Do Guppies Sleep? Everything To Know!

Do guppy fish sleep? Are you confused about the sleep cycle of your guppy fish? Do you want to know how to aid your guppy fish in sleep? If you are curious about the answers to these questions, you are at the right place. Here we will discuss everything there is to discuss If guppies sleep or not and all relevant information as well.

Yes like all animals guppies also sleep. But we cannot notice them because they sleep when it is dark or when you turn off the aquarium or fish tank light.

This generates a question in our minds, “do guppy fish sleep?” Like most fish, guppies don’t have eyelids. For this reason, it leads one to assume that they don’t sleep but Guppy fish do in fact sleep. As you can see, guppies do sleep. While sleeping either they float to the top of their tanks or sleep next to the plants placed in the aquarium or float at the bottom of the tank. Due to their lack of eyelids, guppy fish sleep with their eyes open. Scientists also believe guppies sleep at night to conserve and replenish their energy. In this way, guppies are quite similar to both me and you. Ok, now that the main question in the back of your mind has been answered, let us dwell on further details.

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How Do Guppies Sleep?

Much like humans, guppy fish not only prefer to sleep at night but they also need to sleep 6-8 hours to feel energized. To conserve energy, they need to sleep. Guppies are diurnal fish. That means they sleep at night and are awake during the day like humans. If you were to buy guppy fish, you will not need to turn off the light at specific times. In my experience, you should go with the flow and, after sunset just dim any lights near the fish. However, to avoid algae, you must not keep lights on for the majority of the time when the guppy fish are not asleep. As a result of excessive lighting, algae will grow at alarming rates which could be harmful to the guppies. If you keep the lights off for about 10 hours or slightly more it will ensure that your puppy stays healthy and, not only that but the plants in your aquarium will grow properly. Now that you know how long guppy fish need to sleep, let us move on to how you can ensure your fish have the best sleep possible!

How To Help Your Guppies Sleep Better?

Sleep is extremely important for the growth of guppies. In my opinion, it is as important as food and perfect water conditions. You can do the following things to make sure your guppies get the sound sleep they deserve:

Restful Environment

Guppies prefer to sleep in the dark. Consequently, they often wake up as soon as you switch on any lights near them. To ensure a restful environment I installed an automatic timer that switches the lights on and off based on the sun setting and rising. You can do the same as well or just remember to dim the lights consistently.

Tank Mates

People tend to keep several types of fish in one tank. For instance, even you might have several types of fish in the same tank. If the guppies are sleeping and there is an aggressive fish type around them, they will keep the guppies up all night. Such fish will not let your guppies have a good night’s rest. Due to this, the health of your guppies could be at risk! So, you must always check what type of tank mates are compatible with guppies. Some examples include neon tetras, cherry shrimp, and even goldfish.

Hiding Places

Even if there are no aggressive tank mates or any threats to the guppies, they do not know this. Therefore, one must place several obstacles or ornaments meant for aquariums such as plants or rocks. These decorations will make your guppies feel safe which will allow them to get sound sleep.

Favorable Tank Conditions

You should keep the tank conditions in your mind when you buy guppy fish as favorable tank conditions will help your guppies sleep better. These parameters need to be met for the guppies to survive comfortably,

Water Temperature: 72°F to 82°F (22°C to 28°C)
Water pH: 6.8 to 7.8
Water Hardness (dGH): 8 to 12

It will be best if one makes their tank in such a way that it resembles their natural habitat. To clarify, doing this it will make the guppies feel safer and more secure. Also, the tank has to be quite large as guppy fish love to swim and are very active fish. You will enjoy having guppy fish as pets due to this very reason. Going back to the topic, water hardness and PH levels are also necessary and also should be taken into consideration.

Lighting is another Important Factor

It must not be overlooked as it affects the sleeping patterns of the guppies the most. Guppies should be in darkness for them to be able to sleep. They will wake up if any light is directed at them so one must make sure there is no direct light toward them when they are sleeping. The lighting might be as vital as nutrition is for the guppies’ health. Excessive lighting can be harmful as well so one must make sure that the guppies don’t get more than 10-12 hours’ worth of light as exposure. To clarify, more than 12 hours of light might affect their sleep cycle. Now let us see how you can determine if your guppy is sleeping.

How do You Know if Your Guppy is Sleeping?

If your guppies go still, it will most definitely mean they are asleep. Guppy fish rarely stay still when awake and can be seen zipping around. If your guppies are lying motionless at the top or bottom of the tank or in/around ornaments it means the guppies are sleeping. You will also notice that their breathing is slower than usual and their eyes are completely still. However, the information you have just read might confuse you if either your fish are sleeping or they are dead.

How do You Know if Your Guppy is Sleeping or Dead?

The biggest giveaway is that when you turn on the lights and your guppies have not moved and remain still. It means they have died. If your guppy fish are not moving their gills that means they are no longer breathing. If you scoop them out to confirm If they are alive or not and they don’t show any resistance then your guppy fish has died. If you notice your guppies floating motionless during the daytime, it means that they might have passed away. When guppies get sick their bodies get covered with white spots. If these spots are visible, you must immediately seek professional help before it is too late. However pregnant female guppies sleep during the day. You might be questioning is guppy fry, babies, sleep.

Let me answer your question Does Guppy Fry Sleep?

Yes, guppy fry does indeed sleep and, they will require the same amount of sleep as the adult guppies to develop correctly and quickly. Guppy fry act like adults, being active during the day and asleep during the night. However, if your guppies don’t get ample light in their growing stage, they will become sick and eventually die.

Do Guppies Sleep at the Bottom?

Yes. On several occasions, you can find your guppy fish sleeping at the bottom in the substrate, gravel, or plants. The reason could be that the tank’s base is safer and more secure for them and the bottom provides good support for the body so that they can conserve energy as guppy fish are very energetic and need to conserve as much energy as possible. If a guppy is either hiding from bullies or feeling stressed it will take refuge at the base of the tank.

The Bottom Line on Do Guppies Sleep?

Guppy fish resting or sleeping at night is nothing to worry about and is completely normal as guppy fish need darkness to sleep, much like humans, and require at least 6-8 hours of sleep to function properly. They don’t have eyelids so eye movement while sleeping is almost non-existent. Your guppy fish will like to sleep amongst the substrate and plants especially at the bottom however pregnant female guppies prefer to stay at the top of the tank. Sleep is essential to a guppy’s well-being and functioning as much as it is to humans. To ensure that your guppy fish gets ample amounts of sleep you must take into consideration the lighting condition, tank’s size and environment, water parameters, and whether the tank’s inhabitants are compatible with the guppy fish. If you do all these things, It will ensure that your guppies are safe enough to get ample amounts of sleep throughout the night.

Do Guppies Sleep? Everything To Know!