Guppies have been a staple of the aquarium hobby for generations. Originating in tropical pools in South America and the Caribbean Islands, these fish are now available in a wide variety of colors that have been produced by selective breeding at fish farms. Many guppy keepers may start out with only one or two fish, but being live-bearers with long-term sperm storage, you may be in for a full tank before long.
 
The guppy has been captive bred for over 100 years, but originally came from South America. They are named for Robert John Lechmere Guppy who collected these fish on the island of Trinidad in 1866.
 
Whatever color combination you can dream of, there is probably a perfect guppy for you. Males have more vibrant colors than females, such as white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, and black, and have longer caudal and dorsal fins. Tail fins may have a marbled or striped appearance, or the fish may be all one or two colors, such as various shades of blue, black, orange, green, yellow, red, purple, and white. Depending on the variety, some guppies have short, rounded tails, some "V"-shaped, and others can have an elongated tail half the length of their body.
 
Guppies are omnivores and do well on a variety of commercially available feeds. Even though guppies are small in size, pelleted diets called micro pellets are the best choice since they hold onto their nutrition longer than flakes. You are welcome to add supplements, such as frozen fish foods, but no more than once or twice a week. The complete pelleted diet is best for most pet fish species.