Guppy Tank Mates
Short answer: The best guppy tank mates are other peaceful community fish that won't nip fins: corydoras, platies, endlers, harlequin rasboras, and cherry shrimp. Avoid fin nippers (tiger barbs, serpae tetras) and predators (angelfish, bettas) that target guppies' flowing tails.
Guppy at a glance
- Scientific name
- Poecilia reticulata
- Adult size
- ~2″
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- pH
- 6.8–7.8
- Minimum tank
- 10 gal
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Social
- schooling — keep 3+
- Reference
- Wikipedia
The best guppy tank mates are peaceful community fish that won’t nip fins. Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are hardy and tolerant, but their bright, flowing tails make them a target for fin nippers and a meal for predators. The safe list: corydoras, platies, endlers, harlequin rasboras, cherry shrimp, and snails.
Guppy at a glance
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata); data per FishBase and Seriously Fish.12
| Attribute | Authority | Real tanks (AquaGauge) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult size | males 5 cm / 2 in; females 6 cm / 2.4 in1 | --- |
| Temperature | 18-28 C (64-82 F)1 | --- |
| pH | 7.0-8.01; up to 8.52 | --- |
| Temperament | peaceful; avoid fin nippers2 | --- |
| IUCN status | Least Concern1 | --- |
| Key trait | long-finned (flowing caudal) | flagged longFinned in compat model |
"Real tanks" = medians from our guppy data (53 tanks, July 2026 snapshot). Water-parameter baselines are on the guppy care hub.
Why guppy compatibility is about fins
Guppies are peaceful and tolerate a wide range of tank mates. The one compatibility problem is their long, flowing caudal fin. The AquaGauge model flags guppies as longFinned, which triggers two automatic conflicts:
-
Fin nippers shred them. Tiger barbs, serpae tetras, and zebra danios are flagged
finNipperin the model. A guppy’s tail is irresistible to them. Damage is fast and often fatal from infection. -
Other long-finned species fight. Male bettas see a colorful guppy as a rival and attack on sight. Both species end up with torn fins and chronic stress.
Everything else is about parameter overlap. Guppies prefer hard, slightly alkaline water (72-82 F, pH 6.8-7.8), so soft-water species like neon tetras only work if your tank runs near the overlap.
What the compatibility model shows
We ran every species in the AquaGauge database against guppy. The model checks temperature overlap, fin-nipping risk, predation risk, and pH compatibility.
| Species | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Corydoras catfish | Good | Peaceful bottom dweller, 72-80 F overlaps fully. Different zone, zero conflict. |
| Platy | Good | Fellow livebearer, 70-82 F full overlap, pH 7.0-8.2 overlaps. Peaceful. |
| Endler’s livebearer | Good | Close relative, 72-82 F identical range. Peaceful. May hybridize with guppies. |
| Harlequin rasbora | Good | Peaceful schooler, 72-81 F overlaps. pH 6.0-7.5 (overlaps at 6.8-7.5). |
| Cherry shrimp | Good | Peaceful, 65-80 F overlaps. Guppy is not fishEater, so adults are safe. Guppies eat some shrimplets but dense plants sustain the colony. |
| Nerite snail | Good | 65-85 F, pH 6.5-8.5. Shell too hard to damage. Zero bioload concern (0.3 units). |
| Mystery snail | Good | 68-82 F, pH 7.0-8.0 full overlap. Peaceful. |
| Bristlenose pleco | Good | 72-82 F full overlap. Peaceful algae eater, stays on surfaces. Bioload 4 units. |
| Otocinclus | Good | 72-79 F overlaps. Peaceful, low bioload. Needs a mature tank with algae. |
| Neon tetra | Conditional | Peaceful, but pH 5.0-7.0 overlaps guppy range only at 6.8-7.0. Works in softer setups; hard alkaline water stresses neons. |
| Kuhli loach | Conditional | Peaceful, 73-86 F overlaps, but pH 5.5-7.0 overlaps only at 6.8-7.0. Narrow. |
| Dwarf gourami | Conditional | Semi-aggressive. May harass guppies in a small tank. Works in 20+ gallons with sight breaks. |
| Molly | Conditional | Peaceful livebearer, 72-82 F. Bigger (4 in) and can bully guppies in cramped tanks. Needs 20+ gallons. |
| Tiger barb | Bad | finNipper vs longFinned. Will shred guppy tails within hours. |
| Serpae tetra | Bad | finNipper. Same tail-shredding risk as tiger barbs. |
| Zebra danio | Bad | finNipper. Also prefers cooler water (64-77 F). |
| Betta | Bad | Aggressive + both longFinned = mutual aggression. Male bettas attack guppies on sight. |
| Angelfish | Bad | fishEater. Adult guppies (2 in) fit an angelfish’s mouth. Fry are eaten immediately. |
| Goldfish | Bad | fishEater + temp mismatch (65-72 F vs 72-82 F). See goldfish tank mates for why this fails. |
The safe core: a guppy community
The strongest guppy community builds from three layers:
Top/mid: guppies + a peaceful schooler. Five to six male guppies plus a school of harlequin rasboras or platies in a 20-gallon tank gives color and activity without breeding pressure. Endler’s livebearers are another option but may hybridize with guppies.
