Variety of Guppy

Moscow guppy

Poecilia reticulata

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

Also known as Green Moscow Guppy, Black Moscow Guppy, White Moscow Guppy, Blue Moscow Guppy

FreshwaterBrackishFish

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 Moscow guppy is a solid-colored guppy, heavier bodied and bigger finned than a plain fancy guppy. It is a good first fish for a calm community tank.

Did you know

A Moscow guppy's color is not settled on the day you buy it. Young males keep darkening for months, and keepers report the same fish shifting shade with mood and lighting. The fish you carry home is usually the palest it will ever look.

Caring for the Moscow guppy

Give Moscow guppies a planted tank of 10 gal (38 L) or more. They look their best in a group and spend most of their time in the middle of the tank.

They are very adaptable, and they can live in brackish water as well as fresh. Keep the water neutral to slightly hard, at 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 7.8.

Moscow guppies eat almost anything, including 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. Moscow 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

Moscow color is whole-body pigment rather than a pattern. The metallic sheen carries over head, flanks and fins together instead of stopping at a marking. Shops label it as Blue, Green, Black or White Moscow, list mixed tanks as assorted, and price it above assorted stock. Look for color running from nose to tail with nothing breaking it, since weaker fish go patchy behind the head. Hobby literature names no single gene behind the look, and breeders hold it by constant selection. Patchy siblings come out of otherwise good spawns and get culled.

In the wild

The Moscow guppy was developed in Russia, by hobby accounts in Moscow in the early 1980s, which is where the name comes from. It moved on to Japan, Europe and the United States. The reported US debut came at the third World Guppy Contest, held in Milwaukee in 1998. Hobby accounts credit no individual breeder. Wild guppies have nothing like the solid metallic body.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Moscow 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 Moscow guppy a different species from the guppy?

No. A Moscow 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 Moscow guppy need?

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

What does a Moscow guppy eat?

A Moscow guppy eats almost anything, from quality flake and micro pellets to frozen daphnia or brine shrimp.

How big does a Moscow guppy get?

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

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

Males are smaller than females but more colorful.

How does a Moscow guppy breed?

A Moscow guppy is a livebearer that gives birth to free-swimming young. Females can store sperm and deliver several broods from one mating, so a mixed group produces fry constantly.