Albino Guppy Care Guide
The albino guppy is a selectively bred form of Poecilia reticulata with reduced melanin, an easy-to-keep livebearer.
Overview
The albino guppy is a selectively bred form of Poecilia reticulata, a small livebearing fish described by Peters in 1859. Wikipedia notes that fancy guppy strains show enhanced colours, patterns and fin shapes, and that domestic strains can grow larger than wild types. Albino forms have reduced melanin and red eyes.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Poecilia
- Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata var. Albino
- Described by: W. Peters, 1859 (parent species)
Habitat
FishBase and Wikipedia place wild Poecilia reticulata in northeastern South America and the southern Caribbean, including Venezuela, Trinidad, Barbados, the Guyanas and northern Brazil. Wild guppies inhabit freshwater streams and pools, tolerate brackish water, and have been introduced worldwide. Albino strains are produced in captivity.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L (about 11 gal)
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: 1-3 years
FishBase reports a temperature tolerance of 18-28 °C and pH 7.0-8.0 for the species, consistent with hard, neutral-to-alkaline water.
Diet
Wikipedia records that wild guppies consume algal remains, diatoms, invertebrates, zooplankton, detritus and plant fragments. In the aquarium an omnivorous diet is offered around twice daily.
Compatibility
Guppies are peaceful and occupy the middle water column. They are not obligate schoolers but are gregarious. Fin-nipping tankmates should be avoided, as the trailing fins of fancy strains are easily damaged.
Breeding
Guppies are livebearers. Wikipedia reports females give birth to live young after a gestation of roughly 20 to 60 days at 25 to 27.8 °C, with broods typically between 30 and 60 fry. Males use a modified anal fin, the gonopodium, for internal fertilisation.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2020) for the parent species Poecilia reticulata.