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Melanzona guppy

Poecilia parae

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Melanzona guppy (Poecilia parae)
Eigenmann, Carl H., 1863-1927 · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
15 gal
55 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Poeciliidae
Origin
Brazil, The Guianas

Overview

The melanzona guppy, or parae, is a small, peaceful livebearer that likes a group with several females for each male, since rival males display constantly. It stays in the middle of the tank and mixes well with other small, calm fish. It is an easy eater, grazing algae and taking a good flake with vegetable content plus small frozen foods such as daphnia and cyclops. It likes warm, neutral to slightly hard water and tolerates a little salt, matching the brackish creeks and estuaries it comes from. A tank of 55 liters or larger suits a small breeding group.

In the wild

Poecilia parae lives along the coastal lowlands of the Guianas and northern Brazil, in swamps, slow creeks and brackish estuaries near the sea. These warm, weakly flowing waters call for a temperature between 24 and 28 C and a pH from about 6.5 to 7.5, with neutral to slightly hard water. A planted tank with gentle flow, open swimming space and a little salt if you wish recreates its home. Steady warmth and clean water keep it in condition.

Good to know

The melanzona guppy is a livebearer in the family Poeciliidae, closely related to the common guppy. Females reach about 5 cm and males are much smaller, near 3 cm. Males fertilize females internally with a gonopodium, and females give birth to live, free-swimming fry, which makes this an easy species to breed. What sets it apart is that males come in five fixed colour types, inherited down the male line and unchanged through life.

Did you know

Male melanzona guppies occur as five set forms: red, yellow and blue striped melanzona males, a bar-tailed parae male, and a plain immaculata male that mimics a female, with each pattern passed from father to son.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Melanzona 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

What size tank does a Melanzona guppy need?

A Melanzona guppy needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Melanzona guppy need?

A Melanzona guppy is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

How big does a Melanzona guppy get?

An adult Melanzona guppy reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

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