and will increase the likelihood of producing offspring with those desired characteristics.

[00:08:20] You want to make sure that your guppies are healthy, so quarantine new arrivals.

[00:08:26] It's always a good idea to do that to prevent disease outbreaks.

[00:08:29] You don't want to be spending time, money and effort creating a really high quality breeding environment and then introduce new fish that bring in parasites and disease.

[00:08:38] You want to be sure that you're checking your fish regularly for signs of illness, such as lethargy or unusual swimming patterns.

[00:08:45] And keep your tank clean.

[00:08:47] Keep it clean by removing uneaten food and debris from the substrate.

[00:08:50] Yes, it can be said that you are trying to create a natural environment, an environment that is more uninterrupted by human intervention.

[00:09:01] And I guess there could be an argument for that.

[00:09:04] However, the very fact that your fish are sitting in a glass box is in itself unnatural.

[00:09:10] So by all means, do what you can to create as natural an environment as possible, but don't neglect your regular maintenance.

[00:09:17] It's important to understand something of guppy genetics.

[00:09:19] We see many color variations and there's no doubt that guppies are often inbred.

[00:09:25] And there's a lot of anecdotal and recorded evidence that over the past several years, the strength of guppy genetics has in fact declined.

[00:09:34] And this has led to genetic defects and reduced lifespans of guppies over time.

[00:09:40] So do your homework, go on to Google, go and research, find out what works best.

[00:09:46] Learn something about guppy genetics if you're interested in developing a certain strain.

[00:09:50] And if you are selectively breeding a particular strain of guppy, be sure to introduce new blood, new DNA into that colony on a regular basis.

[00:09:59] That will keep the breeding true and will ensure that you have a continuous healthy supply of baby guppies in that particular strain, if possible.

[00:10:09] And if this is what you're looking for, you could separate the baby fry immediately so that the adult fish do not eat them.

[00:10:17] You want to make sure that you're using very finely crushed flakes or specialized fry food.

[00:10:22] Keep your water quality good with baby fish.

[00:10:25] Maybe small water changes so you don't disturb them too much.

[00:10:29] And monitor them.

[00:10:30] Just keep watching them.

[00:10:31] Make sure that they remain healthy.

[00:10:32] If you have your guppies in a community tank and still want to breed them, make sure that you don't have aggressive fish in that tank.

[00:10:39] Fish like Corridoras and certain tetras like Neon tetras can often coexist very well with guppies.

[00:10:47] Don't use cichlids or bettas who often are going to see guppies as a very convenient source of food.

[00:10:53] Make sure that you have lots of hiding spaces, plants and decorations and so forth.

[00:10:57] To let all the species in your tank feel that they are secure in their shared space.

[00:11:03] So yes, in summary, temperature can affect the breeding of guppies along with many of the other elements that have been mentioned in this podcast.

[00:11:09] We want to keep the temperature as stable as we can.

[00:11:12] Create as much of an optimal breeding environment as possible.

[00:11:15] But at the end of the day, it's up to you as the aquarist, as the aquarium keeper, to do what you can to keep those guppy fry alive and well.

[00:11:24] Keep the adult guppies alive and well and breed this incredible little fish as best as you can.

[00:11:29] I wish you all the best in your guppy breeding activities and endeavors.

[00:11:33] Again, I'd love to see photographs.

[00:11:35] We can certainly share those in the gallery on the website.

[00:11:38] So feel free to share your guppy pictures with me.

[00:11:41] You can send them to admin at artfishroom.co.ca

[00:11:45] and I can feature them in a gallery on a page in the blog.

[00:11:48] And as always, we learn and we grow together.

[00:11:51] So with that in mind, please could I ask you to consider following or subscribing to this podcast and sharing it with several others.

[00:11:58] Especially in these early days of the podcast, it's important for us to get these episodes out to as many people as possible.

[00:12:05] I invite you to leave a review for the podcast and certainly send me your ideas for future episodes and your constructive criticism.

[00:12:14] Also ideas for guests.

[00:12:18] This is something I'm working on and I look forward to our first guest episode in the next few weeks.

[00:12:25] So this is Art signing off from this episode of The Aquarius Edge.

[00:12:28] I wish you all the very best.

[00:12:30] Keep learning.

[00:12:32] Keep discovering.

[00:12:33] Keep fish keeping.

[00:12:34] Take care all.

[00:12:35] Bye bye.

[00:12:36] Bye bye.

[00:12:36] Bye bye.