Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated with fish, in particular, guppies. Just something about their way of life and how easily they breed intrigued me. I’ve always wanted to breed my own guppies, but back then, my parents never allowed me to since they thought it was too much responsibility for a 13-year-old to handle. But now that I am well into healthy adulthood, I decided that I wanted to start breeding my own guppies. My parents allowed me to have a few goldfish of my own when I was younger, which I would take care of in my room, always making sure they were well fed and looked after, ensuring the temperature was right and the healthy  fish bowl was cleaned on a regular basis. I did ample research on how to best take care of my fish to ensure they lived a long and healthy life. I love watching fish grow healthy and swim around happily from being able to take proper care of them. It is a satisfying feeling. It gave me a deeper appreciation for life. Looking after fish is a hobby of mine that kept me occupied throughout my childhood years and even till this day I haven’t lost interest.

Before even thinking about buying guppies for healthy breeding, I had to thoroughly research the equipment needed and best way for my guppy breeding setup. From my research, I found that there are two different ways to breed guppies healthy. The first option is to setup a tank solely dedicated to breeding, which will require two separate tanks, one for the pregnant female guppy healthy to live in until she gives birth, and the other to separate the male guppy and other fish in the second tank, whereas the second option is to set up only one tank for community breeding. Both options have their pros and cons. Dedicating one breeding tank for the pregnant guppy will allow the female guppy to ease into the pregnancy without being chased and annoyed by other fish and a higher rate of fry (baby fish) will survive. The con is that getting a second tank will take up more space and requires more money to be spent. However, this option is great if you want to selectively choose which pair of guppies to breed at a time for certain appearance traits. Community healthy breeding is the easier option where all the fish are placed into the one tank and it is close to as though the fish are living in the healthy wild, among other types of fish. This option, however, does not allow for selective breeding as you won’t be able to select which guppies breed with which. Another downside is that the fry could be eaten by bigger fish in the tank; however, it would be survival of the fittest where the remaining fry will grow into strong and healthy guppies. Concluding my research, I decided to set up a dedicated healthy breeding tank to ensure the wellbeing of the fry as well as the female guppy. I don’t mind the extra expenses as it has been a lifelong hobby of mine that I’ve always wanted to pursue. The amount of fry a female guppy can have remarkably range from 5 to 100, but it all depends on the guppy, therefore if only 10 fry is born, it would be better for them to have their own space to swim and thrive without the bother of other fish.

Surfing the web for fish tanks, I came across Guppy’s healthy Aquarium Products Online, where they stock a range of aquarium salt or aquarium ornaments in Australia at incredibly reasonable prices. On the hunt for two different tanks, I found that Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online not only have a variety of fish tanks but breeding boxes. This was the perfect solution for me to create a space dedicated to the female guppy and fry, instead of purchasing two separate tanks. I can easily attach the breeding box onto the main tank and it will not take up a huge amount of extra space. I had a look at their breeding tanks which were also at great prices and it even features an aerator for maximum water circulation. I made sure to check out the FAQ page first before purchasing anything, which answered the majority of my questions. However, I needed a few more questions answered in regards to the best type of plants and fish food for the guppies. I went ahead and gave Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online a call and spoke to one of their representatives who clearly had an in-depth understanding of the products they offer. My questions were thoroughly answered and I was happy with the level of customer service they provided, reassuring my confidence to purchase from their store. I was definitely impressed with the overall website so I decided to purchase all the supplies I needed from the one store. Luckily enough I live near their warehouse in Burleigh and picked up my order from their warehouse to save on freight costs.

I went ahead and purchased a Marine Sources all-in-one healthy Marine Aquarium ASD-300 which was at a great price on special as well as a large breeding box to separate the pregnant female guppies and fry. The aquarium is ready for water and has an acrylic material filtration component and acrylic embracement. I also purchased a variety of fish food (pellets and flakes) to ensure good health and vibrant colours, plants and rocks for the baby fish to run and hide in, and for the female guppy to feel safe and secure as well as some other supplies to set up the aquarium. Upon picking up my order I was greeted with a friendly welcome and was suggested a few tips for keeping the aquarium clean. Excited to bring my items home, I quickly set up the breeding area. I made sure to set the water temperature of the tank between 23°C – 28°C and a pH level between 7.0 – 8.5, which is the ideal temperature and pH level for the fish. I made sure everything was set up before purchasing the guppies, and the Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online representative even suggested to purchase corydoras (a freshwater fish from the catfish family) to help keep the space clean and eat any uneaten leftover food.

When it came to buying the fish, I first bought two female guppies and one male guppy for them to breed. I read that it takes roughly 20 – 40 days for the female guppy to become pregnant so I bought other types of freshwater fish suitable for the main tank. I kept a close eye on the female guppies and once I noticed that the female guppies were pregnant, I placed them in the separate large breeding box, which is a great size for the multiple guppies to swim around in without the fear of being eaten by the other fish. I’m glad I decided to purchase the breeding box as it allowed the female guppies to be as calm as possible, resulting in the successful birth of multiple small lively fry. I put the female guppies back in the main tank with the other fish after they gave birth. When the fry grew big enough, I placed them with the rest of the fish, making sure there were plenty of plants and rocks for the guppies to hide in. Initially, about 35 fry were born happily swimming around the breeding box. I made sure to put some plants in the breeding box as well for the fry to hide and nibble on which promoted growth. I have been breeding guppies for about 6 months now and I am amazed by the number of guppies I have been able to breed.

From my experience, guppy breeding is easy to set up once you do your research and know where to go for your equipment and supplies. Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online made the process of setting up my guppy breeding easy and simple with their years of expertise at my disposal and great products at competitive prices. They have specials that really benefit the consumer and you can rely on their efficient and professional customer service. I personally haven’t had any major issues in taking care of the guppies as well as the other fish, and as long as you have the time and dedication, you will be fascinated by the results produced in a short amount of time. There are a few things to keep in mind when looking after fish. It is important to keep your breeding box and your tank clean to prevent any diseases as well for the happiness of your fish. Giving your fish a variety of different fish food will enable them to live a full and happy life. And lastly, it is also important that you do not overfeed your fish. This can surprisingly cause constipation and strangle your tank filter due to the leftover fish food. Other than that, I highly recommend for you to try guppy breeding if you have a genuine interest in guppies and definitely check out Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online for your equipment and supplies. Guppy breeding is a fascinating and enjoyable hobby that will keep me occupied for the many years to come and I’m sure it will for you too!