Poecilia ret. male red turquoise

Recognise the red turquoise guppy

Poecilia ret. male red turquoise is a selected male colour form of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, in the family Poeciliidae. FishBase records the species from Venezuela, Barbados, Trinidad, northern Brazil and the Guyanas, and gives a maximum of 5 cm standard length for male or unsexed fish. It can suit a prepared beginner who can provide a mature filtered aquarium, stable mineral-bearing water, a planned social group and measured routine care.

“Poecilia ret.” is the familiar shortened trade wording for the scientific name, while “red turquoise” describes the colour form rather than a separate species. Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes recognises Poecilia reticulata as the accepted name.

Colour and shape

The representative animal has a silver body overlaid by turquoise-blue and red markings, with broad red dorsal and tail fins. Selective guppy varieties can differ in the precise balance and placement of colour, so choose this form for its overall red-and-turquoise character rather than expecting an identical arrangement on every fish.

Wild context

Wild guppies occur in freshwater and brackish environments, including vegetated streams, springs, canals, ponds and ditches. Those distribution details describe the species in nature; they do not identify the breeding or geographical origin of this individual colour form.

In nature, guppies feed on zooplankton, small insects and detritus. That flexible feeding biology helps explain why aquarium guppies accept an omnivorous routine, but captive feeding should use clean, nutritionally complete aquarium foods rather than collected wild material.

Match the offer to your aquarium plan

One purchase supplies one animal. The dispatch grade is 3–4 cm. Dispatch size describes the fish at the point it is sent; it is not an adult-size promise and does not identify age or life stage.

Sex is guaranteed only when the exact product or selected option explicitly states male or female. This Poecilia ret. male red turquoise listing is sold as male.

The gallery images are representative of this type of animal rather than photographs of the exact animal supplied, so colours can look slightly different from the live animal.

FishBase records a maximum of 5 cm standard length for male or unsexed Poecilia reticulata. Standard length excludes the tail fin, and selected domestic guppies can carry substantial finnage, so leave usable swimming room around the body-length figure instead of treating 5 cm as the complete space occupied by the fish.

Use the decisive planning numbers

Our complete guppy care guide uses a conservative house plan: a mature, filtered aquarium at least 60 cm long and a social group of five or more where the sex plan, filtration, test results and other livestock allow. OATA’s guppy-and-molly guidance gives pH 7.0–8.0, 8–18 dGH, at least three fish and 45 litres for a small group as broad group targets, not a species-specific optimum. Our routine aquarium temperature range is 22–28°C.

This fish can suit a prepared beginner who already understands cycling, testing and measured feeding. The “easy” care label is our retail suitability assessment, not permission to use an uncycled bowl or skip maintenance. If you are comparing colour forms, use the guppy collection while keeping the same adult-space, social and water checks in view.

Prepare a mature 60 cm aquarium

Choose a mature, biologically filtered aquarium at least 60 cm long for one small guppy group under our conservative house policy. Aquarium length matters because active fish need horizontal swimming room, while litres help describe dilution and stability. A tall container can hold a respectable nominal volume without offering the same usable swimming length.

Seriously Fish gives a 45 × 30 cm base and approximately 41 litres for Poecilia reticulata. OATA recommends at least 45 litres for a small group of the smaller livebearers. We use the longer 60 cm screen because it leaves more room for social movement, cover and intervention when several guppies share the aquarium.

Build a layout that supports normal movement

• Keep open water: leave a clear horizontal route where every fish can swim and feed without threading through dense decoration.
• Add cover: use live plants where practical, or smooth artificial plants and suitable ornaments that provide shelter and visual breaks.
• Check every surface: remove sharp or rough objects that could catch broad fins.
• Moderate the flow: avoid a strong current that pins the fish in one area or forces continuous effort.
• Protect filter intakes: make sure fins and any future fry cannot be drawn into an unsafe opening.

A larger aquarium generally gives more water stability, but extra litres do not create an automatic entitlement to add more fish. Existing livestock, adult sizes, biological filtration, sex mix and observed behaviour still set the safe stocking plan.

Complete the setup before choosing livestock

Cycle the filter and confirm the result with water tests rather than counting elapsed days. The aquarium is ready only when it can maintain zero ammonia and zero nitrite under the intended biological load. If this is your first setup, follow our guide to preparing and maturing a first tropical aquarium before arranging the fish’s arrival.

