guppie.au — premium guppy breeders in Australia guppie.au

Dragon guppies: how we keep lines strong and stable

Line-breeding notes, culling strategy, and how to keep metallic scaling clean over generations.

Guides
1 min read

Dragon guppies shine when metallic scales stay clean and the tail stays proportional. Here’s how we manage our lines.

Pairing strategy

  • Keep pairs tight: select 1–2 trios with the best body lines and tail balance.
  • Refresh every 4–5 generations: outcross with a compatible dragon line to avoid weak spines.
  • Don’t chase size alone: oversized tails slow fish and reduce fertility.

Culling for quality

  • Remove bent spines, clamped fins, or faded metallic scaling early.
  • Keep only even colour blocks; random speckling signals drift in the line.
  • Observe at 8–10 weeks under white light to judge true metallic quality.

Water and feeding habits

Stable KH (3–5 dKH), 24–25°C, and light but frequent feeding keep fins intact. Overfeeding pushes growth but softens finnage; moderate is better for long-term line health.