Guppies are one of the most versatile and vibrant freshwater fish. They need very little care, so they are one of the best fish for beginner aquarists. It is recommended to have either males or females guppies in the tank because they breed in abundance. They are very social creatures and comfortably adjust with other fish species. So, if you want to keep different species with these sweet little guppies, you can easily do that.
In this article, we will list out some of the species that can live comfortably with guppies. And these species also enjoy the company, by sharing the same aquarium.
Table of Contents
Best Guppy Tank Mates
The following are some specific species that can live with guppies very friendly and comfortably:
Swordtails
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Very Easy
Swordtails are also one of the most friendly fish. They can live in any of the water conditions. Like guppies, Swordtails are also live-bearing fish. As the name suggests, they have a long sword-shaped fin at their bottom part. They have an attractive and vibrant eyecatching color, so their presence adds uniqueness to your aquarium. Swordtails are available in a variety of green and red shades.
Swordtails require very little care. Therefore it is easy to keep Swordtails along with guppies. Swordtails are very social fish and like to live in groups. Like guppies, they are omnivorous and eat flake food, brine shrimp, and daphnia, etc. fondly.
Swordtails are very active fish that love to jump, so you must cover the tank to protect them from jumping out of the tank.
In case you are a beginner and want to gain experience with fishes, Swordtails with guppies are the best choice for you.
Mollies
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Very Easy
Mollies are one of the best companions of guppies because they possess similar characteristics to that of guppies. They can live comfortably in freshwater as well as in saltwater tanks. Mollies are live-bearing species like guppies. They are also hardy and require very little care.
Mollies are community-friendly, so they enjoy in groups. They are not so much food-loving. They can eat anything like frozen, live food, and vegetables, etc.
In fact, Mollies are the best aquatic friends of guppies, and they enjoy each others’ company very well. Mollies are very peaceful and also have a very adjusting temperament.
Platies
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Very Easy
Platies are also one of the perfect choices as a companion of guppies. They are also live-bearing fishes and very rich in breeding like guppies. Platies are very beautiful as they are available in various attractive colors and shades like Swordtails. They can comfortably live in any water condition.
They can live happily and joyfully with many species like Swordtail, Mollies, and Guppies. Platies are peaceful and are community-friendly. Like guppies, they also eat frozen live food, flake food, dried food, worms, larvae, and fruit-flies.
If you are a new aquarist, Platies with Guppies are the perfect choice for you. They need very little care, and that too with almost no demand. The color combinations of both the fishes create a vibrant surrounding around your aquarium.
Cory Catfish
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Very Easy
The Cory Catfish require very little care. They are very peaceful and friendly, so you can easily keep them with your little guppies. They may vary in color and size, but they look attractive in every shape and shade. The Cory Catfish is a freshwater fish, so you need to take care of it.
Cory Catfish are bottom dwellers, and their fins are very delicate. Therefore, it is suggestable to keep sand substrate instead of gravel substrate. You can keep Cory Catfish with guppies along with other freshwater species very easily.
The Cory Catfish have scavenging behavior. In general, they eat leftover food at the bottom of the tank and spread the muck and algae inside the tank. To protect your tank from this filthy condition, you must include other scavengers like shrimp, snails, and some more in your aquarium.
Harlequin Rasboras
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Very Easy
The Harlequin Rasboras are one of the easiest handling species that live under freshwater. The Rasboras are community-friendly species. They can live with other freshwater species like Guppies, Cory Catfish, etc.
The Harlequin Rasboras have an attractive copper-red color body. A triangle-shaped patch at the end of the body highlights this color. As they have schooling behavior, they prefer the company of their species. It is recommendable to keep at least 8-10 Rasboras together in a tank to keep them comfortable. If you have only two or three Rasboras in your fish tank, they feel stressed and become timid.
The Harlequins are one of the best companions for guppies and similar kinds of freshwater species. They are middle dwellers as guppies, but you will never see any behavioral issues among them. Their food habits are simple. They are not very demanding, but combinations of all foods like frozen, dried, and flake, etc. are suitable for Harlequins’ growth and development.
Bristlenose Pleco
- Required Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Full
- Required Care Level: Easy
The peaceful temperament of the Bristlenose Plecos makes them excellent companions of guppies. Their unique appearance makes them stand out among all species. Plecos are bottom dwellers. They love to eat algae, so they help clean the tank effortlessly. They do not come in the guppies’ way in the movement as guppies are mid-dwellers.
They hide in various spots like caves, roots, and aquatic plants. Plecos search in the substrate for the food and love to eat herbivore diet. They like to eat any vegetable food like granules, spirulina- wafers, lettuce, zucchini, besides eating algae and leftover food in the substrate.
Bristlenose Plecos are one of the perfect species to keep with the guppies easily. They are one of the advisable species for beginners. These undemanding species which requires very little care are a good choice for your fish tank.