Plan a separate, cycled holding option as well. It gives you somewhere safe to move a fish if persistent pursuit, injury or illness makes separation necessary. A small unfiltered container is not an adequate substitute because waste can accumulate rapidly.

Keep mineral-bearing water stable

Run this aquarium at 22–28°C under our routine guppy range. Keep pH between 7.0 and 8.0 and general hardness between 8 and 18 dGH. Aim for stable values within those ranges rather than repeatedly adjusting the water towards a single imagined ideal.

Test the aquarium itself and the tap water used for changes. UK water chemistry differs between regions and can change when water companies blend supplies, so a general postcode description is less useful than measurements from the water entering this aquarium. Our water chemistry guide explains what pH, hardness and nitrogen-cycle tests measure, while the water matcher helps compare measured results with the care range.

Make each adjustment from a test result

OATA advises keeping nitrate no more than 20 mg/L above the normal tap-water level. Record both results so that the aquarium figure is interpreted against the source water rather than in isolation.

Always treat replacement tap water with a suitable conditioner before it enters the aquarium, removing harmful chlorine or chloramine according to the product directions. Match temperature and chemistry gradually during maintenance. Sudden correction can be more disruptive than a stable reading near one end of the suitable range.

Wild guppies can occur in brackish habitats, but that does not make routine salt addition necessary. Add salt or minerals only for a measured purpose after checking the needs of every fish, invertebrate and plant in the aquarium.

Protect the biological filter and water quality

A working filter is essential because fish waste releases toxic ammonia. RSPCA aquarium guidance explains that biological filtration supports bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite and then to the safer nitrate. The filter must therefore remain established, oxygenated and matched to the aquarium’s actual biological load.

Use a repeatable weekly routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature at least once each week, adding pH checks whenever stability or source-water chemistry is in question.
2. At least once every week, change 25% of the aquarium water.
3. Siphon visible solid waste from accessible areas of the substrate without stripping the entire aquarium clean at once.
4. Condition replacement tap water and bring it towards the aquarium temperature before adding it gradually.
5. Inspect the filter for reduced flow, obstruction, unusual noise or debris around the intake.
6. Record test results and maintenance so that a trend becomes visible before fish show distress.

When filter media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the partial change. Do not run it under the tap because chlorine or chloramine may kill the beneficial bacterial population established in the media. Avoid replacing all mature media at the same time unless the filter manufacturer’s safety directions require it.

Respond to results, not the calendar alone

Increase livestock slowly. Each added animal and each increase in feeding raises the waste load, and the filter bacteria need time and suitable conditions to respond. Adding a full social group to a newly cycled system without monitoring can still overwhelm a small biological filter.

Plants can use some nutrients and provide cover, but they do not replace filtration, testing or water changes. Treat clear-looking water as an appearance, not a measurement: ammonia and nitrite can be dangerous without making the aquarium visibly dirty.

Feed small, measured portions once a day

Use an appropriately sized, nutritionally complete omnivore flake or granule as the staple food. OATA’s guppy-and-molly routine advises feeding once a day and giving only what the fish can consume within a few minutes. Start with a small portion, watch every fish, and stop before food is left drifting into plants or settling on the substrate.

Choose a staple with an algal component and add safe, compatible variety rather than relying on one treat. Small items of live or frozen food such as daphnia, small bloodworm or tubifex can be offered as part of that varied routine. Make sure each item is appropriately sized for the guppy’s mouth and obtained as biosecure aquarium food.

Judge the portion by what happens in the aquarium

Wild guppies consume small insects, zooplankton and detrital material, but an aquarium diet should not attempt to reproduce a wild site literally. A complete manufactured staple provides controlled nutrition, while suitable variety reflects the species’ flexible feeding biology.

Overfeeding is a water-quality problem as well as a nutrition problem. Uneaten food breaks down and increases the burden on the biological filter. A portion that disappears quickly can still be excessive if one fish is repeatedly overfed while another is excluded, so watch body condition and access across the whole group.

If fry appear, they need food particles sized for their mouths and especially close monitoring of water quality. Do not increase food automatically without testing and confirming that the nursery filtration can process the added waste.

