Setting up a planted guppy aquarium with no CO2, no fertilizers, heater & filter:
Guppy fish offer an abundance of
colors to the aquarium. They live with communities in peace, are available for
low price, & need low maintenance.
Guppies look stunning &
aquarists keep them in large or small aquariums. They are recommended for
beginners due to their hard nature. They can tolerate a variety of water
conditions. They require a heater like other tropical fish. Filter will keep
the water clean & produce currents in the water for aeration. I have setup
a basic guppy aquarium, & I am using hairgrass as the carpeting plant in
the guppy tank, have chosen a few stems plants & have introduced java fern
that is connected to a driftwood. Guppy fish needs shelter & hiding places
where they can hide when stressed, & live plants provide plenty of hiding
spots for the fish.
I have taken guppies from my
community aquarium. I have chosen 3 male guppy fish because my aquarium can
only hold 20 liters of water, so there is no problem of male guppies chasing
females. All of them have been enjoying their new community aquarium for more
than a year.
Characteristics |
|
Family |
Poeciliidae |
Origin |
South America |
Temperament |
Peaceful |
Minimum Aquarium Size |
20 gallons |
Food |
Omnivore |
Spawning |
Livebearers |
Care Level |
Beginner |
pH |
6.5 to 8.0 |
Water Hardness |
8 to 12 dGH |
Water Temperature |
68 to 78 F |
How to setup an aquarium for Guppies:
Guppy fish can grow to an avg.
length of 2 inches in the aquarium. I am keeping 3 male guppies in a 20-gallon
aquarium because I don’t want them to chase & stress females in a small
aquarium. If you want to spawn guppy fish then it is advised to keep 1 male
guppy for 2 to 3 females so they do not stress the females. Also, keep live
plants or decorations in the aquarium that can allow females to hide & get
some relief if males are chasing them. Also, hiding spots will allow fries to
hide from the adult guppies who might eat them.
An aquarium containing only
guppies is a wise idea because they will show their flashy fins & energy
when swimming around. Also, many aquarists keep guppies in community aquariums
with other small peaceful mates. Do not keep aggressive fish or fin nippers in
a guppy tank.
Ideal water conditions for Guppy fish:
The perfect water hardness for
guppy fish is from 8 to 12 dGH. Ideal temperature range for guppies is between
68 to 78 F. The ideal pH for guppy fish is from 6.5 to 8.0.
Heater is required for Guppy aquarium:
Like other tropical fish, Guppies
need heaters too. If aquarium water temperature is kept between desired limits,
then guppies will live in less stress, which will keep them happy &
healthy. Use a heater to keep temperature from 68 to 78 F, which is the ideal
temperature range for Guppies.
Filter is required for Guppy aquarium:
Setup a filter in the guppy
aquarium for cleaning water. Filter can also help in oxygenating &
circulating water. Filter will trap fish waste, remaining food & other
debris from the aquarium water, & bio media inside the filter will remove
toxins from the water. Without a filter, your guppies will live in stress &
they might get ill due to poor water conditions. If you want to breed guppies
then my advice is to keep a sponge filter that will perform efficient cleaning
without sucking the fries.
Which live plants to keep in Guppy aquarium?
I have added some live plants to
the guppy tank for offering hiding spots. I am using hairgrass as a carpeting
plant. I have added a few stem plants. I have also introduced java fern that is
growing on driftwood in the guppy aquarium. Plants will keep water clean by
absorbing ammonia byproduct & will offer lots of hiding places for the
fish. Also, live plants mimic wild habitat inside the tank that looks natural
& fish loves it. Guppies are omnivores so they will eat live plants. Fries
can feed on plants as well as other healthy diets.
Additional CO2 is not needed for live plants:
Live plants are used for
consuming CO2 in the presence of artificial light that can help plants in
photosynthesis that help them in their growth. There is no need to add extra
CO2 if you have fish in the aquarium. Guppies will release CO2 that live plants
will absorb in the availability of tank lights, & plants will release
oxygen that fish will absorb. For more oxygen you can always use a filter or a
pump for aerating water.
Extra Fertilizers are not needed for live plants:
Live plants will naturally oxygenate water in the presence of lights. Adding many live plants in the fish tank will help in fast & effective cleaning of the dirty water. Ammonia is released from fish waste & other debris that fertilizes live plants. Plants do not need any additional fertilizers if your tank contains guppies or other fish.
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