Highbreed Guppies
by Oemer Guelmez

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY

Although there are many Aquarists in Europe who breed Guppies, you will find most of them living in Germany. The reason is that the Guppies reached Germany very long time ago and Germany has a long tradition in breeding Guppies. The first live Guppies reached Germany in the middle of December 1908 !  One of Germany's most famous importers ot these days, Mr. Carl Siggelkow from Hamburg, imported 25 Guppies from La Guayra a port-town near Caracas (Venezuela). A problem was, that the first import included only 3 males. These males had a total size of 22mm and their main color was greenish-yellow. Some black spots and stripes could be found on the body. Furthermore there was some red and blue in the back of the body near the caudal.It should not take long and some days before Christmas the first 12 Guppies were born in Germany. Very soon some articles about this fantastic fish were published in German magazines. From this time the Guppies started to win the heart and the interest of the fishbreeders in Germany.  Lots of imports followed and just in one year (1909) three new populations from Barbados, Venezuela and Trinidad were coming to Germany. These fish were spread all over Germany and the breeders started to multiply them.

1910 a tropical fish club in Leipzig, made the first Guppy-show in Germany ever. The aim was to introduce the different import - variation to the people. In the following years lots of articles were published which all included descriptions of new developments .
 

Already in 1920, a fish club in Germany developed the first kind of pointsystem which was ever made. This system included 50 points which could be reached. But people could not imagine what should happen a lot of years after that. This first pointsystem was used by a lot of local clubs all over Germany until the early thirties.

About a first true developed Doublesword-Guppy, information go back to 1928. The early thirties were the years were the „Gold-Guppy'' appeared (in Japan called Tiger). Experts already discussed in these years who was the first breeder. Sure is only that he appeared somewhere between 1925 and 1932. During the second world-war (1941) people tried to keep the hobby alive and organized in Berlin a show. For this show a new pointsystem was created which based on 100 points. The show was not done because of the war.

After the war, 1950, the first Albino-Guppies came to Germany from New York. The first international Guppy-show in Germany took place 1954. This was the year and place were Mr. Paul Hähnel an american born in Dresden (Germany) gave the whole Guppy-scene a new breeding-direction. He showed the first „Veil tail" (Fächer) Guppies in such a perfect way nobody had seen before. He got the title „Guppy-King of the old and new world".

1981 the European clubs came together to find a new way to work international together. They created an international organization were all Guppyclubs around the world could join in. And also they created a Highbreeding standard to judge europewide in a similar way, it was necessary to have an international-standard. Until 1981 each country used his own standard.

Now the contacts between the Guppybreeders and Guppyclubs all over the world are getting stronger and stronger. 1995 German Guppybreeders visited the American breeders in Milwaukee and Chicago and took part at an IFGA-Show. 1996 the contact to Japan was activated. German Guppy breeders took part on the first „World Guppy Contest" in Japan. About 100 pairs of German Guppies were exhibit on the show. The next World Guppy Contest will be in Germany at the end of August. Japanese, American and European breeders will take part at this big contest. Still every country is using his own standard for the judging. But the aim for the future is to find a way to create a new Guppy standard.

CONTEST AND JUDGING
 

It is very simple to take part at an European Guppy-Contest. Every Guppy (it doesn't matter what color) can participate at a contest (even if it is an American, Japanese or any other Guppy). In Europe we usually do not judge a pair of Guppies, only trios (this means 3 males from the same strain). So the breeder has to send three Guppies from the same strain to the show (of course he can also send more Guppies, if a fish dies during the transport). A breeder can show as much different trios at the show like he wants.  After the show, all fish will be getting property of the hosting club (special rules can be set up by the club). Of course the auction is held on the last day of the show. The owner of the fish usually gets 80 % of the price from the auction, the host club 20 %. You cand send your fish directly to the show manager (mostly the president of the club), or give them to a person who brings them personally to the contest.

