Tuxedo Guppy Care Guide
Tuxedo is a selectively bred colour strain of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, a small, hardy, peaceful livebearer popular in community aquariums.
Overview
The Tuxedo guppy is a selectively bred colour strain of Poecilia reticulata, the common guppy, in which the rear half of the body is solid black and contrasts with a brighter front colour. Fancy guppy strains are produced by breeders selecting for colour, pattern and fin shape. The guppy is a small, highly adaptable livebearer native to northern South America.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Poecilia
- Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata var. Tuxedo
- Strain: selectively bred colour form
Habitat
The wild guppy is native to South America, including Venezuela, Trinidad, Barbados, northern Brazil and the Guianas. It inhabits warm springs and their effluents, weedy ditches and canals, ranging from highly turbid ponds to clear mountain streams.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: 1-3 years
Diet
The guppy is an omnivore. In the wild it consumes algal remains, diatoms, zooplankton, small insects, invertebrates and detritus. In the aquarium it accepts a varied diet of dried, frozen and small live foods.
Compatibility
Guppies are generally peaceful and suited to community aquariums, although nipping is sometimes seen between males or toward other top-swimming fish. Wild-type females are grey while males show varied colours, splashes and stripes; the Tuxedo strain accentuates this contrast through selective breeding.
Breeding
Guppies are livebearers. Females can store sperm and produce broods roughly every four weeks, with FishBase reporting 20-40 young after a four-to-six-week gestation and no parental care. Males mature at about two months and females at about three months.
Conservation status
According to FishBase, Poecilia reticulata is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2020).