Product Details

Rummy Nose Guppy – Poecilia reticulata

Overview:

The Rummy Nose Guppy is a colourful fancy guppy strain, usually selected for a bright red face or head marking that gives it its trade name. As a domesticated form of Poecilia reticulata, it is peaceful, active and well suited to planted community aquariums with stable, mineral-rich water. Guppies are hardy when kept correctly, but fancy strains still need clean water, gentle tank mates and protection from fin-nipping fish.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Rummy Nose Guppy
Other Names: Red Nose Guppy, Rummy Head Guppy, Fancy Guppy, Millions Fish, Guppy
Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata
Fish Type: Livebearer / Guppy
Water Type: Freshwater, with tolerance of slightly brackish conditions

Natural Range & Habitat:

Wild Poecilia reticulata is native to northern South America and nearby Caribbean islands, although it has been introduced widely around the world. FishBase records guppies from quiet, vegetated waters and notes their wide salinity tolerance, while still requiring warm conditions for long-term survival.

The Rummy Nose Guppy is a captive-bred ornamental strain, so it should be treated as an aquarium colour and fin variety rather than a wild-type fish.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Rummy Nose Guppies usually show a red, orange-red or scarlet head marking, which may be strongest around the face, gill area or front of the body. Depending on the breeding line, the body and tail may show additional colour, spots, metallic tones or patterned finnage. Males are typically smaller, slimmer and more colourful, often with larger decorative tails. Females are larger and fuller-bodied, usually with more modest colour.

Adults usually reach around 3–5 cm, with females often larger than males. FishBase records female guppies reaching around 5 cm standard length, while fancy males are generally smaller and more ornate.

Aquarium Suitability:

This is a good choice for peaceful planted communities, livebearer aquariums and beginner setups with suitable water. Rummy Nose Guppies appreciate open swimming space, plant cover, floating plants and gentle to moderate filtration. Fancy males with longer fins should not be kept with rough or nippy tank mates.

They are not suitable for very soft acidic aquariums, aggressive cichlid tanks, boisterous fin-nipping communities or aquariums with fish large enough to eat them.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 45–60 litres for a small group, with 60–90 litres or more preferred for mixed-sex groups or community aquariums. FishBase recommends group keeping for P. reticulata and gives a minimum aquarium size of around 60 cm.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 22–26°C
pH: 7.0–8.0
Hardness: Moderately hard to hard preferred
Additional Notes: Guppies are hard-water livebearers and do best in mineral-rich, stable conditions rather than soft acidic water. Seriously Fish lists Poecilia reticulata as a hard-water fish, while Fishkeeper gives aquarium parameters of pH 7–8 and KH 8–20 degrees. Avoid ammonia, nitrite, sudden temperature drops and unstable water chemistry.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

Rummy Nose Guppies are peaceful, active community fish. Suitable tank mates include platies, small peaceful rainbowfish, Endler-type livebearers if hybridisation is not a concern, bristlenose plecs, Cory-type catfish in suitable water, peaceful small rasboras and calm tetras that tolerate harder water.

Avoid Tiger Barbs, Serpae Tetras, large cichlids, aggressive gouramis, fin-nipping danios in cramped tanks and any fish large enough to swallow adult guppies. If keeping mixed sexes, use a ratio of one male to two or more females to reduce female harassment. Male-only groups are a good option for display aquariums and prevent unwanted fry.

Feeding:

Rummy Nose Guppies are easy-feeding omnivores. Offer quality flakes, micro pellets and livebearer granules as the staple diet. Supplement with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brineshrimp, cyclops, mosquito larvae and finely chopped bloodworm. Include vegetable matter such as spirulina flakes, algae-based foods or blanched greens. FishBase records wild guppies feeding on zooplankton, small insects and detritus, so variety is useful.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

Guppies are lively, social fish that spend much of their time in the upper and middle levels. Males display frequently to females and rival males, showing off their colour and finnage. Females give birth to free-swimming fry rather than laying eggs, and FishBase notes that males can mature at around two months and females at around three months, so breeding can begin quickly in mixed-sex groups.

Care Notes:

Keep Rummy Nose Guppies in stable, mature water with regular water changes. Avoid sudden chills, poor water quality and very soft acidic conditions. Use a secure lid, as guppies can jump. Fancy males with larger tails should be protected from fin-nippers and strong currents. If breeding is not wanted, keep males only or plan ahead for fry. Do not mix with Endler’s Livebearers or other guppy strains if you want to preserve the Rummy Nose line, as related livebearers and guppy strains can interbreed in captivity.

Recommended For:

Beginner

Availability:

Common to occasional / Captive-bred fancy strain

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, red head colour, body pattern, tail colour, fin length and markings can occur between individual fish.