TankBud

Variety of Guppy

Lyretail guppy

Poecilia reticulata

One of 9 varieties of Poecilia reticulata · See all varieties →

Also known as Japanese Lyretail Guppy, Blue Lyretail Guppy

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Lyretail guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Varieties · Poecilia reticulata

See all 9 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Livebearer · Easy
Rarity
Very common
Family
Poeciliidae

Overview

The lyretail guppy is a guppy whose tail is drawn out into two points, top and bottom. It is peaceful, easy to keep and at home in a calm community tank.

Did you know

The lyretail name means something very different in swordtails, where the tail comes with a gonopodium stretched too far to work. The male's sperm is viable, but he cannot copulate. Those strains are kept going by pairing lyretail females with normal-finned males, which caps the lyretail share of each brood at half.

Caring for the lyretail guppy

Lyretail guppies look their best in a group. Give them a planted tank of 10 gal (38 L) or more, where they spend most of their time in the middle.

These are very adaptable fish that can live in brackish water as well as fresh. Aim for neutral to slightly hard water at 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 7.8.

Lyretail guppies eat almost anything, so offer quality flake, micro pellets and frozen daphnia or brine shrimp. They are peaceful and social, and they settle well in a calm community tank.

Males are smaller than females but more colorful. Keep more females than males to cut down on pestering.

Lyretail guppies are livebearers that give birth to free-swimming young, and a mixed group produces fry constantly. Females can store sperm and deliver several broods from one mating, so plan for the numbers or keep males only.

Good to know

The lyretail guppy is sold under color names such as Blue Lyretail and Red Lyretail, often with no description beyond the label. Retailers are loose with the term, and fish sold as lyretail overlap heavily with the double sword. Lobe length and symmetry vary between farms, so judge the photo rather than the name. In guppies the lobes are extended caudal rays, with the center of the fin staying short. Fry vary in lobe length, so breeders reselect every generation. In swordtails and platies the lyretail allele is dominant and also lengthens the anal fin. Mollies carry a lyretail that leaves the gonopodium normal, and those males breed on their own.

In the wild

The lyretail guppy is a domestic selection. Wild guppies do not carry drawn-out caudal lobes, and no breeder, country or decade is documented for the guppy version. Treat it as a hobby line of uncertain origin, named for the same tail outline that gives lyretail swordtails and lyretail mollies their name.

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Tank mates

The lyretail guppy is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a lyretail guppy a different species from the guppy?

No. A lyretail guppy is a variety of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a lyretail guppy need?

A lyretail guppy needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a lyretail guppy eat?

A lyretail guppy eats almost anything. Give it quality flake and micro pellets, plus frozen daphnia or brine shrimp.

How big does a lyretail guppy get?

An adult lyretail guppy reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male lyretail guppy from a female?

Males are smaller than females but more colorful.

How does a lyretail guppy breed?

A lyretail guppy is a livebearer that gives birth to free-swimming young. Because females can store sperm, one mating can give several broods, and a mixed group produces fry constantly.

Related species