Who gets along with guppies: compatibility of fish in an aquarium

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

For both beginner aquarists and their experienced colleagues, one of the most important issues is the compatibility of different types of aquarium fish. A balanced aquarium ecosystem directly depends on who gets along with guppies. Each fish, regardless of whether it belongs to herbivorous species or to predators, has an individual character. Some fish, due to their individual aggressiveness, constantly attack relatives, others destroy plants. Of course, there are exceptions when species that are incompatible in all respects coexist peacefully in one aquarium.

Who gets along with guppies: compatibility of fish in an aquarium

Guppy fish are one of the most popular aquarium pets. However, they are great for beginners, as their maintenance does not require much effort. Viviparous females immediately give birth to full-fledged fry. Hardy and unpretentious fish with proper care can live up to 5 years.

To determinethe compatibility of guppies with other fish must take into account the habitat conditions of each species, the degree of its aggressiveness and water parameters. It is believed that it is absolutely impossible to settle guppies with predatory fish: barbs, angelfish, cichlids, eels, red-tailed sharks.

Optimal neighbors for them will be small peace-loving species of freshwater fish. The similarity of the conditions of detention, behavioral characteristics matches guppies with the following types of viviparous fish:

• catfish corridor;
• pecilia, swordsmen, mollies;
• Malaysian glass;
• neon tetra;
• analysis;
• dwarf loaches;
• Guppy Endler;
• roosters.

Let's dwell on each of these species in more detail.

Pecilia, mollies, swordtails

All these fish are viviparous and are best suited to those species that get along with guppies. All these species are related, therefore, when kept in the same aquarium, it is quite possible to cross them and, accordingly, obtain hybrid offspring. All these fish will not conflict with each other, with the exception of adult male swordtails. They can "swear" with veil-tailed fish, so it is better that their neighbors are fish with short fins. The ideal combination in the aquarium can be considered a few pairs of mollies (these fish prefer to live in pairs) and a flock of guppies.

Malaysian glass

This fish is also called Indian glassfish and is often confused with glass catfish. Peaceful fish excellentget along with guppies. At the same time, their appearance is unique. Through the transparent body, the entire skeleton and internal organs are visible. The fish are schooling, they feel best in flocks of 5-7 fish. There are also more original glass pieces with a fluorescent color. Their appearance is undoubtedly even more original. However, there is a significant drawback - they are more susceptible to changes in the aquatic environment and, when sick, can infect all the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Neon Tetra

One of the most popular fish. They can be kept together with any peaceful fish. Their nickname, "the pearl of the aquarium", fully characterizes their bright appearance - an iridescent blue body of a fish in combination with a reddish belly. The fish are kept in flocks of 6-10 individuals. Guppies and neons prefer to stay in the middle and upper layers of the water. They do not disturb viviparous fish at all and do not disturb them.

Conversations

Specific metallic shade of scales makes them a bright accent in any aquarium. Their hardiness and peacefulness makes them excellent companions for guppies. Flocks of parsing are perfectly combined with them.

Dwarf loaches

Despite the peacefulness of all charrs, it is dwarf chars that are primarily suitable for keeping together with guppies (in size), as their larger relatives can accidentally dine on small guppies. Schooling fish love to have hiding places to rest. It is advisable to keep from 3 fish in a flock.

Guppy Endler

The species is similar to guppies and in the same aquarium fish can interbreedbetween themselves. In an aquarium, it is best to keep them in flocks of 6-8 individuals or more. For them, it is imperative to equip shelters, otherwise they will simply be eaten.

Cocks

Fish with gorgeous fluffy fins get along well with guppies. Nevertheless, the latter should have a sufficient number of shelters. This is due to the fact that during the spawning period, male cockerels can show some aggressiveness.

General rules for selecting guppy-compatible fish

The species of fish listed above are far from the only ones that are suitable for keeping together with guppies. Further, you can select the species yourself, guided by the basic rules for this:

1. Guppy aquarium should contain fish with the same temperament. Aggressive neighbors will immediately pluck the long and magnificent fins of male guppies.
2. Fast and aggressive content is not allowed. All this can provoke stress and complete physical exhaustion of the guppies.
3. When choosing fish, keep in mind that the conditions of the aquatic environment and nutrition should be the same for all species.
4. The tank should be spacious with a place to swim and equipped shelters.
5. Other types of fish should be of the same size as guppies, otherwise they will be eaten.
6. Viviparous individuals rarely swim to the bottom and can be kept together with small species of bottom fish.

Ideal neighbors are bottom fish

In the aquarium the mostharmless neighbors are those that rarely intersect. These species include catfish and other bottom inhabitants of aquariums, spending most of their lives at the bottom. They are most active at night. This also distinguishes them from guppies that are awake during the day. Guppies and catfish living in the same aquarium may not be aware of the neighborhood. Thus, the compatibility of these species is guaranteed.

Catfish corridor

Small in size, the fish has a calm disposition and belongs to those species that get along with guppies. The main qualitative characteristic of this catfish in an aquarium is its ability to clean the upper layers of the soil from food residues and waste products of other fish. The relatively slow swimmer corridor prefers to stay in the lower layers of the aquarium, occasionally rising to the surface. Given that flocks of guppies swim mainly in the upper and middle layers of the aquarium, the species do not disturb each other's habitat.

Probability of combining different types of fish

In most cases, representatives of the same family of fish, similar in size, get along. Naturally, it is unrealistic to plant tropical species of fish in an aquarium with inhabitants of cool waters. It is also impossible to keep predatory fish together with peaceful aquatic inhabitants.

However, experienced aquarists 100% declare that there are exceptions to all rules. Sometimes predators quite successfully get along with peaceful fish, and they, on the contrary, can arrange unreasonable battles among themselves.

Other possible neighbors

Years of experience in studying the life of different types of aquarium fish has allowed us to obtain additional information regarding data on who gets along with guppies. This will help you experiment. Following this information, we can talk about the relative compatibility of gourami and guppies, as well as with fish such as zebrafish, bats, tetras and iris.

The chances of them becoming friends are greatly increased if all the fish have grown and matured together.