Half Black Rose Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – Bred by Aquatic Arts
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Species Overview
The Half Black Rose Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a striking fancy guppy variety featuring dramatic contrast between its dark posterior body and brilliantly colored finnage. Mature males develop deep blue-to-black coloration across the rear portion of the body, complemented by a large orange-red tail and matching dorsal fin that create an especially bold appearance in planted aquariums.
These active, peaceful livebearers combine show-quality coloration with the approachable care and engaging personality that make guppies such popular aquarium fish. Aquatic Arts offers males, females, and pairs, allowing hobbyists to choose a colorful display male, add females to an existing group, or begin with a male and female pair for those interested in maintaining and breeding the strain.
Every Half Black Rose Guppy offered in this listing is Bred by Aquatic Arts™ through our own breeding program. Our fish are raised and conditioned in aquarium environments from the beginning, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy a distinctive guppy strain produced right here at Aquatic Arts.
What We Love About This Fish
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Dramatic half-black body coloration creates strong contrast against the brilliant orange-red finnage of mature males.
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Large, colorful tail and dorsal fins make males particularly impressive display fish.
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Bred by Aquatic Arts™ through our own captive breeding program.
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Male, female, and pair selections give hobbyists options for display aquariums, established groups, or breeding projects.
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Active and approachable livebearer that brings constant color and movement to planted and peaceful community aquariums.
Quick Care Guide
Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata
Common Name: Half Black Rose Guppy
Source: Bred by Aquatic Arts™
Available Selections: Male, Female, or Pair (1 Male + 1 Female)
Average Purchase Size: Approximately 1–1.5 Inches (2.5–3.8 cm), with individual size varying by age and sex.
Average Adult Size: Approximately 1.5–2.5 Inches (3.8–6.4 cm). Females typically grow larger and fuller-bodied, while males remain smaller with more elaborate coloration and finnage.
Care Level: Easy. Half Black Rose Guppies are adaptable livebearers that thrive in established aquariums with stable water quality and adequate mineral content.
Temperament: Peaceful and Active. Half Black Rose Guppies generally coexist well with other peaceful community fish that share similar water requirements.
Diet: Omnivore. A varied diet of quality prepared, frozen, live, and plant-based foods supports coloration, growth, and reproductive health.
Social Behavior: Social. Half Black Rose Guppies can be maintained in groups, but males and females kept together should be expected to breed regularly.
Activity Level: Active. These guppies spend much of the day swimming, feeding, displaying, and interacting throughout the aquarium.
Aquarium Level: Upper to Midwater. Half Black Rose Guppies primarily occupy the upper half of the aquarium but regularly explore all levels.
Minimum Aquarium Size: 10 Gallons. Larger aquariums are recommended for breeding groups or growing populations because guppies can reproduce quickly.
Lifespan: Approximately 2–3 Years with proper care.
Lid Requirement: Secure Lid Recommended. Guppies can jump, particularly when startled or exploring near the surface.
Aquatic Arts Tip
If purchasing a pair, plan for fry before they arrive. Half Black Rose Guppies are livebearers and can reproduce readily, so live plants, additional aquarium space, and a plan for growing juveniles will make maintaining a breeding group much easier.
Recommended Water Parameters & Aquarium Requirements
Half Black Rose Guppies thrive in clean, stable, moderately hard to hard freshwater. Adequate mineral content is especially important for long-term health, growth, and successful reproduction.
Water Parameters
Temperature: 72–78°F (22–26°C). This range supports healthy activity, digestion, and breeding without keeping the fish unnecessarily warm.
pH: 7.2–8.0. Neutral to moderately alkaline water is ideal for Half Black Rose Guppies.
General Hardness (GH): 7–15 dGH. Moderate mineral content provides calcium, magnesium, and other dissolved minerals important to livebearer health.
Carbonate Hardness (KH): 4–10 dKH. Adequate buffering helps maintain stable aquarium chemistry and prevents sudden pH swings.
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: Below 20 ppm preferred.
Aquarium Requirements
Minimum Aquarium Size: 10 Gallons. Larger aquariums provide greater stability and additional room for breeding groups and growing fry.
Filtration: Moderate. Reliable biological filtration helps maintain water quality as active guppies and growing populations increase the aquarium's bioload.
Water Flow: Low to Moderate. Gentle circulation provides oxygenation without forcing long-finned males to constantly fight strong current.
Oxygenation: Moderate. Good surface movement supports healthy oxygen levels and biological filtration.
Aquarium Maturity: Fully cycled and established. Stable biological filtration is important before introducing Half Black Rose Guppies.
