What Fish Can Live With Guppies?
📝 Summary
Guppies are small and peaceful, so they suit other gentle small fish with similar habits — small tetras, livebearers like mollies and swordtails, and bottom cleaners like corydoras. Avoid aggressive types such as red phantom tetra, small cichlids, bettas, and blue gouramis. Keep oxygen high, water stable, and feed weak eaters separately.
1 Best Tank Mates for Guppies — and What to Avoid
1. Fish that suit guppies
1. Small tetra (characin) species: neon tetra, penguin tetra, cardinal tetra, white cloud mountain minnow, serpae tetra, plus penguin fish, black skirt, zebra danio, kissing gourami, pearl gourami — colorful, peaceful, and similar in size, so they won’t bite or eat the guppies.
2. Small livebearers: moonfish, golden sailfin molly, balloon molly, black molly, red swordtail, mickey fish — small, gentle, and like the same slightly alkaline water, so they won’t harm guppies. The red swordtail is delicate and not for beginners.
3. Corydoras and other small fish: otocinclus and bristlenose are active but tiny and pose no threat, and they clean leftover food off the bottom, keeping the water cleaner — good with guppies.
2. Tips for mixing
1. Enough oxygen: most tank mates are tropical fish, so install an air pump, don’t overstock, and avoid suffocation.
2. Stable water: most fish are sensitive to changes — keep the environment stable, change water partially (not too much), and pre-condition new water.
3. Feed wisely: if some fish are aggressive feeders, feed them separately so weaker ones still get food and don’t fall ill.
Beginners should keep one species per tank first; only mix once you can keep each well, or you risk losing fish you don’t understand.
Want to learn more about pet health?
Explore our pet health channel for more science-based care guides
Read More Articles →