A beautiful aquarium is the dream of every aquarium owner. There is no doubt that guppies would make a perfect pet for you due to their bright and vibrant colors. But have you ever had questions about colorful guppy fish, like what they truly are, why they are so colorful, and how to enhance the guppy’s color?
It is now time to find out more about the colorful guppy fish. Keep reading this article.
Why Are Guppies So Colorful? According to Science
The University of Illinois conducted a study and found out the reason why guppies are so colorful. It is due to genetics. And the primary purpose of that coloration is to attract mates for reproduction. Males have evolved and revolved for millions of years in order to retain these colors. In particular, the shade of orange is the color that females love the most.
What “Colorful Guppy Fish” Truly Are?
There’s a small twist in the story. Guppies should only be described as “colorful guppy fish” when they are the males, as the males have colorful patterns and iridescent stripes and stops.
On the other hand, the females usually have dull brown colors.
Why Are Male Guppies More Colorful Than Female Guppies?
In every species, mating is one of the most common phenomena. Bright colors are, of course, considered good for attracting a mate. This is actually the primary reason male guppies are more colorful than females.
It is more likely that a male guppie that is more colorful will attract more female guppies. Moreover, it also benefits female guppies since it allows them to choose a better, healthier partner and good looking.
That is the general opinion on why male guppies are more colorful than female ones. However, we can also look at this phenomenon from a scientific point of view.
The male guppies have bright, vibrant colors because they have chromosomes that only exchange genes at the very tips. Therefore, only male guppies can receive the colors, and they are almost unchanged.
Due to the fact that male guppies inherit nearly all of their genes from their male parents, their colorful appearance has been preserved from generation to generation. Unlike male guppies, which can inherit the color of their male parents, female guppies lack the chromosomes that exchange genes at the very top. So they don’t inherit the colors.
How To Increase Guppy’s Colors?
As we have mentioned above, genetics plays the most important role when it comes to a guppy’s coloration, but the environment can also play a significant role. There are a few proven methods that can help your guppy become more colorful.
Feed Your Guppies A High-quality And Varied Diet
Your guppies’ coloration is heavily influenced by what they eat. That is why you should always feed your guppies high-quality food.
Guppies are omnivorous animals, which means they can consume both animal and plant-based food. In your fish tank, you should provide both types of food. High-quality flakes and pellets are two good choices.
Moreover, there are some guppy fish foods that have been specially formulated to enhance the color of your fish.
Guppies eat live food in their natural habitat, so you should also provide live food to your guppies on a regular basis. Live food is the most nutritious food for guppies and also helps enhance the color of your guppies.
It is good to feed your guppies frozen plant-based foods regularly since they can also consume plant-based foods.
Guppies Shouldn’t Be Stressed In Their Fish Tank
It is possible for the color of your guppies to be negatively affected if they are stressed in your fish tank.
It is, therefore, very important that you ensure all the guppies in your aquarium do not become stressed, in order to achieve the best coloration in the aquarium.
Maintain Ideal Water Parameters
Your guppy fish will feel comfortable in your fish tank when the water parameters for guppies are maintained. This improves the coloration of your guppy fish!
In your guppy fish tank, you’ll have to maintain certain water parameters.
- Water temperature: 72° F to 78° F (22° C to 25° C)
- Water pH: 7 to 7.2
Maintain Good Water Quality In Your Aquarium
Poor water quality in your aquarium can stress out the guppies in your fish tank. This will result in a dull-looking fish.
Basically, you need to ensure your aquarium water does not contain any ammonia or nitrite. Moreover, the nitrate level in your fish tank should not exceed 40ppm.
During the week, you should change about 30% – 50% of aquarium water depending on the level of nitrates in the water.
Alternatively, you can keep live aquarium plants, which will absorb the nitrates from your guppy tank.
Your Fish Tank Should Always Have Enough Oxygen
Some things to do to make sure that your fish tank always has sufficient oxygen
- Do not overstock
- Introduce an air pump in your fish tank
- Introduce some live aquarium plants
Try Out Different Substrates And Backgrounds For Your Guppy Fish Tank
Fish generally change their coloration depending on the environment they are in when they are in their natural habitat.
Consequently, the color of the substrate and background in your fish tank can affect the guppies in your tank.
As a result, you should try out different substrates and backgrounds for your guppy tank and observe how your fish react and how their color changes as a result. Choose a substrate and background that will allow your guppies to show bright, vivid colors.
Video About How To Enhance The Color Of Your Guppy Fish
FAQs
What is the rarest guppy color?
Some of the rarest Guppy colors are Solid Green, Solid Purple, Bronze, Half Black Purple, and Half Black Green. It is also not easy to breed the Moscoe Guppy; and therefore it is quite rare, and it is also not easy to buy it.
How long does it take for a baby guppy to get its color?
It takes up to three months for guppies to fully mature into adult fish. When it comes to coloration, the guppy fry will start showing color when it is between 1-6 weeks old. Your guppy will be fully colored when 8-10 weeks old.
Guppies’ male color usually develops earlier than their female color.
Why do guppies lose color?
Losing color is usually not an indication of a healthy guppy. There are several possible reasons why this occurs, such as stress, a poor water environment, harsh lighting, and a lack of nutrients.
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010.