Cardinal Tetra
- Required Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: They can eat guppy fry
- Required Care Level: Moderate
Cardinal tetras are one of the most colorful and lively species that are very easy to keep in any fish tank. They have schooling behavior, so it is better to keep 6-7 Tetras together. The bright red and iridescent blue line makes the Cardinal Tetras very attractive.
Tetras are freshwater and community-friendly fish so, they are the best tank mates of Guppies. Although they are friendly to guppies, they can eat guppy fries. If you plan to keep Tetras with pregnant guppies, ensure enough hiding spots for the fry in your fish tank to keep the fries safe.
Cardinal Tetras are not demanding species at all. They can take any food such as flake or frozen food, live food, etc. Breeding of Cardinal Tetras, however, is not so easy. These fries require a perfect environment with a separate breeding tank for successful breeding.
Honey Gouramis
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Good
- Required Care Level: Hard
Honey Gouramis are one of the perfect tank mates of guppies. They are high-maintenance species that require extra care, so they are a perfect choice for expert aquarists.
Because they are schooling fishes, they must be kept in a group of a minimum of 4 to 5. They are very social and feel comfortable in their community. As they always move in groups, the tank must be spacious enough for easy movement. Goramies are timid species. They love to hide, so the fish tank must have enough hiding places for them. To have floating plants in the tank is a good idea to create a natural shelter for them to thrive. Gouramis have an adjustable temperament that makes them a good companion for guppies. They have no specific food choice. They can eat any food such as frozen, flakes, or live food.
Nerite Snails
- Required Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Excellent as algae cleaner
- Required Care Level: Easy
Nerite Snails are very popular freshwater snails. Handling this species is easy. Therefore, they can be nurtured to befriend guppies. As Nerites love to eat algae, they can keep the tank completely clean and you need not worry about cleaning the algae in the tank in their presence.
Nerite needs salt water to breed, so no precautions are required to avoid breeding. Nerite Snails with Amano Shrimps make a combination of a perfect tank cleaning crew.
Nerite Snails can adjust to any water condition. They live happily in the planted aquarium. Whenever you purchase these species, always check that they are free from any cracks, nicks, or scratches. Select active snails that stick to the glass. Avoid selecting inactive snails those lie motionless at the bottom.
Red Cherry Shrimp
- Required Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: To some extent
- Required Care Level: Moderate
If you are not particular about keeping only fishes with your guppies, then Red Cherry Shrimps are an excellent add-on species to your aquarium. They are attractive and can be a good friend of guppies. They breed very quickly and are comfortable interacting with their species. Generally, little shrimps are considered good fish food, but guppies are an exception.
Red Cherry Shrimps are omnivorous. Therefore, they can eat both vegetables and flakes or frozen food. In vegetables, they like boiled leafy vegetables like lettuce or spinach. The Red Shrimps are an excellent choice for beginners.
If you decide to keep the shrimps with guppies, you have to build various hiding places in the aquarium. Also, remember never to starve guppies. Otherwise, these shrimps will become delicious food for your guppies.
African Dwarf Frog
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: No behavioral issues
- Required Care Level: Hard sometimes
African Dwarf Frogs are also one of the perfect choices to keep in the guppies tank. They can comfortably live with small little guppies. Because guppies are middle dwellers and Dwarf Frogs are bottom dwellers. They share different places in the aquarium. Hence, there are no behavioral issues among these species.
You have to take extra care while feeding both the species because African Dwarfs are slow eaters, and on the other hand, guppies quickly finish all types of food. So spot feeding of the African Dwarfs is required for maintaining proper growth. The African Dwarf Frogs are a versatile companion of the guppies. But, if you are just a beginner, you must avoid keeping the frogs in your aquarium.
Kuhli Loach
- Required Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Compatibility with guppies: Good
- Required Care Level: Moderate
The Kuhli fish are eel-shaped freshwater fish. They comfortably adjust with various freshwater fish, and guppies are one of them.
They are great companions in getting along with various freshwater fishes, including our beloved guppies. They are nocturnal, so they are not very much active in the daytime. They like to be in a group of 4 to 5 species. They silently move in the tank until they become familiar with the surroundings.
They love to be among a variety of aquatic plants. They have a very delicate structure, so it is preferred to use sand substrate instead of gravel. The size of the Kuhli loach is too small. You can keep 4-5 Kuhli comfortably in a twenty-gallon fish tank.
They also like to hide behind the rock in driftwood. If you keep Kuhli in your tank, then your tank must be full of these items. They like live food very much, but they can also eat frozen food, dried food, flakes, and wafers. Keep the tank completely closed as they tend to jump very fast.
Final Thoughts
Guppies are very social and lovingly fish. They can quickly adjust with any other species. But it is suggestable to avoid the company of large fish to protect guppies from becoming their food.