What Fish Can Live With Guppies?

Fish that can live with guppies are ones that share the same peaceful temperament and that have the same preferences regarding living conditions and diet, such as swordtails, platies, mollies, cory catfish, honey gouramis, and bristlenose plecos. 

Guppies are a fairly common starting point for those who are new to keeping aquariums. If you’re looking to add more diversity to your mini underwater world, you may be wondering, “What fish can live with guppies?”

When choosing tank mates for your guppies, you must take their size into consideration. Fish that are significantly different in size can mistake each other for food.

With that in mind, which fish will make good companions for your guppies? Read on to find out.

What Fish Can Live With Guppies? Compatibility Criteria

When deciding on the fish to add to your guppies’ ecosystem, you should keep their comfort in mind. Fish that will potentially subject your guppies to stress in the form of injuries, bullying, or overall environmental discomfort should be out of the equation.

A major aspect to consider is the preferences of the fish you’re introducing with regard to water conditions, and whether those preferences are in line with those of your guppies.

Other factors that determine what fish can live with guppies are:

• The temperament of the fish and whether it goes hand in hand with guppies’ peaceful demeanor.
• If the fish have known behavioral issues. If they do, are these issues easy to deal with?
• The fish’s size relative to guppies. Fish that are much larger may eat your guppies, and those that are much smaller may be eaten by them.
• Are the fish’s diets compatible with that of guppies?

6 Suitable Tank Mates for Guppies

Here are six of the best fish species that would make excellent tank mates with your guppies:

Platy Fish

Platies’ peaceful personalities make them highly compatible with guppies. Their diets are similar to guppies, consisting of mosquito larvae, fruit flies, flake food, and freeze-dried bloodworms.

Also, if you don’t have much experience when it comes to caring for fish, platies are an excellent choice due to their low maintenance.

Another plus is that they also co-exist just fine with the same fish that guppies can share a tank with, making the further diversification of your aquarium an easier task.

Molly Fish

Molly fish’s preferred water conditions match up perfectly with those of guppies. The live-bearing fish’s diverse, omnivorous diet is also a great match with that of guppies.

Just like platies, this species doesn’t require much in terms of maintenance and upkeep, which makes it another option to consider for novices in the art of freshwater aquariums.

Check out this video of a 55-gallon fish tank that contains guppies, mollies, and platies living in harmony.

Swordtails

Swordtail fish have an uncanny ability to adapt to their surroundings. They’ll have no issues thriving in guppies’ preferred water conditions. They’re pretty simple and easy to care for too.

Also, their vibrantly colorful aesthetic and their distinctive sword-shaped tails are sure to add some flair to your fish tank.

Swordtails generally have a laid-back demeanor, but males of the species have been known to act with aggression occasionally, so this is something to look out for.

Cory Catfish

Cory catfish are also a great match for your guppies and can co-exist with them like peanut butter and jelly.

These laid-back but active fish will be constantly zooming around your tank searching for uneaten particles, making the job of cleaning the tank a tad easier for you.

One thing to note if you decide to add cory catfish to your aquarium is that you need to ensure your tank is big enough. This is because these fish prefer to live in groups of four or more.

Honey Gouramis

For more well-versed fish aquarium keepers, honey gouramis are an excellent option.

Their passive demeanor makes them well-suited to be guppies’ tank mates. However, there are several accommodations that need to be made for them.

Since they live in groups of up to six, your tank must be spacious enough to allow them to live comfortably.

Also, you need to make sure your tank has adequate hiding spots and shade in order to mirror these fish’s habitat.

Bristlenose Plecos

True to their moniker, these fish will give your mini aquatic world a distinct character with their alien-like tentacles.

Bristlenose plecos have a peaceful personality, and they’re also bottom feeders. They’ll be spending most of their time at the base of your tank, feeding on algae.

Since guppies are mid-dwellers, there won’t be much interaction between the two species within your tank.

3 Fish You Should Not Introduce to Your Guppy Tank

There are certain species that would clash with your guppies and make their lives stressful and difficult.

Here are some fish you should never put with guppies:

Angelfish

The main issue here is that angelfish tend to grow large, significantly larger than guppies. This can possibly lead to them mistaking your guppies as their lunch.

If you do add angelfish to your guppy tank, expect your guppies to frequently disappear!

Cichlids

The demeanor of cichlids is simply too confrontational for them to be able to coexist peacefully with guppies. They’re swift and hostile, so your guppies are likely to end up as their prey.

Goldfish

Goldfish are incompatible with guppies due to several reasons. One of those reasons is that larger species of goldfish can and will eat guppies.

Another reason is that goldfish like their water at a lower temperature than guppies do, making this union inevitably uncomfortable for one of the parties.

They also produce significantly more waste than guppies are used to in their environment, which can be harmful to them.

Wrapping Up

When choosing your guppies’ aquarium companions, the most important factors to consider are their demeanor, size, living condition preferences, and diet.

Make sure that they’re compatible with guppies in each one of these aspects. Species such as mollies, platies, and cory catfish are perfect options for inexperienced aquarium owners due to their low-maintenance nature.

For more experienced aquarium keepers, honey gouramis are an excellent choice.