When the fish arrive at the show, the boxes are opened and the judge is putting the fish in the correct GROUP (class). The judge is looking at 3 important characteristics: the STANDARD, the BASIC COLOUR and the COLOUR OF THE BODY and CAUDAL. Every trio is getting a „Code-Nr.". At first the judge is looking at the „standard" (the form of the caudal and the dorsal). There are 12 standards in Europe:

1. Fächerschwanz

2. Triangelschwanz

3. Schleierschwanz

4. Fahnenschwanz

5. Doppelschwert

6. Obenschwert

7. Untenschwert

8. Leierschwanz

9. Spatenschwanz

10. Speerschwanz

11. Rundschwanz

12. Nadelschwanz

The next step is to look at the basic color. There are 9 basic colors which are known in Europe.

1. Grey

2. Gold (in Japan it is called Tiger)

3. Blond (in Japan it is called Gold)

4. Blue

5. Pink

6. Albino

7. White

8. Silver

9. Creme

Finally the judge is looking at the color of the body and the caudal (body color / caudal color).. At the moment there are 12 different color groups in Europe.

1. red / of one color

2. red / multicolor

3. blue / of one color

4. blue / multicolor

5. of one color / any other color

6. multicolor

7. ½ and ¾ black / of one color

8. ½ and ¾ black / multicolor

9. snakeskin-filigran

10. Vienna Emerald

11. metall, Moscow or something similar

12. no color

Which Code-Nr. would a grey deltatail halfblack white Guppy get ? The deltatail halfblack white is obviously a Triangleschwanz with basic color grey, ½ black body color and has a one color caudal (white). The complete Code-Nr. is 2-1-7.

Now the judging of the Guppy begins. 4 to 5 Judges are judging every trio. Most shows in Europe have about 200 entries every time, so it takes some hours to judge all trios.

The goal for the breeder is to reach 100 points. The European Point System looks like this:

EUROPEAN POINT SYSTEM
 

	LENGTH	SHAPE	COLOUR	POINTS
Body	8	8	12	28
Dorsal	5	8	10	23
Caudal	10	20	14	44
Vitality				5

Total =100

(Female Guppies are judged in an extra class. They get no points, only a classification like „very good", „good", „adequate", etc.)

Although there is not enough space for covering the whole judgement, I want to mention some important points as an example. Of course the shape of the body, dorsal and the caudal should be exactly like the drawing. The minimum length of the body should be 26mm. If the body is to short you loose some points in that category. Also if the shape of the caudal or dorsal is not exactly like in the drawings of the different standards you loose points. For example: if the caudal of your delta-tail has round edges, you loose 2 points in the category „caudal-shape". Or if the spread of the caudal is under 70 degress, you loose points. Also the body of your fish must be covered 100% with color. If your fish is only covered to 50 %, you loose 7 points in the category „body-color". After the show the breeder gets a document (diplom) for taking part at the contest and a ranking list. The entry with the highest number of points and the winners in the different standards get a document and a nice cup (if at least 75 points are reached).

Also there is enough time after the judging to have some talk with famous breeders and visiting some breeding rooms. Everybody can join the European Championship (it doesn't matter which country, which club, etc.). Individual Guppy breeders as well as breeder groups are entitled to participate. Also breeder who are not member of a club can enter the contest.

The breeder has to show his fish at least on three shows, if he wants to win the European Championship. On every show the breeder can exhibit different strains. You can attend all international shows, but only your three top scores are added together. The breeder who achieved the most total points after the last show is the winner.

THE BREEDING

You saw a nice Guppy on a photo ? You can't forget the beautiful colours of the Guppy ? And now you want to start breeding Guppies on your own ?

Well, ask yourself about your aim. Maybe you only want to have some nice coloured Guppies in your community tank, or you want to multiply them ? Maybe you even want to create new colours ?

You should contact a Guppyclub and tell them about your aim. The breeders of a Guppyclub can help you to find out which is the best way for you to start with the breeding of fancy Guppies.

Even if you only know little about the breeding, the different colours, the genetic, etc., they will help a you to make a good start !

If you really want to enjoy HIGHBREED Guppies for a long time, you must put some work in keeping them and have patience for this special hobby.