Purple Tiger Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – Tank-Bred
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
For the safety of our animals, we now ship live fish exclusively via UPS Next Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS Next Day Air as a shipping option during checkout.
The Purple Tiger Guppy is a bold and eye-catching variety featuring deep violet tones layered with striking tiger-like striping across the body and tail. This dynamic patterning, combined with flowing finnage, makes it a standout centerpiece in nano and community aquariums alike.
Tank-bred for resilience and adaptability, this variety thrives in a wide range of aquarium setups and is perfect for both beginners and experienced hobbyists. The included male and female pair also offer an excellent opportunity for those interested in breeding and developing a vibrant colony.
What We Love About This Fish:
• Striking Tiger Pattern: Unique striping over rich purple coloration
• Flowing Finnage: Elegant movement that adds visual depth to any tank
• Tank-Bred Hardy Stock: Adaptable and resilient in home aquariums
• Breeding Potential: Livebearers that reproduce readily in the right conditions
Quick Care Guide:
• Care Level: Easy
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore
• Shrimp Compatible: Yes, with caution (may eat shrimplets)
• Adult Size: 1.5 – 2 inches
• Average Purchase Size: 1 – 1.25 inches
• Social Behavior: Social, best in groups
• Activity Level: Active swimmer
• Tank Level: Top to mid-level
• Lifespan: 2 – 3 years
• Recommended Group Size: 3+ (or breeding colony)
• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Recommended Tank Parameters:
• Temperature: 72° – 82° F (22° – 28° C)
• pH: 6.8 – 7.8
• KH: 8 – 12 dKH
Live Arrival Guarantee:
All Aquatic Arts brand plants and animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus free email support!
The original guppy (Poecilia reticulata) was first documented in northern South America, inhabiting slow-moving streams, ponds, and warm freshwater environments. This Purple Tiger variety, however, has been developed through selective breeding in captivity to achieve its vibrant coloration and patterned finnage.
Guppies thrive in planted aquariums that provide both open swimming space and dense cover.
Plants: Java Moss, Hornwort, Water Sprite, Anubias, and floating plants like Frogbit
Hardscape: Light driftwood and smooth stones to create visual structure
Botanicals: Indian Almond Leaves or seed pods to add tannins and support microfauna
A well-planted aquarium not only enhances their coloration but also provides shelter for fry if breeding occurs. Think of this aquascape as a balance between open movement and soft, natural cover.
Omnivorous. Feed high-quality flakes or micro pellets daily. Supplement with live or frozen foods like brine shrimp and daphnia.
Purple Tiger Guppies are peaceful and do well in community aquariums with other non-aggressive species. Ideal tank mates include small tetras, rasboras, corydoras, and other livebearers.
Avoid aggressive or fin-nipping species that may damage their flowing fins.
Generally safe with adult shrimp, but guppies may eat shrimp fry. Provide dense plant cover if keeping with shrimp colonies.
This is a livebearing species that breeds readily in home aquariums. Females give birth to free-swimming fry approximately every 3–4 weeks under optimal conditions.
Provide dense plant cover or breeding mops to increase fry survival rates.
Are Purple Tiger Guppies good for beginners?
Yes, they are hardy, adaptable, and easy to care for.
Do they need to be kept in groups?
Yes, they are social and thrive in small groups or colonies.
Can they live with shrimp?
Yes, but they may eat shrimp fry if given the opportunity.
How often do they breed?
Females can give birth approximately every 3–4 weeks.
Do they require a heater?
Yes, stable tropical temperatures are recommended.
What do they eat?
They eat flakes, pellets, and live or frozen foods.
Are they aggressive?
No, they are peaceful community fish.
Do males and females look different?
Yes, males are more colorful and have larger fins.
How can I improve their coloration?
Provide a varied diet and stable water conditions.
Can they live in nano tanks?
Yes, they are well-suited for nano and small aquariums.
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.