Aquatic Plants: Highly Recommended. Live plants provide security, break up sight lines, and give newborn fry valuable places to hide.
Lighting: Low to Moderate. Standard aquarium lighting works well and can be adjusted around the needs of the plants being grown.
Aquatic Arts Tip
Guppies benefit from mineral-rich, stable water, so don't focus on pH alone. Check your GH and KH as well, especially if you use very soft tap water or RO water. Stable mineral content supports healthy Half Black Rose Guppies and is particularly important when maintaining breeding females and growing fry.
Origin & Natural Habitat
Origin: Northern South America and the Caribbean; the Half Black Rose Guppy is a selectively bred aquarium strain of Poecilia reticulata.
Wild guppies naturally inhabit streams, ponds, canals, pools, and other shallow freshwater habitats, often with dense vegetation and areas of gentle water movement. These adaptable environments provide abundant plant cover, small invertebrates, algae, and other natural food sources.
Seasonal changes in rainfall and water levels can alter these habitats considerably, helping explain the guppy's adaptability to changing freshwater conditions. Vegetation along the margins and surface provides important shelter for adults and especially for newly born fry.
The Half Black Rose Guppy is a selectively bred aquarium strain and is not a naturally occurring wild population. Every Half Black Rose Guppy offered in this listing is Bred by Aquatic Arts™ through our captive breeding program and raised specifically for aquarium life.
Aquascaping (Paint the Aquarium)
Half Black Rose Guppies look especially striking in a lush planted aquarium with open swimming space. Green plants provide strong contrast against the dark posterior body and orange-red finnage of mature males, while dense vegetation gives females and newborn fry places to retreat.
- Live Plants: Java Fern, Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Water Wisteria, Vallisneria, and Amazon Swords create dense planted areas while leaving room for active swimming.
- Floating Plants: Amazon Frogbit, Red Root Floaters, Salvinia, and Water Lettuce provide overhead cover and extensive roots where newborn fry can hide.
- Mosses: Java Moss, Christmas Moss, and Subwassertang create excellent refuge for fry while supporting biofilm and microorganisms they can graze on.
- Driftwood: Spider Wood and Malaysian Driftwood provide natural structure and break up sight lines, which can be especially useful when maintaining males and females together.
- Botanicals: Indian Almond Leaves, Guava Leaves, Magnolia Leaves, and Aquatic Arts Botanical Combo Packs add natural cover while encouraging biofilm and microfauna.
- Substrate: Sand, fine gravel, or planted aquarium substrates all work well; choose the substrate primarily around the needs of the plants being grown.
Aquatic Arts Tip
If you're purchasing a male and female pair, build some fry survival into the aquascape from the beginning. Dense Java Moss and floating plants with long roots create protected areas where newborn Half Black Rose Guppies can escape adult fish while also finding biofilm and tiny natural foods during their first days.
Diet & Feeding
Half Black Rose Guppies are omnivores that benefit from a varied diet containing both protein-rich and plant-based foods. Good nutrition directly supports their coloration, finnage, growth, breeding condition, and healthy fry development.
- Staple Diet: High-quality tropical flakes or small pellets provide balanced daily nutrition.
- Frozen Foods: Baby Brine Shrimp, Daphnia, Bloodworms, and Mysis Shrimp provide protein and dietary variety.
- Live Foods: Live Daphnia, Moina, Baby Brine Shrimp, and appropriately sized Blackworms encourage natural feeding behavior and are excellent for conditioning breeding adults.
- Plant-Based Foods: Spirulina flakes and other vegetable-rich foods provide important plant matter and help balance their omnivorous diet.
- Feeding Schedule: Feed one to two small meals daily, offering only what the fish can consume within a few minutes.
Aquatic Arts Tip
For the strongest coloration and breeding condition, rotate foods rather than relying on a single staple. Females producing fry especially benefit from a varied, protein-rich diet, while newly born Half Black Rose Guppies can be started on Baby Brine Shrimp and finely crushed prepared foods to support rapid, healthy growth.
Tank Mates & Compatibility
Half Black Rose Guppies are peaceful, active livebearers that work well in thoughtfully planned community aquariums. The best tank mates are peaceful species that tolerate the moderately hard, alkaline water conditions guppies prefer and will not nip their colorful fins.
Excellent Tank Mates
- Other Guppies and Endlers: Other peaceful guppy strains and Endler's Livebearers share similar care requirements, although different varieties may interbreed.
- Other Livebearers: Platies and smaller Mollies can work well because they generally appreciate similar mineral-rich water conditions.
