Tips in the selection of guppies

[KeeHuat]

Tips in the selection of guppies

Here are some criteria that I’ve complied in the selection of guppies. The majority does not originate from me but is available from guppy standards. Some of these pointers are also based on my discussions with guppy experts and breeders.

These do not cover colours or patterns but deal with body, fins and caudals shapes and dimensions. I have not drawn any pictures so you will have to read the text and hopefully understand the criteria.

Deportment

The guppy’s body should be straight with its fins erect when swimming. It should be able to control its body movements and appear healthy and be responsive. The guppy body should not have any deformed shape like curved spine or deformed head

Body

Body Length is measured from tip of mouth to end of the caudal penducle.
- The ideal minimum standard body length should be 26mm
- Body height should be ideally 1/4 of body length
- Belly should be 1/4 of the peduncle height
- In frontal view the fish should show a smoothly rounded belly
- The line from the beginning of the snout to the beginning of the dorsal fin should be straight or very gently rounded. At this point the body is gently inflected towards the inside of the body and then it should be straight from this curvature to the end of caudal peduncle.
- The line from the beginning of the snout to the end of the anal fin / gonopodium / anus should be rounded. At this point the body is gently inflected towards the inside of the body and then it should be straight from this curvature to the end of caudal peduncle.
- Caudal peduncle should have upper and lower edges as parallel as possible
- Peduncle length should be between 1.5 and 2.25 times peduncle height taken at the middle of the peduncle.

Body Straightness

- Trace a line from fish snout to the middle height of peduncle. This middle height is measured at the location where the beginning of the dorsal joints the body.
- Straight body: If this line passes exactly over half the body height
- Curved body: If this line passes anywhere in the in lower half of the body
- Humpback: If this line touches the lower part of the body or below
- Flat body: If this line passes over half the body height

Dorsal

The Dorsal Length is measured from the joint of the body to the longest tip end of the Dorsal

IFGA
- Dorsal length is preferred to be longer than the caudal penducle
- Dorsal width is 1/3 of the dorsal length
- Dorsal fin rises steeply upwards at first and then flow backwards to the caudal

Sail fin
- Dorsal width is equal or more than 1/3 of the dorsal length.
- Shape of the dorsal looks like an arc of a circle
- A bigger dorsal spread is preferred

Long dorsal
- Dorsal width is equal or more than 1/3 of the dorsal length
- Dorsal shape looks like the IFGA type except that is does not raises steeply upwards at the joint to the body and the dorsal spread is usually much bigger
- Dorsal should not be torn, crumpled, clamped or having fin rot

Caudal

- Caudal Size is measure in terms of the Caudal Length in relation to the Body Length.
- The Ideal Caudal Length should be 8th part of the Body Length (8/10). The reason is that for caudal size that is approaching the ratio of 10/10, the caudal may be too big for the fish to spread it's tail and may weigh the whole guppy down.
- Peduncle should be thick so that it can carry the big caudal well without it drooping
- Caudal Shape when spread out should be uniform, balance and not torn, curved/crumpled up or out of shape
- Ideal Caudal Spread angle should be minimum 70 deg especially for Delta

Delta

- Caudal Shape of the Delta class should be a perfect triangle, i.e. all the sides must be perfectly straight
- The 2 corner angles should not be rounded
- Caudal outer edge side must be perpendicular to body length line (an horizontal imaginary line drawn along the body length)

Fantail

- Caudal length is the same as body length
- Caudal fin should have the shape of a triangle of 45 degrees coming off the peduncle
- Edges are straight and even, and the corners may be slightly rounded

Lyretail

- Basic shape of the caudal is oval and should be 4/10 of the body length and can be colourless.
- Caudal fin shaped like a lyre
- The outside fin rays reach 8/10 of the body length with clear, outwardly curved points
- Dorsal fin reaches steeply with a point bent upward the end of the first third of the caudal fin

Pintail

- Basic caudal shape is round with a diameter of 4/10 of the body length
- Central fin rays are extended to a pin
- Overall length of the fin corresponds to the body length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and reaches a point at the end of the first third of the caudal fin

Ribbon

- The pair of Ventral Fins and Gonopodium Fin must be elongated or extended and flow nicely backwards
- A thicker Ventral and Gonopodium fin is preferred
- The broader base where the ventral and gonopodium fins joined the body is preferred too.
- It should not be twisted, crooked, bent or thin

Roundtail

- Caudal fin is round with a diameter of 5/10 of the body length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and is rounded off at the start of the caudal

Scarftail

- Caudal fin has a rectangular shape
- Height of the caudal fin is 4/10 of the body length
- Frontal part of the fin is rounded

Spade or Coffer Tail

- Shape of the caudal fin looks like a shovel
- Upper and lower fin edges first draw away from the body, then are parallel
- Length of caudal is 5/10 of body length with depth 8/10 of the caudal length
- Height reaches 8/10 of the fin length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and reaches a point at the end of the first third of the caudal fin.

Speartail

- Caudal fin has the shape of a spearhead
- Length of caudal is 8/10 of the body length
- Caudal height is 8/10 of the caudal length
- Dorsal fin rises steeply curving upwards to a point and reaches the end of the first third of the caudal fin

Swallow

- Extended or elongated caudal fin should be at least 1/3 the length of it's caudal length
- This requirement should be exhibited in all the five basic extended caudal fins but does not need to be exhibited in all extended caudal fins.
- The 2 sides of the caudal should be straight and the caudal spread a minimum of 70 degrees. Edges should not be curved.
- Dorsal edges should be straight, no teeth/serrations, no split no missing parts

Double Swordtail

- Caudal fin has an oval basic shape with sword shaped extensions of the upper and lower fin rays.
- The length of the swords to the body length should be equal
- Outer edges form an angle of 30 degrees or more
- Basic oval part of the caudal fin should be 4/10 of the body length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and reaches a point at the end of the first third of the caudal fin

Top Swordtail

- Caudal fin has an oval basic shape with a sword shaped extension of the upper fin rays
- Length of the sword is the same length as the body
- Outer edge should form an angle of 15 degrees or stays parallel to the body axis
- Basic oval part of the caudal fin should be 4/10 of the body length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and reaches a point at the end of the first third of
the caudal fin

Bottom Swordtail

- Caudal fin has an oval basic shape, with a sword shaped extension of the lower fin rays.
- Length of the sword is the same length as the body
- Outer edge form an angle of 15 degrees to the body axis
- Basic oval part of the caudal fin should be 4/10 of the body length
- Dorsal fin is slim, rises steeply in the beginning and reaches a point at the end of the first third of
the caudal fin

Veiltail

- Caudal fin has gently curving upper and lower edges with rear edge concave
- Largest width of the caudal is reached with 3/4 of its length
- Length of caudal amounts to 8/10 of the body length and not below 5/10 of the body length
- Dorsal fin reaches up to the end of the first third of the caudal fin with a rounded off end

[Ircknight]

Thank bro Keehuat for sharing this useful information.

Very great informattion.

[cheekyaf]

Bro Kee Huat,

Very useful information. Cheers.

[leezhengxi]

Very informative for people like me who are new in guppies

[issacyeo]

very gd information. thanks for sharing

bro KH, i still owe u a phonecall... paisey paisey... too busy at work these days...

[jest1081]

thx bro! most of the time we nly hear delta tails.

[digichris]

Originally Posted by jest1081

thx bro! most of the time we nly hear delta tails.

becos thru pictures, very difficult to see body size and deportment...

thanks for sharing, this is very informative!

[Hershley]

Excellent write up Bro. good for beginners in guppies like myself. Thumbs up for u