Fancy guppy tank mates

Guppies are peaceful, hardy and prefer harder water. Their long tails make them a target, so the main rule is: no fin nippers.

Each species is checked against fancy guppies both ways: mouth size, fin nipping, temperament, territory, water overlap and keeper reports.

Good tank mates

Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Fits
The classic community fish: a tight school of electric-blue stripes that suits planted tanks of 15 gallons and up.
1.2 in · 17+ gal · 70–77°F · pH 5–7
Harlequin rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Fits
Copper-orange schooling fish with a black wedge; hardy, calm and a good first school for a 15–20 gallon tank.
1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–7
Panda corydoras
Corydoras panda
Fits
Friendly armoured catfish that sift the sand in groups; need soft substrate and a group of six or more.
1.6 in · 17+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.2
Cherry shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Fits
Bright red dwarf shrimp that graze all day and breed in a planted tank; tiny bioload, but fry are snacks for most fish.
1.6 in · 4+ gal · 72–75°F · pH 6.5–7.8
Amano shrimp
Caridina multidentata
Fits
The best-known algae-eating shrimp, made famous by Takashi Amano; bigger than cherries and a good fit for planted community tanks.
2 in · 7+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6.5–7.5
Black neon tetra
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Fits
A peaceful tetra with a bright white-over-black stripe; hardier than the neon tetra and an easy fit in any calm community tank.
1.4 in · 23+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5
Bristlenose pleco
Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus
Fits
The go-to glass cleaner: a compact 5-inch pleco with bushy whiskers on the males that needs a cave and vegetables, not just algae.
4.9 in · 17+ gal · 70–79°F · pH 5.5–7.5
Bronze cory
Corydoras aeneus
Fits
The most widely kept cory: a tough bronze-green or albino catfish that shoals along the bottom and handles a broad range of water.
3 in · 23+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 6–8
Cardinal tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Fits
The neon's close cousin, with red running the full length of the belly; a soft, acidic-water schooling fish that likes it warmer than neons.
1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 4–6
Cherry barb
Puntius titteya
Fits
One of the most peaceful barbs: males glow cherry red and leave fins alone, making it great for planted community tanks.
2 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–8
Common pleco
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Fits
The classic store 'algae eater' that grows to nearly two feet, fouls the water and eats less algae with age; a fish for very large tanks only.
22.8 in · 203+ gal · 77–82°F · pH 7–7.5
Fairy cichlid
Neolamprologus brichardi
Fits
A graceful Tanganyika cichlid with a lyre tail; one pair grows into a family colony that guards its rocks year-round.
3.5 in · 34+ gal · 73–79°F · pH 8–9
Glowlight tetra
Hemigrammus erythrozonus
Fits
A small, translucent tetra with a glowing orange stripe along its body; peaceful, hardy and at its best in a densely planted tank.
1.6 in · 22+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 6–7.5
Kribensis
Pelvicachromis pulcher
Fits
A small West African cichlid whose female has a bright belly; a cave-spawning pair digs pits and guards fry along the bottom.
3.9 in · 23+ gal · 75–81°F · pH 6.5–7
Kuhli loach
Pangio semicincta
Fits
A banded, eel-like loach of about 4 inches that burrows by day and explores the bottom as a group in the evening; needs soft sand.
3.9 in · 17+ gal · 70–79°F · pH 3.5–7
Leopard sailfin pleco
Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps
Fits
A tall-finned pleco with a brocade pattern that is sold at 2 inches and grows to about 20, needing a very large tank and heavy filtration.
19.7 in · 187+ gal · 77–86°F · pH 5–7
Molly
Poecilia sphenops
Fits
A sturdy livebearer that needs hard water and plenty of plant food, and does well in slightly brackish conditions.
3.1 in · 26+ gal · 70–82°F · pH 7–8.5
Multies
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Fits
The smallest Tanganyika cichlid, about 2 inches, living in empty snail shells; a colony carves the sand into tiny fiercely guarded plots.
1.8 in · 13+ gal · 77–80°F · pH 8–8.5
Pearl gourami
Trichopodus leerii
Fits
One of the calmest and most beautiful gouramis, covered in pearly spots; ideal for a quiet planted tank with floating plants.
4.7 in · 26+ gal · 75–86°F · pH 5.5–8
Peppered cory
Corydoras paleatus
Fits
One of the hardiest corys: a mottled catfish that sifts sand in a group of six and prefers slightly cooler water.
2.8 in · 22+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Fits
One of the easiest livebearers for beginners: peaceful, colourful and undemanding, happiest in moderately hard water with plants.
2.4 in · 17+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 7–8.2
Ram cichlid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Fits
A brilliantly coloured dwarf cichlid from the Orinoco llanos that needs warm, very clean water and calm tank mates.
1.6 in · 17+ gal · 81–86°F · pH 4–7
Rosy barb
Pethia conchonius
Fits
A large, hardy barb whose males turn bright pink-red when breeding; suits cooler tanks that run without a heater.
3.9 in · 28+ gal · 64–72°F · pH 6–8
Rummy-nose tetra
Hemigrammus bleheri
Fits
A tight-schooling tetra with a bright red nose and striped tail whose colour fades when water quality slips, making it a living warning light.
2 in · 26+ gal · 73–79°F · pH 5.5–6

And 51 more in the species catalog.

Risky

And 11 more in the species catalog.

Avoid

And 39 more in the species catalog.

Questions

Can guppies live with tiger barbs?

No. Tiger barbs shred guppy tails, even in a large group.

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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