- Corydoras: Hardier, temperature-compatible Corydoras can provide peaceful activity along the bottom of the aquarium.
- Small Peaceful Schooling Fish: Appropriately selected rasboras and other peaceful community fish can work when their water requirements overlap.
- Peaceful Bottom Dwellers: Small, non-aggressive bottom-dwelling species can complement guppies without competing heavily for swimming space.
Tank Mates to Avoid
Avoid aggressive fish, persistent fin nippers, and large predatory species that may harass or eat Half Black Rose Guppies. Long-finned males are particularly vulnerable to species that regularly nip fins.
Aquatic Arts Tip
Compatibility is about water requirements as well as temperament. A peaceful fish that requires very soft, acidic water is not necessarily an ideal companion for Half Black Rose Guppies. Choose tank mates that are comfortable in the same moderately hard, mineral-rich conditions so the aquarium can be maintained around the needs of every species.
Shrimp & Invertebrate Compatibility
Shrimp Safe: Yes, With Adult Shrimp
Half Black Rose Guppies generally coexist well with healthy adult freshwater shrimp. However, guppies are opportunistic omnivores and may eat very small shrimp or newly hatched shrimplets when given the opportunity.
Adult Neocaridina Shrimp, Caridina Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, Bamboo Shrimp, and Vampire Shrimp can usually coexist with Half Black Rose Guppies when adequate cover is available. Peaceful freshwater snails, including Nerite Snails, Mystery Snails, Ramshorn Snails, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails, are also generally compatible.
Aquatic Arts Tip
If keeping Half Black Rose Guppies with a breeding shrimp colony, provide dense Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Subwassertang, Cholla Wood, floating plants, and botanicals where shrimplets can hide. Adult shrimp are generally safe, but a heavily planted aquarium gives young shrimp a much better chance of avoiding curious guppies.
Breeding
Breeding Difficulty: Easy
Reproduction: Livebearer
Half Black Rose Guppies are prolific livebearers that give birth to fully formed, free-swimming fry rather than laying eggs. A healthy male and female pair may begin reproducing readily when maintained in stable water conditions and fed a varied diet.
Males actively court females, and females can store sperm after mating, allowing them to produce multiple broods without mating again. Females typically give birth approximately every 3–4 weeks, although timing and brood size vary with age, health, temperature, and conditioning.
Adult guppies may eat newborn fry, so Java Moss, Guppy Grass, Water Wisteria, floating plants, and other dense vegetation provide valuable refuge. Fry can be fed newly hatched Baby Brine Shrimp, finely crushed flakes, powdered fry foods, and other appropriately sized foods several times daily.
Aquatic Arts Tip
Because this listing offers males, females, and pairs, choose your selection based on your goal. A male provides the strongest display coloration, while a male and female pair should be purchased with the expectation that breeding is likely. If you want to raise Half Black Rose Guppy fry, prepare dense plant cover and appropriate fry foods before the first brood arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How large do Half Black Rose Guppies get?
Half Black Rose Guppies typically reach approximately 1.5–2.5 inches (3.8–6.4 cm). Females generally grow larger and fuller-bodied than males.
What makes the Half Black Rose Guppy different from other guppies?
Half Black Rose Guppies are distinguished by their contrasting coloration. Mature males develop a dark blue-to-black posterior body paired with vivid orange-red finnage, creating a dramatic two-tone appearance.
Are Half Black Rose Guppies Bred by Aquatic Arts™?
Yes. The Half Black Rose Guppies offered in this listing are Bred by Aquatic Arts™ through our own captive breeding program.
Can I purchase male and female Half Black Rose Guppies?
Yes. Aquatic Arts offers males, females, and pairs consisting of one male and one female, allowing customers to choose based on whether they want display fish, additional females, or a breeding pair.
Are male and female Half Black Rose Guppies different?
Yes. Males are generally smaller and develop the strongest coloration and more elaborate finnage. Females grow larger and fuller-bodied and generally display more subdued coloration.
Are Half Black Rose Guppies good beginner fish?
Yes. Half Black Rose Guppies can be excellent beginner fish when maintained in a fully cycled aquarium with stable, appropriately mineralized water.
What size aquarium do Half Black Rose Guppies need?
A 10-gallon aquarium or larger is recommended. Larger aquariums are particularly beneficial for groups, breeding pairs, and growing populations.
Do Half Black Rose Guppies need hard water?
Half Black Rose Guppies generally perform best in moderately hard, mineral-rich water. Appropriate GH and KH are important considerations in addition to pH.
