Moscow Blue Guppy

Looks how to spot one

scales

The Moscow Blue Guppy has a sleek, streamlined body typical of guppies, but what sets it apart is the full-body metallic colour that covers the head, face, body and tail. The male's dorsal fin is large and cloak-like, and the caudal fin is a broad delta shape. Females are larger, grey or silver, with only faint colour on the fins.13

Personality what they are like

Peaceful, active and endlessly displaying. Males may chase females or spar briefly, but serious injuries are rare. They are inquisitive and fun to watch, though the large tail makes them vulnerable to fin-nipping from aggressive tankmates.13

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. They swim constantly but can tire easily in strong currents. A calm, still-water setup with plenty of plants is ideal.13

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Requires stable, clean water with pH above 7.2 and moderate hardness (GH 12-20). Regular partial water changes are essential. Quarantine new fish for 3-4 weeks. Watch for fin rot, ich and columnaris.13

Home where they are happiest

A tank of at least 60 cm (24 inches) length, densely planted with floating plants to diffuse light. Water temperature 22-28°C, pH 7.0-8.0, hardness 9-19 dGH. Still or very gentle flow. Best kept in a species-only tank or with peaceful bottom-dwellers like Corydoras and Otocinclus.134

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivore. Feed high-quality small pellets or flakes once or twice daily. Supplement with live or frozen baby brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworms two to three times a week to deepen colour. Include spirulina or blanched greens for fibre.13

Company who they like around

Keep 2-3 females per male, or a males-only group, to reduce harassment. Avoid tiger barbs, serpae tetras and bettas as they may nip the large tail. Good companions are corydoras, otocinclus, small rasboras, neon tetras and snails. Do not mix with common pet-store guppies if you want to preserve the pure Moscow line.13

The story where it all began

The Moscow Blue Guppy is a selectively bred variety of the common guppy (Poecilia reticulata). It was developed by Russian hobbyists in and around Moscow during the 1980s, who fixed a rare genetic trait that gives the fish solid metallic colour over the entire body, including the head. This trait is carried on the Y chromosome, so it passes reliably from father to son. The strain first appeared in the USA at the 3rd World Guppy Contest in Milwaukee in 1998, shown by a Japanese breeder, and has since become a favourite in show circles. What makes it different from a standard guppy is the full-body colour coverage: most fancy guppies have colour only on the rear half or in patches, but the Moscow variety is coloured from nose to tail. The classic form is Moscow Blue, but Moscow Green, Purple and Black also exist.123

Recognised by the official bits

World Guppy Contest

First appeared in the USA at the 3rd World Guppy Contest in Milwaukee in 1998, shown by a Japanese breeder.2