Guppy male "Mosaic" - Poecilia reticulata

"Mosaic" Guppy males are a colorful variety of Poecilia reticulata, which like all guppies originated in South America. Since time immemorial, Guppies have enjoyed aquaristic popularity due to their ease of keeping and reproduction and have a large following. As an optimal beginner fish, the Guppy has made it easier for most to get started in aquaristics. The Guppy is not for nothing also called million fish, therefore you receive with us also pure male groups. In contrast to the otherwise rather paler colored females, an all-male group loses none of its charm, rather the opposite is the case: in a male group the usual stress caused by constant courtship and posturing is reduced, which has a very beneficial effect on the life expectancy of the animals.

Mosaic Guppies are a great color form where the body of the fish has a dark blue base coloration and the dorsal and caudal fin are colored orange-red with a black mosaic pattern, hence their name. Generally the males are more intensely colored than the females. With just 4-5 cm they also remain somewhat smaller than these. Under their abdomen is an elongated sexual appendage, the so-called gonopodium. This also makes it easy to distinguish between the two sexes.

As a live-bearing toothcarp, the Mosaic Guppy can also mate with the popular Endler Guppy and produce fertile hybrids. These two species should rather be kept separately. The lively Guppy can also be easily socialized with other lively fish such as Tetras, Mollies, Platies and Swordtails, which can also be beneficial in a community aquarium where both sexes are kept. Not for nothing is the Guppy's reproductive frenzy sometimes feared, a "natural predator" can be helpful in keeping the Guppy population in check.

Mosaic Guppy males are constantly courting in a mixed-sex group. After mating, the female gives birth after about 21 days and can fertilize herself several more times, because she can store the sperm of the male. This is also the reason why even in all-male groups young can sometimes appear. Guppies are livebearers; in this case the eggs develop in the mother's abdomen and even hatch there. They are released shortly thereafter. A single litter can contain up to 20 young animals. Although the parent animals also chase their own young, this can even be advantageous in the short interval and the young age at which guppies can reproduce. However, if you want to raise the young animals specifically, we recommend a very good planting and our rearing food Natureholic YoungFeed.

The Mosaic Guppy makesno great demands on its aquarium or its keeper. A colorful troop, because he prefers a life in a shoal, can be kept in medium to hard water at room temperature, ideally between 22-28 °C. The aquarium may be densely planted in places. The aquarium may be densely planted in places, so that other co-inhabitants can retreat to take a breather or recover from the lively Guppy aquarium fish. Substrate and furnishings may be decorated as you see fit.

Well-reproducing dwarf shrimp, as well as Amano shrimp or fan shrimp , can be socialized well with the Mosaic Guppy, although the shrimp offspring may be eaten. As bottom dwellers, dwarf crayfish can nip at its long fins sensitively. Crayfish are also not so highly recommended, as they can catch and also eat the Mosaic Guppy.

In their natural habitat, guppies eat flying insects from the water surface, but also coatings of stones and roots, algae and decomposing plant material. They can therefore be fed optimally in the aquarium with commercially available dry food in the form of granulated food or flake food for omnivorous fish. However, you can also occasionally offer them vegetable chips such as zucchini chips or pumpkin chips and scalded vegetables. They are also happy if their diet is occasionally spiced up with live food or frozen food as well as with small crustaceans and worms such as daphnia, cyclops, artemia, grindal worms or enchytraea.

Our food recommendation: The fragrant NatureHolic Guppyfeed  was tailor-made for the needs 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 viviparous from injuries caused by hard food grains and provide the fish with a natural feeding experience.

Our plant recommendation: Use for 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.