Hey there! Are you considering adding some cute and colorful guppies to your aquarium collection? If so, you might be wondering just how many of these little fishies you can comfortably fit into a 10 gallon tank.
Well, my friend, there are two important things to consider when figuring this out: free swimming space and effective volume.
Don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you so you can make an informed decision on how many guppies you can add to your 10 gallon tank. Just keep reading and we’ll guide you, every step of the way!
CONTENTS
- The Free Swimming Space Method.
- How Many Male and Female Guppies in A 10 Gallon Breeding Tank?
- The Effective Volume Of Water In A 10 Gallon Tank.
- Maintaining a Healthy 10 Gallon Tank for Guppies.
- Best Tank Mates For Guppies In A 10 Gallon Tank.
- Common Questions Regarding Tank Mates for Guppies.
- Conclusion
The Free Swimming Space Method
If you don’t provide enough space for your guppies, they’re gonna face serious health issues like trauma and disease. This will also lead to pollution of water and rise of nitrates which can kill your guppies.
To avoid these, you have to know the best stocking practice by knowing the free swimming space to keep your guppies safe.
To determine the free swimming space for any fish, you will have to know 3 things.
First, the average adult body length of the fish going into your tank. Second, the temperament of the fish. Third, size of the tank. Yes, you already know this to be 10 gallons. Let’s find out the other two factors.
The average length of a male and a female is different. Average male is equal to 1 inch long(excluding the tail fin). I’m talking about the average body length, not the maximum length.
Average female is equal to 2.2 inches long.
Second factor is the temperament. They are social and non aggressive.
For a placid and social pet fish the ideal free swimming space is 1 inches of body length per gallon of water. For aggressive ones, it is 1 inch of body length of fish per 2 gallons of water.
So, if you are making a male guppy only tank, it will be 10 / 1 = 10. You can have up to 10 male guppies, easily, inside your 10 gallon tank.
Free swimming space for a female guppy only tank will be 10 / 2.2 = 5 (rounded to nearest natural number).
You can keep up to 5 female guppies in your 10 gallon tank.
Now, what if you want to keep both males and females? In this following section we will discuss that in detail.
How Many Male and Female Guppies in A 10 Gallon Breeding Tank?
You can keep 2 male guppies with 4 female ones or 1 male guppy with 4 female ones.
Don’t keep more males than females. Guppies breed like crazy, they breed like rabbits.
If you have guppies in your tank they will reach maturity at the age of 3 months and they will constantly try to breed.
Male guppies will constantly try to chase the female ones in order to breed. So, it is wiser to keep 1 male guppy with 2 female guppies.
Most breeders also suggest keeping 1 male with 3 females.
Females can carry the sperm of the male for a long time in their body, during the first mating, and can give birth to young fries later in their life, without further mating.
So, I will recommend keeping 1 male with 3 female guppies, and soon, you will have a brood of 50 guppy fries, inside your 10 gallon tank.
But, remember guppies are omnivores and have a bad reputation of eating their own fries. If you are planning to keep both sexes of guppies then, you can keep a separate tank for the fries, and move them there until they’re adults.
Now that you know the “free swimming space” method, let’s discuss the “effective volume method” as well.
Keep reading.
The Effective Volume of Water In a 10 Gallon Tank
Your guppies are not the only ones that take the space in the tank. Decorations, aquarium plants and filters also take space and reduce the effective volume of water in your 10 gallon tank.
Lets say, the decorations, filter and aquarium plants take 1 gallon of space. Then, the effective volume of the tank is now 9 gallons of water in your 10 gallon tank. Now, you can only keep 9 male guppies in your 10 gallon tank.
Don’t hesitate to add decorations and aquarium plants in your aquarium, just keep it minimal.
Plants, rocks and decorations take a lot of free space in the aquarium, but guppies like hiding spots, especially the young ones. 10 gallon breeder tank, where the fries stays with their parents, they might get eaten by the parents as they don’t recognize their own babies.
Provide guppy grass or water sprites and similar plants if you want to keep both males and the females in the same tank, as they will eventually breed.
So, considering all these factors we can keep 8-10 guppies in an all male 10 gallon guppy tank, or 4-5 female guppies in an all female tank. Additionally, you can keep 2 male and 4 female guppies in a 10 gallon breeder tank.
