Tankmates for Guppies

[Jon Hedge]

I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a pair
of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first choice is
to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some extra variety
(over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to live with Guppies?
Anything considered.

Thanks,
--
Jon Hedge

[Stokes]

I would suggest other livebearers like platies, swordtails and mollies.
There are many varieties to choose from and they're an interesing lot.
Maybe other small to medium sized fish, like rainbows, harlequins,
killifish and lyretails. Or medium sized fish like gouramis and angels?

[ToeKnee]

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:21:53 +1100, "Jon Hedge" <ihug.com.au@dopefish>
wrote:

>I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a pair
>of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first choice is
>to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some extra variety
>(over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to live with Guppies?
>Anything considered.
>
>Thanks,

Like Stokes, I'd also recommend livebearers, but would stick with
swordtails. My personal favorite are swordtails. I have a bunch of
pineapple/yellow/lemon-ade colored ones (depends who you talk to about
the color)

I did have platies and mollies, but found they bullied the smaller
guppy males.

In our old house we had the guppies in a well planted 20gallon with
neon tetras. I found the bright reflective tetra's made for a very
interesting view.

I also have a cories to cover the bottom of the tank.

If you do build a guppy school, be prepared for babies. My wife had
heard that they are prolific, and I warned her when she started her
own tank, but she wasn't prepared for how many fry were produced, or
how often it really happened! For months we were giving away fry to
everyone we knew with tanks. She finally separated the males and
females into two tanks. We started out with ten, and now have about
40 between the tanks, and have given away several hundred. All this
year!!

~~Tony


--Tony

[Koi-lo]

"Jon Hedge" <ihug.com.au@dopefish> wrote in message
...
> I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a
> pair of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first
> choice is to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some
> extra variety (over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to
> live with Guppies? Anything considered.
================================
I like to keep live bearers with other live bearers. They're also among the
most colorful of the fish we keep. Platties are one of my favorites.
Gentle and easy going, they don't reproduce themselves out of their welcome
here. They come in bright colors and don't get very large like some of the
egglayers. Swordtails, one male and a few females would also do well with
the others and are also quite colorful. They jump to keep the tank covered.
A few black mollies for contrast wouldn't be out of place either. A tank of
live bearers along with some real plants, a few rocks and a piece of
driftwood is just beautiful. :-)
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Steve]

Jon Hedge wrote:
> I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a pair
> of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first choice is
> to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some extra variety
> (over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to live with Guppies?
> Anything considered.
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Jon Hedge
>
>
Other folks are making good suggestions, such as other livebearers.

I'd be very careful and build up the population slowly. Perhaps
introduce 1/2 doz more small fish such as guppies, and monitor the
ammonia and nitrate. You may see a bit of a second cycle, because you
only have 2 fish. Good luck!
Steve

[Eric]

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 01:21:53 -0600, Jon Hedge wrote
(in article >):

> I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a pair
> of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first choice is
> to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some extra variety
> (over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to live with Guppies?
> Anything considered.
>

Stick with small and gentle fish that won't go after the guppies' fins. White
clouds would be a good choice. WC's do like cooler tanks, though.

-E

[Curt]

I wanted to do (and will do) build a Guppy tank. If there comes too
many fry I will use them as feeders. Will not try to save them.

[A Man]

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:21:53 +1100 in article <43a7b119$0$14696$5a62ac22@per-
qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>, ihug.com.au@dopefish spoke thusly...
> I'm new to the aquaria world, and having now cycled my 50g tank with a pair
> of Guppies, I'm looking to add some tank mates. An obvious first choice is
> to build up the Guppy school, but I'd also like to add some extra variety
> (over time). Can anyone recommend any ideal tank mates to live with Guppies?
> Anything considered.

White cloud mountain minnows, danios, and platies are all easy to keep alive.
And platies have live babies easily. In fact, after only 2 months, I found 4
platy babies in my tank! I assume more were born but they were already eaten.

They all eat flake. So no special requirements for live food.

--
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