The mating of guppies requires meeting the following key conditions:
Sexual Maturity Judgment
Guppies reach sexual maturity when they are 3-4 months old and over 2 centimeters in length. A sign of estrus is that male fish have vividly colored tails, while female fish have swollen bellies with black gestation spots.
Environmental Preparation
Maintain the water temperature at 24-28℃ (26℃ is optimal) and the pH value between 6.8-7.4.
Place aquatic plants or isolation nets in the breeding tank to prevent fry from being eaten.
Pairing Tips
It is recommended to keep the ratio of male to female fish at 1:2 or 1:3 to reduce fights and improve the fertilization rate.
Male fish will attract females by displaying their fins in a "peacock-spreading" manner and quickly complete internal fertilization using their gonopodia.
Post-Mating Management
Immediately isolate pregnant female fish after fertilization to avoid harassment from male fish.
The gestation period is about 28-35 days. When the gestation spots turn black and the anus protrudes, the female fish is about to give birth.
Note: Female fish can store sperm to conceive multiple times, and they may give birth 2-3 times consecutively after a single mating. If you need to suspend breeding, you can lower the water temperature to 15-18℃ to slow down gonadal development.