Female Guppy Mix (Poecilia reticulata) – 2.5–7cm & XL Size Grades

Overview

Female guppies bring the same easy-going charm as their flashy male counterparts, but in a fuller, more understated package. Peaceful, endlessly hardy and happy in almost any community, they are one of the finest fish for a first aquarium and a dependable choice for planted or nano community tanks. Supplied as a mixed selection, they offer a soft palette of pastel tails and a calm, constantly active presence at every level of the tank.

Appearance & Identification

Females are noticeably larger and rounder-bodied than males, reaching around 5–6 cm, with a pale silvery sheen and shorter, gently coloured fins. Many show delicate washes of colour in the tail, and a darker gravid spot near the vent is normal — a sign of a healthy, well-conditioned adult. Because this is a mixed group, expect a pleasing variety of subtle tail patterns rather than a single uniform strain.

Aquarium Setup

A 40 litre or larger planted aquarium is ideal, with gentle filtration and some floating cover. Guppies naturally favour harder, alkaline water, so a pH of 6.8–8.5 and moderate to high hardness suit them perfectly — there is no need to chase soft, acidic conditions. Keep the temperature between 22 and 28°C. Live or silk plants give both grazing surfaces and refuge, and a lid is worth fitting as the occasional fish will flick at the surface.

Temperament & Tank Mates

Thoroughly peaceful and sociable, female guppies shoal loosely and explore all regions of the tank. An all-female group makes a wonderfully calm display without the constant courtship activity of mixed groups, and they mix readily with most small, gentle community fish. Their only real enemies are fin-nippers and anything large enough to view them as prey.

Feeding

An adaptable omnivore, the female guppy thrives on good-quality flake and micro-pellets supplemented with frozen foods such as daphnia and brine shrimp, plus a little algae or blanched vegetable matter. Feed small amounts once or twice a day, offering only what is cleared in a couple of minutes. A varied diet keeps colour bright and supports the demands of these prolific livebearers.

Breeding

Guppies are famously easy livebearers. Females can store sperm and deliver successive broods of fully-formed fry roughly every month, so many arrive already gravid. If you wish to raise young, provide dense planting or a breeding box, as adults will predate their own fry. Kept as an all-female group they remain a peaceful, non-breeding shoal.

Delivery & Live Arrival Guarantee

Every Female Guppy is hand-selected and quarantined before sale, then packed in oxygenated bags with insulation and heat packs when needed and sent by tracked, live-animal courier. Your order is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, so it reaches you safely anywhere in the UK.