Introduce the fish without rushing the aquarium

Prepare and test the aquarium before the delivery date. Confirm zero ammonia and zero nitrite, stable temperature, suitable pH and hardness, normal filter operation and a secure separation option. Do not use the arriving fish to test whether an immature aquarium has completed its cycle.

Read the current delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy before ordering and make sure someone is present to receive the parcel because live fish cannot be left unattended.

Follow the arrival steps in order

1. Receive the parcel in person.
2. Before opening it, start filming continuously with the sealed parcel and outer box visible.
3. Keep filming as the parcel is opened and show the fish still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.
5. Release the fish without pouring the bag water into the aquarium.

Observe the first hours

• Check whether the guppy can maintain balance and swim steadily.
• Watch the gill covers for regular movement rather than unusually rapid or slow breathing.
• Look for open, undamaged fins and an intact body surface.
• Confirm that filter flow is not pinning the fish or sweeping it away from cover.
• Keep established tank mates from cornering, chasing or excluding the newcomer.

A settled guppy should show steady swimming, regular breathing, open fins, a normal body profile and consistent feeding. Hiding, clamped fins, surface gasping, erratic swimming, loss of balance, wounds, spots, fluffy growths or a sudden appetite change are warning signs rather than diagnoses.

Act on a warning sign

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature immediately.
2. Inspect the filter, heater, recent maintenance, food and any recent livestock additions.
3. Separate the fish safely where social pressure or injury makes that necessary.
4. Record the signs, timing and test results so changes can be followed accurately.

RSPCA fish-health guidance supports water-quality checks and veterinary escalation when behaviour or appearance changes. If the fish remains distressed, contact us promptly and use OATA’s UK fish-vet directory for qualified diagnosis. Do not select salt, heat or medication from one symptom alone.

Quarantine and review the first month

Use a separate biosecure quarantine aquarium for new fish where practical. It should have biologically supported filtration, suitable heat, tested water, cover and dedicated equipment. A quarantine container without mature filtration simply exchanges disease-control risk for unstable water quality.

The MSD Veterinary Manual recommends at least 30 days of isolation for aquarium fish, with longer periods where indicated. That veterinary reference supports quarantine duration and water-quality-led assessment; any diagnosis or treatment in the UK should follow lawful product labelling and veterinary direction.

Use checkpoints rather than assumptions

Do not add several later purchases directly to the display aquarium simply because the first fish settled well. Every addition changes disease exposure, social behaviour and biological load. Repeat the same preparation and observation process each time.

Continue weekly testing and partial water changes after the first month. An easy care classification describes suitability for a prepared keeper; it does not reduce the need for filtration, measured feeding or observation.

Never release guppies, fry, plants, snails, aquarium water or damp substrate into a pond, natural waterway or surface-water drain. Guppies have become established beyond their native range, and responsible rehoming is the correct response when the aquarium can no longer support its population.

Build a deliberate social group around this male

Guppies are social fish. Our conservative house policy is a group of five or more where aquarium capacity, filtration, water tests and the sex plan allow. FishBase also gives aquarium keeping in groups of five or more. Treat that as a starting group rather than a fixed stocking allowance: usable space and observed behaviour still decide whether the aquarium can support every animal.

Choose the sex plan before adding fish

This offer can be used within a planned male group, but “peaceful” does not mean socially inactive. Watch for repeated pursuit, cornering, hiding, missed feeding, clamped fins or fin damage. If one fish cannot move away or eat normally, intervene with safe separation and review the group instead of adding another animal to distract the aggressor.

Guppies are livebearers, so a mixed-sex group can produce fry. Plan space, filtration, feeding and responsible rehoming before combining sexes. Dense planting can improve fry survival, which may increase rather than solve the future population challenge.

Keep guppies and Endler’s livebearers distinct when identity matters

Endler’s livebearer is the separately described species Poecilia wingei. The formal description of Poecilia wingei supports that distinction, and Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes lists it as a valid species.

Laboratory research summarised in our guppy care guide demonstrates that P. reticulata and P. wingei can hybridise. House documented lines separately if preserving their identity matters. That possibility does not classify an unexamined aquarium fish or establish the ancestry of this red turquoise form.

