Bindel2303

Ok, so I'm re-setting up my tank and to test it I got some feeder guppies because they are the most similar in temperament and durability as the platys I was planing on buying, and really cheap. However after some reading I think I want to stick with guppies for the time being. I have a few questions about them that i could not find answered anywhere online, at least on with any assurance. For one, what makes them different from other guppies? Is it just that they are not as 'fancy' and because they are so prolific there are so many of them it is cheap to make them feeders? Also are they just adolescent guppies that will grow to the size of regular guppies or are they normally just a smaller fish than other guppies? Either way, at about what size should I expect them to reach sexual maturity?

Thanks for all the help!

Austin {Aquarist}

hey bindel :] I respect that you got some inexpensive fish before you got expensive fish as I did with feeder guppies. I eventually decided to just keep my ten gallon tank (first tank) a guppy tank. Most feeders are called endlers livebearers. They are more like what you would find in the wild than fancy guppies because fancy guppies have been selectively breed to show off there fancy tails and flashy colors. My endlers males only get about 3/4 of an inch long(so to answer your question this is as big as the endlers males will get unlike the fancy guppy males). My female is currently about 1.2 inches long and will keep growing I think. The males reach sexual maturity when you see the males start to show growth of the anal fin or "gonopodiom" spelll check pleasE?

GOOD LUCK WIT YOUR GUPPIES :]

Bindel2303

I don't think these are endlers. I have done as much reading as the internet allows on endlers and they don't fit the profile, for one their gonopodiom are a little different, also I think elders are supposed to get bigger and have as flashy of color as guppies. Elders and guppies are most likely two different species, that can inner bread, so its unlikely they are those. Also it is rare to find pure endlers in stores, if anything they are high breads, but i still doubt that. I'm pretty sure these are guppies I'm just wondering if there is something that separates them from other guppies.

NewBKaeK

@Austin: guppies and endlers are two different species

Fancy guppies are more colorful than the feeder/wild guppy. That's pretty much the only way to tell them apart. Generally speaking the 'feeders' would be the culls from a guppy spawn.

Feeder guppies are the exact same species as fancy guppies. Their color is just not as genetically developed as a fancy guppy.

miraloma

I just bought some feeder guppies from my LFS. They are small but with amazing patterns, pink, neon green, yellow, etc. They don't look quite as nice as the regular guppies I've had in the past in that their fins are kind of irregularly shaped. Possible that it's because they've been neglected and raised in the feeder tank. I do hope they get a bit bigger. They are all about 1/2" or smaller. I got 8 male and 1 female. I don't exactly want a tank full of them but would like to see what their babies look like.

I've been looking online for the expensive Endler's. Thanks for the feeder guppy idea. This is _way_ cheaper - 16/$1.

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1gamma45

This is a great site for all kinds of info on all kinda of fish the people are cool too.

But I have found guppies.com to be a more informational site on guppies. Its all they do and have everything and anything you could ever want to know about guppies.

If you cant get the info you want here try there.