Maintaining a healthy 10 gallon tank for guppies
Maintaining a healthy 10 gallon guppy aquarium requires consistent attention and care. In this section I’ll discuss all the things that you need to keep in mind to maintain your 10 gallon tank, including proper filtration, regular cleaning and water changes, frequency of feeding, nutrition, and water temperature.
Proper filtration
When choosing a filter for a 10 gallon guppy tank, you’ll want to select a filter that is appropriate for the tank size and can provide adequate filtration without creating too much current. Some popular filter options for a 10 gallon guppy tank include:
Hang-on-Back (HOB) Filters: These filters are easy to install and maintain, and they hang on the back of the tank. They can provide good filtration and water circulation for a 10 gallon tank.
Sponge Filters: These filters use a sponge to provide mechanical and biological filtration. They are gentle on fish and can provide a good environment for the beneficial bacteria that help to maintain water quality.
Also, they are good at removing fish waste.
Sponge filter has a low flow rate which won’t cause too much water disturbance and will provide enough aeration for the tank.
It’s important to note that regardless of the type of filter you choose, you’ll want to make sure that the flow rate is appropriate for the tank size and that the filter media is regularly cleaned or replaced to maintain water quality.
Regular cleaning and water changes
Regular cleaning and water changes are crucial for maintaining a healthy environment for your guppies.
It helps to remove harmful toxins, excess waste, and debris that can accumulate in the tank over time. This leads to healthier fish with vibrant colors and promotes their breeding cycle.
For a 10 gallon guppy tank, you need to change 25-30% of the water every week using a siphon vacuum to clean up any debris from the substrate.
Test water parameters such as pH, ammonia levels and nitrite levels will help you determine how often you should do water changes.
Guppies prefer pH on the alkaline side at 8.5, and a slightly brackish environment is recommended.
frequency of Feeding and proper nutrition
Guppies are omnivorous fish and require both plant and animal based food. The frequency and nutritional needs of guppies vary depending on their age and developmental stage. Fries, juveniles, and adults have different dietary requirement and frequency at which they are fed. This ensures optimal health and growth.
Guppy Fry (1st month)
Guppy fries are very small and have a high metabolic rate, so they require frequent feeding.
Feed your guppy fries small amounts of food multiple times a day, around 5-6 times a day, in 3-4 hours interval. This helps to ensure that they receive enough nutrition to support their growth and development.
Feed appropriate food that is small enough for them to eat and can easily fit their tiny mouth. Specialized fry foods, such as crushed flakes, baby brine shrimp, live daphnia or commercial fry food, can be used to provide them with the necessary nutrition.
Don’t over feed your guppy fries, as excess food can pollute the aquarium water and lead to health problems. And, don’t forget to remove any uneaten food after feeding to maintain water quality.
Juvenile Guppies
Juvenile or young adults are the ones that are in their 2nd or 3rd month. They start to resemble fully adult guppies but are not matured and ready to breed.
And, also their fins are not that elaborate and flowy of an average adult guppy fish.
Feed them 3-4 times a day.
Adult Guppies
After 3 months a guppy fish enters adulthood and is ready to breed. They enter maturity and show vibrant colors with elaborate fins.
Feed them 1-2 times a day. Adults function well with fewer meals, so, don’t overfeed them.
Provide your adult guppies a varied diet including high-quality tropical flakes or pellet food, live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp or bloodworms, and vegetables like boiled spinach leaf and shredded lettuce.
Supplement their diet with Spirulina algae wafers.
Water Temperature
Guppy water temperature is crucial for several reasons, including their gestation period, lifespan, growth rate, and immune system.
If the water temperature is too low, breeding will cease, and the risk of damage to the fins increases. On the other hand, if the water temperature is too high, it can shorten the lifespan of guppies, and their growth rate can be negatively impacted.
Maintain the water temperature of guppies between 72°F (22.22°C) and 82°F (27.77°C), with an ideal temperature range of 75°F (23.88°C) to 80°F (26.7°C).
For a 10 gallon guppy tank, a 50-watt heater is usually recommended. This wattage should be sufficient to maintain a stable water temperature within the ideal range. It is important to choose a heater with a built-in thermostat to regulate the temperature and prevent overheating.
