Why Is My Male Guppy Chasing Female Guppy?

Written by John Sawyer in Fish Species,Guppy

Guppy fish are peaceful fish and do great in a community tank with other compatible tankmates. But sometimes, they show some behavior which becomes a matter of concern of which one is chasing.

Many aquarists encounter this guppy fish behavior, male guppy constantly chasing female guppy. So let us find out why my male guppy is chasing female guppy?

Male guppy fish chase female guppy fish for mating with them. However, female guppies come under stress because of the constant chasing of male guppies. Consider adding male and female guppies in a ratio of 1:2 so that the stress gets distributed among female guppies, and they get time to calm down.

This article will discuss the effects of male guppy chasing on female guppy. So, let us get into it.

My male guppy is chasing my female guppy.

The primary reason for male guppy chasing female guppy is male guppy is trying to mate with a female guppy.

Male guppy usually constantly chases female guppy for mating.

Male guppies try to mate with female guppy by displaying their attractive colors or by chasing and nipping the female guppies’ fin.

Female guppies are choosy when it comes to mating with a male guppy.

Female guppies want to mate with more attractive and powerful guppy to ensure their good offspring.

So, when the female guppy rejects the male guppy for mating, the chase starts.

Usually, female guppies don’t remain still when male guppy tries to mate with her, resulting in chasing.

How does the female guppy gets affected by the male guppy’s constant chasing?

When male guppy chases female guppy constantly, female guppy comes under stress.

Stress can affect your female guppy in many ways:

  1. Your female guppy will lose its appetite.
  2. Your female guppy will hide almost all of the time.
  3. Over time your female guppy will be weak and can pass away.

Your female guppy will avoid eating their meal because of being constantly chased by the male guppy.

The female guppy will not even get the time to eat when chased by the male guppy.

Your female guppy will also become aggressive because of constantly being chased by male guppy.

They will also show hiding behavior. Female guppy will try to hide to prevent itself from male guppy chasing. 

You must know that guppy being under stress for a long time will be prone to various diseases and parasites.

Your female guppy will regularly be under stress because of the constant chasing of male guppy. 

And because of this, female guppies will be prone to various diseases.

Also, they can be prone to various diseases and parasites because of getting nipped by male guppy for mating. 

Not only do female guppies get affected because of male guppy chasing, but male guppies also get affected.

Chasing will not only affect female guppy but will also affect male guppy.

The study has found that male guppies who keep constant chasing have a shorter lifespan than other guppies.

Adult male guppies are primarily affected by constantly chasing female guppies.

So, preventing such behavior is also essential for a male guppy.

Also read: What To Do If My Guppy Is Stressed?

How can we prevent male guppy from constantly chasing female guppy?

We cannot prevent such chasing behavior of male guppies because it is their mating behavior.

But, we can make sure that the male guppies are not constantly chasing one female guppy.

You have to maintain the male and female guppy ratio in your guppies aquarium to do this.

Consider keeping guppies in a ratio of 1:2, which means one male guppy and two female guppies.

You can also keep one male guppy and three female guppies.

This way, one particular female guppy will not get all the chasing of male guppy, and stress will also get distributed among all female guppies.

You should also consider creating hiding spots for your female guppy.

Creating hiding spots will help female guppy to exit the direct sight of male guppy, and your female guppy will get some time to relax.

Now, when it comes to creating hiding spots for your guppies, you have many options available.

The best option is adding lots of live aquatic plants to your guppies aquarium.

You can add lots of live aquatic plants to your guppies aquarium to create a great hiding spot for your guppy fish.

Live aquatic plants will help you create hiding spots and make sure to keep your guppy’s aquarium water clean.

Live plants will also increase the oxygen level of your guppies aquarium.

These are some best plants for your guppy fish:

  1. Java fern
  2. Java moss
  3. Water sprite
  4. Duckweed
  5. Flame moss

There are many other options you can go for to create hiding spots in your guppies aquarium:

  1. Adding driftwood
  2. Adding aquarium rock
  3. Adding aquarium decor
  4. Adding terra cotta pots

Creating lots of hiding places will help your guppy calm down when they get stressed for various reasons. 

Also read: Do Guppies Need Hiding Places?

Conclusion:

Male guppy fish usually chase female guppy fish for mating with them.

Male guppy shows their attractive color to attract female guppy.

Female guppies are choosy when it comes to mating as they want to mate with colorful and strong male guppy for their good offspring.

The chasing starts when the female guppy rejects the male guppy for mating.

Female guppies come under stress because of male guppies’ constant chasing and nipping.

Consider adding more female guppy than male guppy so that the stress because of chasing gets distributed, and every female guppy gets time to calm down.

Reference: OXFORD, PNAS, ResearchGate, JSTOR, Journals

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