What do Half Black Rose Guppies eat?
Half Black Rose Guppies are omnivores that thrive on quality flakes or pellets supplemented with frozen foods, live foods, and plant-based foods such as spirulina.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live in a planted aquarium?
Yes. Planted aquariums are excellent for Half Black Rose Guppies because plants provide security, break up sight lines, and offer valuable hiding places for newborn fry.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live with other guppies?
Yes. Different guppy varieties can generally live together when adequate space is provided. However, males and females from different strains may interbreed, so keep strains separately if maintaining the Half Black Rose genetics is important.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live with Endlers?
They can, but guppies and Endler's Livebearers can hybridize. Keeping them separately is recommended if maintaining pure strains or predictable offspring is important.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live with Bettas?
Sometimes, but the combination is unpredictable and generally not our first recommendation. Bettas may attack colorful male guppies, while active guppies can also stress or nip at a Betta.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live with shrimp?
Yes. Healthy adult shrimp generally coexist well with Half Black Rose Guppies, although very small shrimp and shrimplets may be eaten.
Can Half Black Rose Guppies live with snails?
Yes. Nerite Snails, Mystery Snails, Ramshorn Snails, and many other peaceful freshwater snails generally make excellent companions.
Do Half Black Rose Guppies need to be kept in schools?
No. Half Black Rose Guppies are social fish but are not true schooling fish. They can be maintained individually or in groups, although social interactions are more apparent when multiple guppies are present.
How often do Half Black Rose Guppies breed?
Healthy females may produce a brood approximately every 3–4 weeks, although timing varies with age, diet, temperature, and overall condition.
Do Half Black Rose Guppies lay eggs?
No. Half Black Rose Guppies are livebearers. Females give birth to fully formed, free-swimming fry.
Will Half Black Rose Guppies eat their fry?
Yes. Adult guppies may eat newborn fry. Dense Java Moss, Guppy Grass, floating plants, and other vegetation can significantly increase fry survival.
Can a female Half Black Rose Guppy have fry without a male currently in the aquarium?
Yes. Female guppies can store sperm after mating and may produce multiple broods after being separated from a male.
Should I buy a male, female, or pair of Half Black Rose Guppies?
Choose a male if your priority is maximum display coloration, a female if you're adding to an existing group or breeding program, and a pair if you want both sexes and are prepared for the likelihood of fry.
How long do Half Black Rose Guppies live?
Half Black Rose Guppies typically live approximately 2–3 years with proper care, although lifespan varies with genetics, water quality, diet, and temperature.
Why is my Half Black Rose Guppy losing color?
Temporary color loss can result from shipping stress, poor water quality, inappropriate water chemistry, illness, bullying, or inadequate nutrition. Check aquarium conditions and behavior before assuming the coloration change is permanent.
Why is my Half Black Rose Guppy hiding?
Newly introduced guppies may hide while adjusting to their aquarium. Persistent hiding can indicate stress, aggressive tank mates, poor water quality, illness, or insufficient cover.
Would Aquatic Arts recommend Half Black Rose Guppies for my aquarium?
Yes, for aquarists who can provide stable, mineral-rich water and peaceful tank mates. Half Black Rose Guppies combine dramatic coloration, approachable care, active behavior, and fascinating livebearer reproduction in a relatively small freshwater fish.
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
Live Arrival Guarantee
We stand behind the health and quality of every fish we offer. Each Half Black Rose Guppy is carefully quarantined, observed, and conditioned before shipment to help ensure it arrives healthy and ready for its new aquarium.
Every Half Black Rose Guppy is backed by our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee, and every fish order ships in the Aquatic Arts Live Arrival Guarantee Box at no additional charge. Weather-appropriate insulation and heating or cooling materials are used when needed to help protect your fish during transit.
Half Black Rose Guppies are hardy, but shipping and sudden changes in temperature or water chemistry can still cause stress. Have a fully cycled aquarium ready before arrival, maintain stable mineral-rich water, and follow our acclimation instructions carefully. These basic care requirements give your new guppies the best opportunity to settle in successfully.
If your Half Black Rose Guppy arrives with an issue, please follow the claim instructions included with your order or submit the required information through our DOA Claim Form. Our Customer Support Team will review your claim and assist with the appropriate resolution.
DOA Claim Form: https://aquaticarts.com/pages/doa-claim
Questions: info@aquaticarts.com
Complete Live Arrival Guarantee: https://aquaticarts.com/pages/live-arrival-guarantee
Best Fishes,
The Aquatic Arts Team
