Guppy Fish Growth Stages: 4 Different Stages You Must Know

Guppy fish have short lifespans. Thus, they get big very quickly. What are the different growth stages of guppy fish? Here’s an overview and what to expect at each of the different guppy fish growth stages. Guppies have 4 different growth stages from fry to adult. Female guppies can grow up to 2 inches (5 cm), while male guppies up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in size. Most of your guppies will be at full size in about 5-6 months with proper care and feeding.

How Big Do Guppies Get?

Guppies are livebearers, which means that they give birth to live fry (baby guppies). They do not lay eggs. Males mate with females, and the baby guppies develop within the mother’s body for 30 days before being born.

Fry

The baby guppies (fry) know how to swim at birth and seek hiding places soon after. Most of the time, they are born deformed but straighten out within a few hours and can feed. They are small; about 1/4 inch in length so they have to hide or be protected (by owners) as adult guppies can and will eat their young. To save the young, you can separate pregnant females from the main community or fill your aquarium with live plants for the fry to hide to increase their chances of survival. Baby guppies can eat the same food as adult guppies. Simply grind the food into smaller bits so that it can fit their mouths. Baby brine shrimp is a good source of protein for the young guppies. Hard-boiled egg yolk is also another safe choice. Exposure to light for about 16 hours a day can also help them grow. If you do not have lights for your aquarium, we recommend getting one like Fluval which has extendable mounting brackets and allow easy installation on a variety of aquarium widths Yes, guppies do sleep, so you should not leave the lights on forever. If you feed the baby fry multiple times a day, then frequent water changes are required.

Juvenile

At one month, baby guppy fry will have developed into juvenile guppies. They start to develop some color, and you can now tell which are female and which are male. Females will be much larger than the males, and their gravid spot is often already visible. Males develop brighter colors. Guppies in the juvenile stage grow to about 1/4 and 3/4 inches (1.2 to 2 cm) in length. During the juvenile stage of your guppies growth, give them plenty of food and clean living space. High-quality flakes, blood worms, spirulina, and brine shrimp are good options.

Young Adult

At around two months, most guppies can reproduce. You may want to separate males and females during this time if you do not wish for them to mate. Doing this will also promote growth as they are not focused on mating but more on feeding. At the young adult stage, lower fatty food intake and give them more protein and veggies. Yes, guppies can eat vegetables. Plankton pallets and spirulina help them develop more striking colors. Baby brine shrimp should remain part of their diet.

Adult Guppy

Guppies reach the adult stage at around six months after birth. Growth stops or slows down significantly. However, the fins and tails of some species of guppies can continue to grow longer. Continue to feed your guppies a variety of food to help them maintain good health and their color. A flake-based feed high in protein is good enough to do this. Avoid fatty food. At around 1.5 to 2 years of age, adult guppies become infertile and are not able to reproduce. The average guppy lifespan is 2-5 years. External sources:

• Guppy Fry Growth Stages – Guppy Aquarium – http://guppyaquarium.com/guppy-fry-growth-stages/
• The Growth of a Guppy – Pet@thenest – https://pets.thenest.com/growth-guppy-4119.html
• How to Help Guppy Fry Grow: 10 Steps (with Pictures) – wikiHow – https://www.wikihow.com/Help-Guppy-Fry-Grow
• Guppy Fry Birth To 3 Months – (Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3nVurE_P0g

In The Wild

The size of guppies in the wild also varies, but males are typically 0.6–1.4 inches long, while females are 1.2–2.4 inches long. Guppies usually stop growing around six months.

In Captivity

The average guppy tends to grow to be 2-3 inches long. On the high end, some guppies can grow up to 3.5 inches, but it’s rather uncommon. Female guppies are bigger than male guppies.