Screen every proposed tank mate before mixing species

Seriously Fish describes the guppy as very peaceful and suitable for a quiet community, but it specifically advises against fin-nipping species such as tiger barbs and serpae tetras. OATA likewise advises avoiding species that might nip guppy fins. Broad dorsal and tail fins make that risk especially important for selected male forms.

Apply the full compatibility screen

1. Compare water ranges: look for a practical overlap in temperature, pH and hardness, not merely contact at the extreme edge of two ranges.
2. Use adult size: reject combinations where either animal could swallow, trap or injure the other.
3. Check behaviour: assess fin-nipping, territoriality, courtship pressure and the likelihood of repeated chasing.
4. Plan both social groups: include the adult space needed by every shoaling or group-living species.
5. Compare feeding: make sure the guppies can obtain an appropriate portion without being outcompeted.
6. Keep an exit plan: maintain a safe separation option because individual behaviour can change after introduction.

Other livebearers, rasboras, corydoras, small loricariids and tetras can include candidates for a quiet community, but those category names are not universal approval. Exact species differ in adult size, water chemistry, social needs and behaviour. Screen the named species rather than relying on its family or shop category.

Introduce livestock gradually so the filter and social group can adjust. Observe feeding and movement closely after each addition. Ask us for a stocking and compatibility assessment when you can provide the aquarium dimensions, measured water values, filtration and a complete livestock list.

Answer common buying questions

How big does Poecilia ret. male red turquoise get?

FishBase records up to 5 cm standard length for male or unsexed Poecilia reticulata; standard length excludes the tail fin.

What size aquarium does Poecilia ret. male red turquoise need?

Use a mature, filtered aquarium at least 60 cm long under Tropical Fish Co’s conservative guppy policy; Seriously Fish gives a species-level minimum footprint of 45 × 30 cm and approximately 41 litres.

How many Poecilia ret. male red turquoise should I keep?

Plan five or more guppies where aquarium capacity, filtration, water tests and the sex plan allow, following Tropical Fish Co’s conservative policy and FishBase’s group-of-five-or-more aquarium note.

Does Poecilia ret. male red turquoise suit a beginner?

It can suit a prepared beginner who uses a mature filtered aquarium, maintains zero ammonia and nitrite, tests the water and plans the social group before adding fish.

What does Poecilia ret. male red turquoise eat?

Feed an appropriately sized, nutritionally complete omnivore flake or granule as the staple; OATA’s guppy-and-molly guidance advises one daily portion that the fish consume within a few minutes, with safe compatible variety.

What temperature and pH does this fish need?

Keep it at Tropical Fish Co’s routine 22–28°C range; OATA’s guppy-and-molly guidance gives pH 7.0–8.0 and 8–18 dGH for the group, with zero ammonia and zero nitrite.

Is this guppy aggressive or likely to nip fins?

Seriously Fish describes the guppy as very peaceful, although guppies may chase one another; avoid fin-nipping species such as tiger barbs and serpae tetras.

Which kinds of fish can live with it?

Other livebearers, rasboras, corydoras, small loricariids and tetras can be candidates for a quiet community when their exact adult size, water range, social needs and feeding behaviour pass the full compatibility screen.

How does it arrive alive in the UK?

Start filming every delivery continuously from the sealed parcel before opening it, then show the animal still inside the sealed bag. Have someone present to receive the parcel, float the bag for 20–30 minutes, and never pour the bag water into the aquarium.

Check the care references

• FishBase: Poecilia reticulata — identity, family, distribution, wild biology, recorded length and aquarium group note.
• Seriously Fish: Poecilia reticulata — aquarium footprint, water, feeding, behaviour and compatibility guidance.
• OATA: How to look after guppies and mollies — UK group care covering water, feeding, maintenance and social planning.
• RSPCA: Aquarium environment — filtration and nitrogen-cycle welfare guidance.
• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes: Poecilia reticulata — accepted scientific name and taxonomic identity.
• RSPCA: Fish health and welfare — warning signs, water checks and escalation.
• MSD Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish — quarantine and water-quality-led assessment.
• OATA: Find a fish vet — UK fish-vet directory.
• Description of Poecilia wingei — formal distinction of Endler’s livebearer.
• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes: Poecilia wingei — current valid-status record for Endler’s livebearer.