Lyretail Guppy Care Guide - Setup, Feeding & Breeding

Lyretail Guppies are an ornamental form of the Common Guppy, recognised for the distinctive tail shape in which the upper and lower rays extend into elegant points while the centre of the tail is shorter. Selective breeding has produced many colours and patterns, including metallic blue, red, yellow, orange, tuxedo and cobra markings. Males are usually the more vividly coloured sex, with flowing fins and compact bodies, while females are larger and less ornate.

These active livebearers spend much of their time in the upper and middle levels of the aquarium. They are generally peaceful, alert and inquisitive, and their constant courtship displays give a group plenty of movement. Males may display to one another and repeatedly pursue females, particularly when the sex ratio is unbalanced.

In the wild, guppies inhabit shallow, slow-moving freshwater environments such as streams, drainage ditches, pools and vegetated margins. They are adaptable fish that can tolerate a broad range of conditions, although their natural waters are commonly warm, mineral-rich and slightly alkaline.

The lyretail form is produced through selective aquarium breeding and is valued for the unusual silhouette of its tail rather than for a separate wild species status. Because long fins can be vulnerable to damage, these guppies are best appreciated with peaceful companions that do not nip or harass them.

The species Poecilia reticulata is native to northern South America, including Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and parts of northern Brazil, as well as nearby Trinidad and Tobago. Lyretail Guppies are a selectively bred aquarium variety rather than a naturally occurring wild form, and guppies have also been introduced to tropical waters around the world.

A group of Lyretail Guppies should have an aquarium of at least 40 litres, with a footprint around 60 cm long by 30 cm wide; a larger tank is preferable for mixed-sex groups because they reproduce quickly. Use a secure lid, gentle filtration and moderate water movement, leaving open swimming space across the upper levels. Fine gravel or sand works well, and hardy plants such as Java fern, Anubias, guppy grass and floating plants provide cover without removing too much swimming room. Avoid sharp decor that could tear the extended tail.

Males usually reach around 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in), excluding the extended tail, while females commonly grow to 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in). Females are therefore noticeably larger and heavier-bodied than males.

Lyretail Guppies are omnivores with small mouths and benefit from a varied diet. Offer a quality small flake or micro-pellet as the staple, supplemented with baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops and other appropriately sized frozen or live foods. Spirulina-based foods and blanched vegetables can provide useful plant matter. Feed small portions once or twice daily, giving only what the fish consume quickly, and provide suitably fine food for fry.

Lyretail Guppies can live with other peaceful community fish of a similar size, including small tetras, rasboras, platies, mollies, peaceful Corydoras, otocinclus and small non-aggressive kuhli loaches. Avoid fin-nipping species such as tiger barbs and some serpae tetras, as well as large cichlids, predatory fish and highly aggressive tankmates. Male guppies may harass females, so mixed groups should contain several females for each male; alternatively, an all-male group can be kept when breeding is not wanted.

Lyretail Guppies are prolific livebearers and breed readily in a well-established aquarium. Keep a ratio of roughly one male to two or three females to reduce persistent male attention. After internal fertilisation, females give birth to free-swimming fry approximately every 24–30 days. A mature female may produce between 20 and 100 young, depending on her size and age. Dense floating plants, such as Java moss or guppy grass, provide shelter for fry, while a separate rearing tank or breeder setup improves survival because adult guppies may eat newborns.

Males are smaller, more slender and much more colourful, with enlarged flowing fins and a pointed gonopodium used for reproduction. Females are larger and rounder, usually more subdued in colour, and have a dark gravid spot near the abdomen when carrying developing fry.