Purple Moscow Guppy Fish – All You Need to Know
Every guppy owner dreams of having the most beautiful and unique guppy breeds, making the Purple Moscow guppy one of the most sought-after on the market.
Depending on the strain, color pattern, and overall traits, you can purchase the Purple Moscow at prices varying between $40 and $100. This is one of the most expensive guppy lineages, thanks to the rare and sublime coloring.
They will provide the tank with vibrant spots of color that no other guppy strain can.
Today’s article will dive into the Purple Moscow guppy to analyze professional breeding, feeding patterns, tank mates, and overall care.
View this post on Instagram
How to Breed Purple Moscow Guppies?
Few people purchase this breed for personal use only. Purple Moscow guppies are expensive by anyone’s standards, making them the ideal candidates for breeding for profit.
To ensure the success of the breeding procedures, you should undergo several key steps:
Step 1: Get your guppies from experienced breeders – The success of the breeding process will depend on the initial guppy pairs. You need to make sure that you get healthy and strong guppies with unique traits and desirable features. These will only come from reputed breeders who have perfected the art of selective breeding. Ordinary fish shops will only provide subpar specimens with weak immune systems and faulty features. Avoid them!
Step 2: Set up multiple aquariums – When it comes to selective breeding, you will be dealing with several generations. Your goal is to obtain the most exhilarating traits, and this can only come from a high level of control. I suggest having at least 6 or 7 tanks to separate the original guppy pairs from their offspring and distinguish between fit and unfit genetic traits.
Step 3: Learn when to separate males from females – You are now into controlled breeding, which means you need to thoroughly supervise and understand the process. You should only keep the males and females together for about a week, after which you need to separate them. Otherwise, the males will stress out the females, affecting their pregnancy and immune system. In the wild, the females would just leave the area, an option which isn’t there for tank guppies.
Step 4: Ensure an optimal breeding environment – The fry needs to have a comfortable environment, providing plenty of cover and hiding spots. I recommend placing live plants in the tank so that your guppy fry will feel comfortable and safe.
Step 5: Make genetic distinctions – The resulting fry will all possess varying traits, some good, some bad. You need to distinguish between them and separate the ones you want to keep from the rest. This will ensure greater control over the breeding process and ensure better results.
Step 6: Prepare the next breeding generation – The next breeding generation should contain only the top specimens. Select the fry with the most desirable traits and separate them from the group for future breeding. The better their features, the higher the change that the second-generation fry will inherit them.
How and What to Feed Purple Moscow Guppies?
Purple Moscow guppies are omnivores, the same as any other type of guppy. They prefer live food and plants in balanced amounts, providing them with all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth.
I would recommend avoiding commercial foods. After all, you are growing some of the most expensive guppies on the market. Commercial fish food isn’t nearly as nutrient-rich as live food like brine shrimp, daphnia, or vinegar eels. They need high-quality food to boost their growth, strengthen their immune system, and allow them to thrive.
Just make sure you feed your guppies live food in moderation. Adult guppies don’t do well with too much protein and fat. You should also calculate the right amount of food to feed your guppies. Overfeeding can lead to water poisoning, causing your guppies to experience a variety of health issues.
What to Know About Purple Moscow Guppies?
While all guppy lineages belong to the same breed, they can vary slightly in terms of genetics and lifestyle requirements.
Here are a few details on the Purple Moscow guppy to help you understand this strain better:
- Overall size – The Purple Moscow male will reach around 2 inches in length, while a female will typically rest at about 2.8 tops. Females are slightly larger, which is common in the guppy world, with males appearing overall thinner and more athletic. These measurements place the Purple Moscow among the largest guppy breeds available.
- Lifespan – The Purple Moscow guppy can live 2 years of average, depending on its diet and overall care. Several factors will influence a guppy’s lifespan, including the level of stress throughout its life, illnesses, parasites, diet, water quality, etc. You can definitely provide your Purple Moscow guppy with a lifespan longer than 2 years, provided you ensure the optimal environment with proper care and assistance.
- Water requirements – Purpose Moscow guppies, aren’t more demanding when it comes to water requirements than regular guppies. The water temperature should revolve around 72 to 80 °F with a pH of 7.5 and water hardness of 10. Naturally, you should ensure zero levels of ammonia and nitrites. To maintain these parameters, I recommend changing the water at least twice per week. You may also need to change it more often if you’re into selective breeding and handling multiple guppies at once.
- The best tank size – Purple Moscow guppies may require more space to grow, which is why a 10-gallon tank is the minimum acceptable. If you’re performing selective breeding, I recommend aiming higher than that. A 20 or maybe 40-gallon, or even a 55-gallon tank would be even better, allowing you to have more fry in the same environment. A larger tank will provide Purple Moscow guppies with the space they need to remain active, energetic, and healthy.
- Compatible tank mates – You can keep Purple Moscow guppies with other fish species like swordtail, cory catfish, bristlenose pleco, or angelfish. I wouldn’t do it, however. While these are calm and peaceful fish that will pose no direct threat to your guppies, you need to consider the indirect risks. Your Purple Moscow guppies will be secure from a genetic perspective with strong immune systems and low risk of illness. Other species may not be so fortunate and can spread parasites and diseases that can kill your guppies. And knowing how expensive and precious Purple Moscow guppies are, that’s the last thing you want.
Conclusion
The Purple Moscow guppy is one of the most beautiful and exquisite fish you can get. Whether you’re into selective breeding or simply grow guppies as a hobby, you can’t not have several Purple Moscow specimens in your tank.
This article has provided you with extensive insight into the world of the Purple Moscow guppy. If you have any more questions about this guppy breed, go into the comment section below and ask away.
