Since 2017, I have been writing about breeding guppies. Finally, I have a stock of select older breeders from 4 different “families” that are producing progeny worth selling. Members of the families are from different matings. To avoid inbreeding, none of the pairings are between full siblings. These guppies have a lifespan 2-3 times better than when I started, and in my humble opinion, are gorgeous. Granted, it is easy to talk about how great your guppies are, but will they do okay in the hands of others?? After selling my guppies to a local aquarium store, the owner praised them with the following comment, “Your guppies don’t die.” Below is a video of one breeder family (4 females and 3 males).
Author: Diana Walstad
I'm a former science researcher that keeps aquariums and likes to write books.
My Family History Book
I have now put the entire contents of my 2017 book Family History (1860-1950) of a Doctor’s Daughter onto this website. (See the ‘Family History’ page.) Photo shows my dad with me and his ship the SS Monterey. He was on his way to bring Australian “war brides” to their G.I. husbands in America. The family stories are given depth by weaving them with relevant historical events, heros, and heroines. Take a look!
New Book!
Announcing the publication of my new book: Aquarium Fish Reproduction. Scientific Studies of Guppies and Other Fish (2025). The paperback is now “live” on Amazon.com. (Should have an eBook version within a month.) Description below:
“Reference book for aquarium fish breeding. Recent studies using genotyping, mate choice tests, and artificial insemination have revealed exciting new insights into fish reproduction. This full-color book describes the nuances of fish mating behavior, such as mate choice copying, habituation, rare male advantage, and cryptic female choice. Hobbyists learn how to balance the perils and benefits of both inbreeding and outcrossing. Book material is supported by hundreds of citations to scientific papers. Author provides simple, easy-to-understand explanations for complex, scientific concepts and includes her own experiences as a long-time breeder of guppies and other aquarium fish.”
Outcrossing Guppies: The Rare Male Advantage
My new article ‘Outcrossing: The Rare Male Advantage’ discusses how the female guppy’s decided preference for novel males can help in outcrossing. Females quickly turn over paternity to new males rather than stored sperm from familiar males. Article discusses my successful outcrosses and the impressive scientific and experimental basis for the ‘The Rare Male Advantage’ in guppies. This subject has widespread implications for evolution, speciation, and maintaining genetic heterozygosity in natural populations.
Video on Small Bowl Setup
Small bowls are a simple, inexpensive way of keeping aquarium plants and moving on to bigger things. A YouTube video (‘The Simplest Planted Aquarium With Diana Walstad’) shows the setup of 1-gal and 5-gal planted bowls. Lisa and John Hudson of KGTropicals (keepfishkeeping.com) made this happen. Video is a fantastic learning piece for those of you rightly intimidated by setting up aquascaped tanks, using soil in aquariums, or maintaining high-tech tanks. Photo shows me and Lisa with our bowls. She’s got the bigger one, but I’ve got three little ones. Not surprisingly, all bowls are doing great since setup!
Diana Walstad's Books and Articles 