The beautiful color and peaceful nature of the guppy have contributed to their increasing popularity. Aquarium Care of Fancy Guppies provides all of the necessary information needed to successfully raise and care for guppies in home aquariums. From setup and maintenance to feeding and breeding, this comprehensive yet easy-to-read guide will help anyone interested in keeping these charming little fish. Book jacket.

"Provides readers with all the basics of guppy ownership, from selecting the right variety to providing the best feeding, aquarium management and health care."--Back cover

The author, Bryan Chin, has won IFGA Best in Show awards in tank and delta categories. Also he has won in class awards in Greens, Multicolor, Blue, Reds, Purple, Blue-Green Bicolor, and Breeder Male. In 2013 he was named Guppy Man of the Year. He has written fancy guppy articles published in the IFGA newsletter and his Rocky Mountain Guppy Association club website (guppywest.com). He has also spoken at aquariums clubs regarding the breeding of show guppies. His fish photographs have been published in Tropical Fish Hobbyist and Amazonas magazines. Written from experience and illustrated throughout with over 100 diagrams, tables, and full color photos. Breeding Show Guppies provides readers with how to breed show winning guppies, from selecting the right fish to providing the best aquarium management and health. Contains valuable information about: - Maintaining good water conditions - Healthy growth in guppies - Breeding Techniques - Problem solving to fine tune your show guppies - Journal on breeding winning green guppies - Showing guppies

Livebearers focuses on four families of fish which contain many of the most attractive and popular species in the tropical fish hobby today, including guppies, mollies, swordtails, and platies. The families include Goodeidae (Mexican livebearers), Anablepidae (four-eyes and others), Poeciliidae (guppies and others); and Hemirhamphidae (halfbeaks). Author David Alderton explains that hobbyists have applied the term livebearer to these four families for convenience even though there are fourteen families in the wild that reproduce by bearing live young. The chapter “Where in the World?” focuses on the natural history of these families, their distribution, and lifestyles. Hobbyists looking to begin an aquarium of livebearers or to expand their existing communities will find useful information in the chapter called “The Different Groups,” in which Alderton discusses age considerations, health matters, and sex. The chapter also describes the four families and the most common genus/species of each. Included are sixteen representatives of the Family Goodeidae (e.g., Allodontichth, Characodon, and Skiffia), three genus of the Family Anablepidae (Anableps, Jenynsia, and Oxyzgonectes), twenty-six representatives of the Family Poeciliidae (e.g., Belonesox, Fiexipenis, and Limia); and three genus of the Family Hemirhamphidae (Dermogenys, Hemirhamphodon, and Namorhamphus). This colorful, user-friendly guide offers basic information on the anatomical characteristics, housing options, required aquarium equipment for livebearers as well as their feeding habits and food requirements (greenstuff, carotene-rich foods, live foods, meat, etc.). The breeding habits of livebearers have ensured their popularity with hobbyists, and the chapter on reproduction describes the various breeding habits of livebearers and outlines successful breeding strategies for interested hobbyists. In the chapter on health care, the author offers solid advice about caring for livebearers to maximize their lifespan in captivity, which is typically only a few years. He also gives information on signs of illness and some basic diseases that can be treated by the fish keeper. The final chapter offers photographs and distribution maps for sixteen popular livebearers of all four families, including information on size, physical description, natural habitat and behavior, and required aquarium conditions. The author’s livebearer hit parade includes the butterfly goodeid, rainbow goodeid, black-finned goodea, four-eyed fish, guppy (millions fish), black molly, sailfin molly, swordtail, platy (moonfish), mosquito fish (dwarf and large), humpbacked (black-barred) limia, black-bellied limia, pike livebearer (piketop minnow), knife (Alfaro’s) livebearer, and wrestling halfbeak. Resources, glossary, and index included.

A totally fresh look at fish. Focus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish is a valuable reference for fishkeepers at all levels. The book features a wide variety of fish illustrated in a dynamic way and offers practical advice for their care. The book presents the fish based on their families or fishkeeping groups. These groupings consist of: American and African Cichlids: bold inhabitants Characins: from tetras to piranhas Live-bearers: includes guppies and mollies Killifish: short-lived beauties Anabantids: air breathers including Bettas Danios, Minnows and Rasboras Catfish: found in tropic and temperate waters Rainbowfish: tropical fish at home in tap water Sharks and Loaches: bottomfeeders and efficient algae eaters Barbs: active and gregarious Oddballs: pufferfish, low-voltage eels, elegant predators and more Goldfish: a wide variety of a perennial favorite. Each section opens with an overview that introduces the range of fish within that group and explores their adaptations. The images and text provide details of the mature size and main characteristics of each fish, its behavior in the aquarium and a brief look at how it breeds. The bright, colorful photographs display the fish swimming rather than as static side views. This evokes a clearer sense of the personality of each species. Freshwater fishkeepers will be delighted at the beauty and choice available.