Red Blonde Guppy

The Red Blonde Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is an eye-catching selectively bred variety of the popular Guppy. The blonde base colouration reduces the darker pigmentation normally seen in Guppies, allowing the vivid red and orange tones of the body and fins to stand out beautifully. Males typically develop the strongest colouration and larger, more elaborate fins, while females are generally larger-bodied with more subtle colouring. Active, sociable and relatively easy to maintain, they make an excellent choice for colourful community and planted aquariums.

Maximum adult size: Males approximately 3–4 cm; females approximately 5–6 cm

Temperament: Peaceful, active and social. Red Blonde Guppies are well suited to peaceful community aquariums. Males frequently display and pursue females, so when keeping both sexes together, a ratio of approximately one male to two or three females is recommended to reduce persistent attention towards individual females.

Difficulty of care: Easy. Guppies are hardy and adaptable, making them a good choice for beginners. They perform best when provided with clean, stable water and regular aquarium maintenance.

Preferred Temperature: 22–28 °C

Preferred pH of water: 7.0–8.2. Guppies generally prefer moderately hard to hard water with a neutral to alkaline pH.

Type of breeding: Livebearer. Females give birth to fully formed, free-swimming fry and can produce broods regularly under suitable conditions. Dense planting, mosses and floating plants provide useful shelter for newborn fry. Females can store sperm after mating and may produce several broods without further contact with a male.

Red Blonde Guppies thrive in well-established aquariums containing a mixture of live plants and open swimming areas. Gentle to moderate water movement is suitable, and good filtration is important, particularly when keeping larger groups. Their bright red colouration can look particularly striking against green plants and darker aquarium backgrounds.

They are omnivorous and readily accept good-quality flakes and small pellets. A varied diet containing both animal and vegetable matter is recommended, supplemented with appropriately sized frozen or live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops. Feeding a varied, nutritious diet can help maintain strong colouration, growth and overall condition.