Poecilia reticulata, often sold as Guppy wild, is a small, lively livebearer with plenty of appeal for planted community aquariums. Wild-type males generally have shorter fins and less exaggerated colour patterns than fancy strains, while females are larger and more subtly coloured.

Key facts

• Origin: North-eastern South America and parts of the Caribbean; introduced populations now occur widely in warm regions.
• Adult size: Males usually around 2–3 cm; females around 4–6 cm.
• Temperature range: Around 22–28°C for routine aquarium keeping.
• pH range: Approximately 7.0–8.0, with stable, moderately hard to hard water preferred.
• Minimum tank size: Around 40 litres for a small group, with more space needed if breeding.
• Temperament: Generally peaceful and active, although males persistently court females.
• Diet: Omnivorous; offer a quality small tropical fish food alongside plant-based foods and small frozen or live invertebrates.

Keeping tips

• Use a fully cycled aquarium and test regularly: ammonia and nitrite should remain at zero. Make regular partial water changes with dechlorinated water of a similar temperature.
• Check hardness as well as pH. Guppies are better suited to mineral-rich water than very soft, acidic conditions; routine salt addition is unnecessary.
• For mixed-sex groups, keep at least two or three females per male and provide dense planting so females can retreat from attention.
• Plan for fry before buying breeding groups. Females can produce repeated broods after mating; a sponge filter or intake guard helps prevent fry being drawn into filtration.
• Choose small, peaceful tankmates and quarantine arrivals before adding them to established stock. For shops and breeders, keep named locality lines separate from fancy guppies to avoid accidental crossing.

Ask suppliers whether their fish are captive-bred wild-type stock or have documented wild provenance, as the trade name alone does not establish their origin. InternetZoo™ is a marketplace where this species can be sourced by Latin name from breeders, farms and exporters.

See live Guppy wild (Poecilia reticulata) listings on InternetZoo™ — every listing is organised by its Latin name, so you always get the species you asked for.