Select a heater that is suitable for your tank size and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and operation. Regularly monitoring the water temperature with a thermometer is also recommended to ensure it remains within the appropriate range.
Best Tank Mates for Guppies In a 10 Gallon Tank
If you’re thinking about adding some new friends to your guppy tank, it’s important to keep 2 things in mind. You’ll want to consider the size and behavior of both your guppies and the potential new tank mates to make sure they’ll get along swimmingly!
Match the size of the tank mates with your guppies. Their average size should be 1 to 2 inches in length. Larger fish might be intimidating in a small tank.
The second thing to keep in mind is the behavior and temperament of the tank mates. Fin nippers and aggressive fish species should not be kept in a 10 gallon tank.
Ghost shrimp, glassfish, white cloud minnows, and corydoras catfish are some of the best tank mates for your guppies in a 10 gallon tank.
Common Questions Regarding Tank Mates for Guppies
People ask a lot of questions regarding the combination of tank mates for guppies in a 10 gallon setup. So, I dedicated this section to answer all the common questions regarding this subject matter.
You can find out, some cool ideas for tank mates for your 10 gallon tank. Just have a quick look.
How Many Guppies and Neon Tetras in a 10 Gallon Tank?
Both guppies and neon tetras are schooling fish. Guppies are schooling fish and for optimal health and well-being, keep at least 3 guppies together in a tank.
You can consider keeping 3 male guppies. Now, that leaves you approximately 7 gallons of free swimming space for additional fish or neon tetras.
Considering that neon tetras typically grow to an average length of 1.5 inches, a stocking density of approximately 4-5 neon tetras in the remaining free swimming space is appropriate.
Provide adequate shelter and hiding places for these fish species.
How Many Guppies in a 10 Gallon Tank with Betta?
Betta fish or as its name suggest Siamese fighting fish can bully your guppies. Betta fish can sometimes be a little aggressive towards other fish in their tank, including guppies.
This is because their territorial instincts kicks in, especially when they see the bright colors and active swimming of guppies.
Unfortunately, this can lead to some bullying behavior from the bettas. So, to avoid any conflicts or stress for your fish, it’s generally best to avoid keeping guppies in a tank with a betta.
How many mollies and guppies in a 10 gallon tank?
Molly fish are notorious for fin nipping, the large and flowy fins of guppies might attract their attention.
Male mollies might start nipping at the fins of guppies when it is stressed, to establish territorial dominance, and to establish their dominance in the pecking order or a social hierarchy.
Don’t put molly fish and guppies in your 10 gallon tank, especially if you’re a complete beginner.
can i breed guppies in a 10 gallon tank?
Yes, you can. You can keep 2 male guppies with 4 female guppies to kick start your breeding tank. But, do remember that guppies have a bad reputation of eating their own fries. So, you need to have an additional tank ready, to move the brood of 50 guppy fries.
In addition to that, you can add shelter, plants and hiding places for your fries in the 10 gallon breeding tank. By providing cover and hiding places for your fries you can ensure their safety from the adults.
how many fancy guppies in 10 gallon tank
If you want to keep fancy guppies in a 10 gallon tank, it’s best to limit the number to around 6. This way, they’ll have enough space to swim and live comfortably.
Avoid fin nippers, aggressive tank mates, and larger carnivorous fish in your tank to ensure safety for your fancy guppies.
Don’t select or place decorations with sharp or rough surfaces, as they can damage the delicate fins of the fish.
Conclusion
Thanks folks!To read all the way up to here. To wrap things up, here is the gist.
When it comes to adding guppies to your 10 gallon aquarium, it’s important to consider both free swimming space and effective volume to ensure the health and well-being of your fish.
Based on this, you can keep 8-10 male guppies, 4-5 female guppies, or 2 male and 4 female guppies in a breeder tank.
Additionally, it’s important to maintain a healthy aquarium by providing proper filtration, regular cleaning and water changes, monitoring the water temperature, and feeding your fish a balanced diet.
Guppies breed easily, so if you want to keep both males and females, it’s better to keep a separate tank for the fry. Overall, by considering these factors, you can create a beautiful and healthy environment for your guppies to thrive in.
