Why Does My Guppy Keep Hiding? {All Hiding Spaces Explored}

Many people that keep guppies as a pet usually expect it to play around in the aquarium, but often get surprised when they see them hiding.

Why does my guppy keep hiding? Some guppies can be found hiding under pebbles, some hide in the corner of the tank.

In this article, we’ll explore hiding spaces and find out why does my guppy keep hiding?

Why Does My Guppy Keep Hiding?

The most likely cause of guppies hiding is be because of:

  • stress
  • sickness
  • aggressive tank mates
  • presence of ammonia in the tank
  • unfavourable temperature
  • female guppy in labour
  • environmental adaptation of the new guppy to its aquarium 

Addressing each issue takes time, patience and adjustment for you as the manager of this ecosystem. Read on to find out what you can do.

Guppy Keep Hiding

Male Guppies Hiding

Male guppies are sometimes seen to hide in various parts of the tank-like:

  • under pebbles
  • at the corner
  • top of the aquarium tank

They tend to hide due to a lot of reasons, particularly if they feel:

  • threatened
  • bullied
  • stress
  • sickness
  • poor water conditions

One of the major reasons why guppy can feel threatened or bullied is the presence of more aggressive species in the aquarium tank.

Guppies are peaceful species, and only find it easy to get along with a wide range of species except for the aggressive species.

These factors can affect and limit the activeness of guppies, making them picking a suitable spot for them to hide until all these factors and conditions are favourable.

Female Guppies Hiding

If you see a female guppy hiding, you might need to pay special attention. One of the major factors that can make female guppies hide is improper male to female ratio.

Male guppies are aggressive when it comes to mating. They mate at any chance they get. The male guppies particularly chase down female guppies to mate.

The female guppies can grow stressed as a result and try to hide from the males. Likewise, female guppies can also hide in the corner of a tank or hide between plants if they are:

  • pregnant 
  • in labour
  • ready to give birth to fry

Although hiding alone is not enough reason to conclude that your female guppy is pregnant or in labour. It might be a huge indication.

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Do Guppies Need Hiding Places?

Yes. You must have spaces set up in the tank for guppies and other fish to rest and relax. They do not wish to be in traffic or out in the open all day and night. These spaces help control stress and they can liven up your aquarium as well. Guppies need to hide to feel:

  • Safe
  • Comfortable
  • Less stress
  • Encourage mating
  • Help with spawning fry
  • Keep away from larger fish
  • Keep females away from too many males

Planted areas can also add more oxygen to the tank while mimicking their natural habitat where guppies swim in, out and around roots, stems and leaves.

Why Is My Guppy Hiding Behind the Filter?

When the water current is flowing too strong, guppies seek a place to hide. They may look for the first spot that is calmer than the rest of the water column.

The filter area is a good hiding spot for them, but slightly dangerous because they could get sucked in or hurt. Several other reasons why guppies hide behind the filter include:

  • bad water quality
  • overcrowded tank
  • aggressive tankmates

What You Can Do

  1. Start with setting a milder water current.
  2. Check water parameters with a test kit.
  3. Create a more stress free space by managing the bullies and overall spaciousness of the tank.
  4. Add more planted areas to encourage a new place to relax instead of hanging out behind the filter.

Why Guppy Hiding at Bottom of Tank?

The bottom of the tank is where there is some peace and quiet. This is especially the case when there are boisterous and active fish swimming around the top or middle of the tank.

Allowing your guppy fish to explore the entire tank is best, but what if they do not want to come up again. Check for:
pregnancy

  • illness
  • overstocking issues
  • water quality problems
  • stress

Once you have gone through this list of possible answers, you may find your guppies wishing to return to the rest of then tank above.

Why Is My Guppy Hiding in the Plants?

Plants would be my favorite place to hide as well if I was a guppy. Truthfully, plants provide the best hiding space because they can camouflage parts of the guppy’s body.

They provide oxygen as well. Plants mimic the wild and give guppies more comfort than being out in the open. Encourage your guppies to come out from the plants by introducing a variety of new foods and treats.

Create more space around the plants aby redecorating and separating any bullies who are stressing them which may be causing them to hide in the first place.

Finally, always check your water quality because this is the main reason why fish stop swimming.

Conclusion

Aside from the female guppies that hide as a result of pregnancy or in the process of giving birth to fry, guppy hiding with be an indication that something is wrong.

You might need to pay attention to the health of the guppy, environmental conditions. Also, monitor behavioural patterns and aggressiveness of other members of the aquarium if your guppy keeps hiding.

 

Thanks for visiting HelpUsFish.com for this article on Guppies. We have plenty more informative articles for your interest. Check out our home page and search bar for hundreds of more selections that could benefit you and your aquatic life. Bye for now!

jbarr3tt1979

Hello, I'm Jason. I'm the guy behind HelpUsFish.com. I volunteer at my local fish shop and I created this site to offer tips and advice on the fish I care for.

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