There is nothing quite as charming as a guppie, and a guppie aquarium can be a wonderful addition to any home. Once they mate, both guppy fish male and female will reproduce very quickly, but the young guppies are known to eat anything that might be attached to them.
After the guppies have been living for at least one week, you can easily tell which one is a male and which is a female. By observing a guppy’s body shape, fins, and colouring, one can determine whether the fish is male or female.
A Guppy Fish Male and Female Identification
A male and a female Guppy fish are actually very easy to tell apart once they reach adolescence since they have distinct eye colors.
Some fish, such as many species of shark, have very subtle differences between the sexes, however, the guppies, on the other hand, have a very different appearance, making it easy to tell them apart.
When it comes to guppy sex, it’s nearly impossible to determine. A young child can be diagnosed one to two weeks after birth once they have reached the adolescent stage of their lives.
It is likely that the female Guppies would already have a gravid spot after one week. In the case that you are having difficulty finding it, you can use a magnifying glass and a flashlight to help you.
The Difference Between Male And Female Fancy Guppies
In terms of body shape, the female body is rounder and bigger than the male is. The men normally have flat bodies with slender shapes.
On average, female Guppies are twice as big as male ones. The maximum height of a male can be up to 1-1/8 inches (3 cm), and the maximum height of a female is 2-1/8 inches (6 cm) when they are fully grown.
Early on, you will notice that the size difference between a male and female Guppy is quite obvious.
Guppies have a wide variety of vivid colors, which help them pull in a mate since they use their vivid colors to attract a mate. Women’s bodies tend to be pale gray or silver, while men’s bodies are frequently brightly colored with different patterns.
I’d also like to mention that some of the females do have a lot more color than some of the male Guppies, however, if you compare the male Guppies with those from the same spawn, you’ll be amazed at just how much more colored they are.
In males, there is a large tail that is brightly colored and is quite big.
Female’s Anal Fin – The male has a different type of anal fin. It tends to be longer and more pointed than that of a female.
Generally, females have triangular-shaped anal fins. Normally, the anal fin is the thin, downward-facing fin immediately below the tail fin of a guppy.
Almost all Guppy owners separate the male and female Guppy tanks in order to avoid having multiple Guppy tanks, so a lot of people do this so that they don’t have to worry about multiple Guppy tanks.
Since the males cannot inseminate until the gonopodium of the male Guppies is developed, separating them will not be necessary until the anal fin of the male takes on a pointed appearance.
Guppy Male To Female Ratio: What Is The Best One?
The most suitable guppy male to female ratio is based on the general practice among fish keepers, and it is 1:3.
So, there should be at least three female guppies to every male guppy, in order to maintain an effective population. Some people, however, seem to think that a 1:2 ratio is a good rate so they follow it.
If you want to increase the ratio of male guppies to female guppies in your tank, you can multiply it as the population increases.
Taking the ratio of 1:3 as an example, you would like the following:
- In the same aquarium, I keep 1 male guppy and 3 female guppies.
- The same aquarium can hold up to 5 male guppies and 15 female guppies.
- For every 30 female guppies, 10 males are kept in the same aquarium.
- It is highly recommended to keep between 20 and 60 male guppies in the same aquarium
- It is essential that you maintain a proper female to male ratio in your guppy tank in order to keep your guppy happy.
- If a handful of stressed and injured fish is present, the situation may easily devolve into a grotesque situation.
Inadequacies Of Population Imbalance
In the short run, housing the right number of males and females may appear unimportant at first glance. This aspect should not be neglected, as it is absolutely vital for the prevention of deaths, as neglecting this aspect may have fatal consequences.
As a result, there may be an increase in aggression between the sexes, stressed-out females, and an increase in overpopulation. Consequently, overcrowding could lead to increased tank pollution.
The guppies are swimming among a shoal of other fish that are social. The fish are also in a hierarchy among themselves, which allows them to work together and work together as a team. The fight over territory and potential mates is hardly ever unusual among males.
The majority of all fights usually take place among juvenile or petite male guppies.
There are usually territorial aggressions among male guppies when the females are outnumbering them and mate frustrations between them, as a result of this. Guppies with torn fins are the only thing that can result from the trauma.
Differences In Behavioral Traits
A pair of Fancy Guppies can make an excellent addition to any community tank as they are peaceful, active species of fish. The downside of this is that when you have a tank full of mature males and females who are ready to breed, the situation can get out of hand.
In what way?
As far as the problem goes, the problem isn’t that the male guppies are aggressive, the problem is that they are absolutely persistent.
So, if a population consists of too many males and there are not enough females, the males may end up harassing the poor females to death, thereby causing the females to pass away.
Due to this specific reason, many hobbyists keep their Guppies in separate tanks, both males and females.
Nevertheless, you can still have fun while breeding generations of Fancy Guppies without having to worry about carnage if you stick to a ratio of at least two females to one male or preferably more, and that ratio is one female for every male.
Video About The Difference Between Male And Female Guppy Fish
FAQs
Can I keep 2 male guppies together?
There are no restrictions on the number of male guppies you can keep together. There are no problems with male guppies living together with one another.
In addition, the fact remains that male guppies sometimes exhibit aggressive behavior towards other males. In certain instances, these two animals may chase each other to assert dominance or fight over a female.
How long do female guppies live?
There are a variety of guppies that live from 1-3 years of age. In the right conditions, it has been reported that some people have even succeeded in making it to five years of age!
The exact genetic make-up and genetic background of the individual will, however, have a decisive bearing on the results. But this does not seem to be the case in most cases.
Do female guppies fight?
Despite being far less common, it is not uncommon to see female guppies fight on occasion.
It is often said that females will fight, which is generally considered innocuous, but in reality, it’s generally harassment rather than fighting when it happens.
Final Words
It isn’t until a week or two after their birth that guppies begin to show signs of gender. You can begin to tell the different sexes of the fish when the fish have reached a few weeks old.
It’s worth noting that male fancy guppies have lovely flowing dorsal and caudal fins, which are absent in their female counterparts, and they are smaller and thinner in comparison.
One thing I can definitely notice is the male’s brilliant coloration, which is one of the most obvious differences between the two! It is possible to get Guppies in almost every colour you can think of and with a wide variety of tail shapes as well.
The female, in comparison to the males, is usually larger, rounder, and has a duller coloration; they have a short tail and a rounded dorsal fin.
Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on how to tell the difference between male and female fancy guppies. Be sure to share this with your friends and family!
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.