Having an aquarium is a great hobby. Most new aquarium owners buy guppies as their first choice to fill their aquariums.
They are relatively easy to care for and are a hardy species of fish. They don’t cost very much and are fairly inexpensive to own.
Getting Started
The best aquarium is at least a ten gallon tank. You can use a five gallon tank, but a ten gallon one is best. You will want to be sure that the fish tank is sparkling clean before you attempt to fill it with fish. You will need a filter to keep the water oxidized and clean.
You will need to change at least one quarter of the water on a weekly basis. You should get rid of debris that gathers on the bottom of the tank.
The water can be treated with chemicals such as chlorine and chloramine remover if you are worried that these chemicals might be lurking in your water supply.
You will have to keep an eye on the pH balance of the water. When you purchase your tank it is a good idea to purchase a book about how to keep your tank at its healthiest. Water temperatures are ideal between 66 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the tank in an area with natural sunlight. Optimally your guppies should have at least eight to twelve hours a day of light. If you do not have an area of your home where your tank can receive that much light, you can simply buy a fluorescent light system to place on top of the tank.
Overcrowding can be a problem so for every 2 to 3 gallons of water have just one adult guppy. If your guppies have babies you will have to separate them from the adults as they will eat them.
If you are not able to separate them be sure you provide the fry with breeding traps or a variety of plants in which they can hide.
Finding fish food for your guppies is a simple matter as well. Any type of commercial food you find for tropical fish will do. You can even feed them frozen foods such as brine shrimp, tubifex and bloodworms that can be purchased at your local pet shop.
There are a variety of books available about how to successfully care for numerous types of tropical fish and it is a good idea to read up on the topic before you begin to fill your aquarium with guppies and other species of fish.
