The amount of time it takes for a guppy to give birth can vary greatly. The typical guppy gestation period ranges from 20 to 40 days.
The most common time period, however, is 22-26 days from conception, although it is impossible to tell exactly when a guppy became pregnant or is ready to give birth. The number of babies spawned during a single birth can also vary, with anywhere between 4 and 60 baby guppies born. Since guppies are livebearers, the babies are born free swimming rather than hatched from eggs like other types of fish. Because of the large number of babies produced, most breeders choose to contain them in a breeding net for their safety.