Guppy female "koi kohaku" - Poecilia reticulata

The females of the "Koi Kohaku" Guppies, which also belong to the Poecilia reticulata, live up to their name! They originate from South America and are a great color form. The wonderful markings and bright colors, as well as the easy and almost undemanding keeping make Guppies very popular aquarium fish, which have a large circle of fans. Above all, the "reproductive mania" of this million fish makes the animals very interesting especially for studies of heredity. However, since their high reproductive drive can become downright overpopulation, you can also purchase a pure female group here in the store. Ambitious breeders of the "Koi Kohaku" color scheme can of course also buy the matching males here. Also a pure "girl group" loses nothing of its charm, if they are held same-sex. However, this prevents the consideration of a species-appropriate housing of the many young animals. They can be socialized well with other aquarium animals and bring both great color spots, but also liveliness in an aquarium.

"Koi Kohaku" is a colored breeding form. The light base color with the dorsal markings going over the head refers to "Kohaku". As usual, the males are a bit more strongly colored , the actual breeding goal, interestingly, in this case corresponds to the females, which have only an orange colored head with red eyes and an orange colored caudal fin (with caudal peduncle). They can even grow quite large at up to 10 cm. Except for the caudal fin, the rest of the fins are transparent. Instead of a "pen-shaped" gonopodium, the anal fin of females is sail-shaped.

These viviparous toothcarps can also mate with the Endler Guppy, which in turn produce fertile hybrids. Therefore, these two species should not be kept together if possible. Koi Kohakus can be kept together with fish from similar water conditions. In aquariums with mixed-sex guppies, a "natural predator" can also be advantageous to slightly decimate the juvenile numbers of this million fish. In some cases, however, this is already done by the parents. This can be prevented by keeping only males or only females or by raising the young in a spawning box. A female Guppy gives birth to about 20-25 live young per litter, but in a spawning box or in a very well planted aquarium even more. Guppies can also be easily socialized with well reproducing dwarf shrimp, but also with Amano shrimp or fan shrimp with the same requirements. However, dwarf shrimp can pinch the soft fins of guppies sleeping on the bottom, which is why such a socialization is not recommended.

Guppies feed and stay mainly in the middle to upper water zone and eat in their natural habitat among other things flying insects that land on the water, but also coatings of algae and decomposing plants. In the aquarium they can be easily fed with commercial dry foods such as granules or flakes, but occasionally with soft, over-scalded vegetables and greens. They are also happy if their diet is occasionally spiced up with live food and frozen food.

In natural habitats, guppies live in medium to hard water and sometimes even brackish water with a rather low salinity. At room temperature Koi Kohaku Guppies can be kept without any problems, a water temperature between 22-28°C is optimal. You only need a heater if the water temperature would be permanently below 22°C.

Our feed recommendation: The fragrant NatureHolic Guppyfeed was tailor-made for the requirements of guppies and other viviparous fish in the aquarium. In addition to high-quality animal ingredients, it also contains vegetable components that benefit guppies & co. The soft granules protect the sensitive mouth of the livebearers from injuries caused by hard food grains and provide the fish with a natural feeding experience.

Our plant recommendation: Use for the planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.