German Yellow Guppy Female (Poecilia reticulata)

The German Yellow Guppy Female (Poecilia reticulata) is a hardy, peaceful livebearer with a soft golden body and a bright yellow tail that stands out in a planted tank. Females are larger and calmer than males, and they are the backbone of any guppy colony: add a few to a community tank on their own, or mix them with male guppies if you want fry. A true beginner fish that handles a wide range of water. Browse the rest of our freshwater fish and supplies.

She May Already Be Carrying Fry

Guppy females store sperm and can drop several batches of fry from a single mating, so a female that shared a tank with males at any point may give birth in your tank weeks later, even with no male present. That is normal and not a sign of a problem. If you do not want babies, plan on the adults eating most of them; if you do, add dense cover like guppy grass or java moss so some survive. Fry from a German Yellow female and a male of another strain will not look like either parent, so keep her with German Yellow males if you want to keep the color line.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 10 gallons minimum for a small group. Guppies are active swimmers and a colony grows quickly, so a bigger tank buys you time.
• Water: 72 to 80°F, pH 7.0 to 8.0, moderately hard water. Guppies do poorly in very soft, acidic water; most local tap water suits them well once treated with Seachem Prime.
• Diet: omnivore with a small mouth. Feed a fine pellet like Hikari Micro Pellets or a quality flake once or twice a day, with frozen daphnia or baby brine shrimp a few times a week for color and condition.
• Group and ratio: keep three or more. If you add males, plan on two or three females per male; a lone female with several males gets chased constantly and stressed.
• Aquascape: plants, floating cover and open swimming space. A gentle filter, since guppy tails are not built for strong current.
• Watch for: clamped fins, white spots or rapid breathing in the first week, usually from a temperature swing or a missed water change. Stable, clean water prevents most guppy problems.

Specifications

Compatibility

German Yellow females fit almost any peaceful community tank. Good company includes other guppies such as the Koi Tuxedo Guppy and Blue Neon Tuxedo Guppy, Endlers, Pygmy Corys, Otocinclus and nerite snails. Endlers and guppies will cross, so keep them apart if you care about either line.

Avoid fin nippers like tiger barbs and serpae tetras, and anything with a mouth big enough to swallow a 2 inch fish, including adult angelfish, larger gouramis and most cichlids. Bettas sometimes go after guppies too. Any fry she drops will be eaten by almost every tank mate, so a separate grow out tank or heavy plant cover is the only way to raise them.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Micro Pellets as a daily staple sized for small mouths
• Fluval Bug Bites Tropical Flakes as an insect based flake
• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Daphnia a few times a week
• Seachem Prime for every water change
• Guppy Grass for fry cover

FAQ

Why is she less colorful than the male guppies?
That is normal for guppies. Females carry the color on the tail and a soft golden wash on the body, while males show the full color on long fins. Good food and stable water bring out the yellow, and stress or a move fades it for a few days.

Will she have babies?
Quite possibly, even without a male in your tank. Females store sperm and can give birth several times from one mating, roughly every four weeks. The adults usually eat most of the fry unless the tank has dense plant cover.

Can I keep her without males?
Yes. An all female group is calm, colorful in its own way and avoids an exploding population. Keep three or more so she has company.

How many males can I add?
No more than one male for every two or three females. Males chase females constantly, and spreading that attention across several females keeps them from getting worn down.

Does she need a heater?
Yes. Guppies are tropical fish and do best at 72 to 80°F. Cold water and big temperature swings are the most common reason new guppies get sick.