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Mosaic Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii
Variety of Guppy · mosaic
📍 South America
The Mosaic Guppy has a complex, multi-colored tail pattern with irregular patches of color resembling mosaic tilework. Like all guppies, it is a hardy livebearer that thrives in most freshwater community tanks and is easy to breed.
Care Guide
Diet
Mosaic Guppies are omnivorous and thrive on high-quality flake foods supplemented with small frozen foods like brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms 2-3 times weekly. Feed small amounts once daily, only what they can consume in 2-3 minutes, as overfeeding degrades water quality. Occasional vegetable matter like blanched spinach supports digestive health.
Behavior
Mosaic Guppies are peaceful, active swimmers that spend most of their time in the mid-water column, displaying their ornate tails through constant movement. Males are more colorful and active than females, often displaying to one another and pursuing females. They are social fish that do best in groups and rarely show aggression toward other peaceful species.
Breeding
Breeding in captivity is extremely easy and happens readily in established tanks without special conditioning. Females are livebearers that produce 20-50 fry every 4-6 weeks; fry are born fully formed and immediately independent. To prevent overpopulation, either separate males and females or accept that fry will be eaten by tank mates and adults.
Tank Mates
Peaceful algae eaters that occupy bottom zones and ignore guppies
Similar size and temperament; occupy different water columns
Gentle bottom dwellers that don't compete with guppies
Larger shrimp less likely to be nipped; help control algae
Peaceful, nocturnal; won't compete for food or space
Same species; compatible for mixed-strain display tanks
Common Diseases
Fin Rot
Frayed, disintegrating fins; white or dark edges on fin tissue; lethargy
Perform 25% water changes every 2-3 days, improve water quality, raise temperature to 26-27°C, and treat with aquarium salt (1 tsp per gallon) or antibacterial medication if severe
Ich (Oodinium)
White spots on body and fins; rapid gill movement; scratching against objects; loss of appetite
Raise temperature gradually to 28-29°C, perform daily 25% water changes, treat with ich medication or salt therapy; quarantine severely affected fish
Velvet Disease
Fine gold or rust-colored dust on body; clamped fins; rapid breathing; lethargy
Dim lighting, raise temperature to 28°C, perform frequent water changes, treat with copper-free velvet medication or salt; quarantine infected fish immediately
Dropsy
Swollen abdomen; scales standing out like a pinecone; lethargy; loss of appetite
Isolate affected fish, improve water quality with frequent changes, treat with antibacterial medication; prognosis is poor once symptoms appear
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