Bottom: corydoras. A group of 6 corydoras occupies the bottom zone and ignores everything above. They share the 72-80 F range and clean up fallen food. This is one of the most reliable pairings in freshwater community tanks.
Cleanup: shrimp + snails. Cherry shrimp and nerite snails handle algae and detritus. Guppies are not predators, so adult shrimp are safe. A few nerites add zero meaningful bioload.
Run the full stocking plan through the stocking calculator before adding fish. A 10-gallon handles guppies alone; a community with corydoras and a schooler needs at least 20 gallons.
What to avoid
Fin nippers are the biggest threat. Tiger barbs and serpae tetras will destroy guppy tails overnight. The damage invites bacterial and fungal infection that kills faster than the nipping itself.
Bettas fight guppies. Both are long-finned, both are colorful, and male bettas treat guppies as rivals. Every online “betta + guppy” success story is survivorship bias; the failures just don’t get posted.
Angelfish eat guppies. An adult angelfish can swallow a 2-inch guppy whole. Even guppy fry in a planted tank have near-zero survival with angelfish present.
Goldfish run cold (65-72 F) and eat small fish. The temperature mismatch alone rules them out. See goldfish tank mates for the full breakdown.
How we counted
The compatibility verdicts come from the AquaGauge stocking model, which checks temperature overlap, predation flags (fishEater vs. nano/invert), fin-nipping risk (finNipper vs. longFinned), and pH compatibility across all species in the database. Guppy stocking baselines come from 53 r/Aquariums and r/Guppies posts in the AquaGauge dataset. See our full methodology for details. Figures are from the July 2026 snapshot (6,414 tanks total).
Check your exact stocking
Add your fish below to see stocking %, filtration load and compatibility for your setup — live.
Planning a Guppy tank. We start with your guppy and filter the list to compatible tankmates — untick to see every species (incompatible ones get flagged).
Stocking — under 85% comfortable · 85–100% full · over 100% overstocked
Show the math
Gear for this setup
As an Amazon Associate AquaGauge earns from qualifying purchases. Some links below are affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Current price and availability are shown on Amazon. Disclosure.
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hygger Small Aquarium Heater (50W) LED digital display with adjustable temp keeps guppies steady at 76-80 F in tanks up to 16 gallons. Check price on Amazon → -
AQUANEAT Bio Sponge Filter (up to 20 gal) Gentle flow that won't blow guppies or shrimp around, with biological filtration for a community tank. Check price on Amazon → -
API Freshwater Master Test Kit (800 tests) Liquid tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Accurate enough to catch problems before fish show stress. Check price on Amazon →
FAQ
- Can guppies live with bettas?
- No. Both species have long, flowing fins and will trigger aggression in each other. Male bettas attack guppies on sight in most setups. Keep them in separate tanks.
- Will angelfish eat guppies?
- Yes. Angelfish are flagged fishEater in our compatibility model. Adult guppies at 2 inches fit an angelfish's mouth, and fry are eaten immediately.
- Are corydoras good tank mates for guppies?
- Excellent. Corydoras are peaceful bottom dwellers at 72-80 F, which overlaps the guppy range perfectly. They occupy a different zone and ignore guppies entirely.
- Can guppies live with shrimp?
- Yes. Guppies are not flagged fishEater, so adult cherry shrimp are safe. Guppies may eat newborn shrimplets, but dense plant cover lets enough survive to sustain the colony.
Sources
- Poecilia reticulata (Guppy), FishBase. View source ↗
- Poecilia reticulata -- Guppy, Seriously Fish. View source ↗
Freshwater aquarist of 8+ years.