Who arrived: the guppy identity page
A guppy record starts with individuals, even in a small group. Note how many males and females came home, the tail shape and colour pattern of each male, and the strain name if the shop gave one. Photograph the group in the bag or acclimation container and again once settled, because fin nipping and colour loss show up by comparison. Add the source and the date, and record any guppy that arrived thin, clamped, or hiding, so a problem in week two can be checked against how that fish looked on arrival rather than a hopeful memory.
Setup facts that shape a guppy colony
Write down tank volume, heater setting and actual temperature, filter type, and whether the outflow is baffled for smaller fish. Guppies favour warm, harder, more alkaline water than many community fish, so log pH and, if you test it, hardness alongside ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate at setup. List every tank mate by species and number, and note planted or open areas, because cover changes how females cope with male attention. When you change the heater, swap the filter, or add a species, date that entry — guppy losses often follow a change by days, and the log reveals the sequence.
Breeding and fry lines to keep from the start
Because guppies are livebearers, a colony record needs a breeding section from the first week, not after fry surprise you. Note any female who arrives already rounded, the date fry first appear, roughly how many you see, and where they were moved, left, or rehomed. Track which females produce fry and how often, and record fry losses or bent spines and stunted juveniles when they occur. This running account prevents accidental overstocking, shows whether one male dominates breeding, and gives a future keeper an honest picture of how fast this particular group multiplies.
Feeding and everyday health observations
Log the staple food type, any live or frozen offerings, how many feedings a day, and whether all guppies rise to eat or some hang back. Note shimmying, flashing against decor, frayed tails, white spots, or a female isolating herself, each with a date and what the water tests showed that day. Guppies decline quickly in soft, acidic, or dirty water, so pairing a symptom line with that day's numbers matters more than either alone. If several guppies stop feeding, show laboured breathing, or die in quick succession, seek aquatic veterinary advice promptly with the log in hand.
A guppy file that survives a handover
Guppy groups change hands often — fry go to friends, a colony moves to a bigger tank, a keeper downsizes — and the record should travel with the fish. Keep the identity page, water history, and breeding lines together, back them up, and update the headcount whenever fish arrive or leave so the file never describes a colony that no longer exists. Add the names of anyone who has taken fry, which helps if questions about strain or health arise later. Holding the whole guppy file in KinsLe as a Pet Passport keeps those records together in one portable packet for vet visits, rehoming, and tank upgrades.