Red Dragon Guppy
Deep crimson mosaic scales — the dragon of the guppy world.
The Red Dragon Guppy is covered head to tail in dense crimson scales edged with darker dragon-style mosaic, giving it a lacquered, almost metallic look. It is one of the richest red strains in the hobby and holds its color even in modest lighting. A hardy, peaceful livebearer that eats from your hand within days and colors up fully by adulthood.
Reference image — cultivar may vary.Imagen de referencia — el cultivar puede variar.
Photo: Foto: Representative product image
What it needs to thrive
- Lighting
- Low to moderate. Floating plants and darker substrate help these fish display their best color.
- Flow
- Gentle to moderate with open swimming room and planted cover along the edges.
- Feeding
- Small quality flakes or micro pellets daily, supplemented with frozen baby brine shrimp, daphnia, or bloodworms.
- Temperament
- Peaceful schooling fish. Keep at least 6, with 8 or more preferred for natural behavior.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ideal Tank Size
- 10 gallons and up for a small group.
- Water Parameters
- 72–82°F · pH 7.0–8.2 · moderately hard to hard water · 0 ammonia / 0 nitrite
Upper and midwater in community and planted aquariums. Provide planted margins and a secure lid.
Very peaceful. Keep one male per two or three females, or a males-only group for maximum color without fry.
Quarantine, dip, and acclimation
Quarantine
Hold all new fish in a bare-bottom 10–20 gallon QT for a minimum of 4 weeks. Observe for flashing, clamped fins, white spots, or breathing changes. Treat preventatively with copper (1.75–2.5 ppm chelated) or tank-transfer method for ich, plus a praziquantel course for flukes. Invertebrates and corals skip QT but go through dip and observation instead.
Recommended coral dip
For every new coral: a 5–10 minute bath in your reef-safe dip of choice (Bayer Complete, CoralRx, or Reef Primer) following label dosage, followed by two clean saltwater rinses. Inspect plugs and bases for flatworms, pyramid snails, and eggs — remove or refrag onto clean plugs before placing in display.
Acclimation
Float sealed bags in your QT or display for 15 minutes to match temperature. Then drip acclimate at 2–4 drops per second for 45–60 minutes until volume has tripled. Net livestock into the tank — never pour shipping water in. Dim the lights for the first 24 hours to reduce stress.
