February 19, 2023

Can Angelfish And Guppies Live Together?

Jaime Douglas

Writer at The Aquarium Keeper

Guppies are very colorful, fascinating fish, that are exciting to observe, and don’t require a lot of maintenance. They are very peaceful fish, but it does not mean that guppies should be kept with every other aquatic creature, just because they rarely portray any aggression. There is a lot of aquarium fish, that doesn’t do well with guppies, and one of them is angelfish.

In this article, I will break down the reasons why guppies and angelfish are a bad combination. In the end, I will also leave some recommendations about better tank mates for guppies and angelfish.

Should You Keep Guppies and Angelfish Together?

Guppies simply can’t live comfortably with angelfish in the same aquarium. Larger angelfish will eventually eat your guppies. Some people might have success in the beginning, but there are so many things, that can go wrong with this fish combination. I highly suggest avoiding keeping guppies and angelfish in the same aquarium.

Guppies do best with other peaceful community fish, and angelfish are far from being peaceful. Another factor is the size. Angelfish are just too big for guppies because they could get eaten, and overall would have a harder time living in the same space as angelfish.

You might also like to read: Can Guppies Live With Goldfish?

Reasons Not to Keep Guppies and Angelfish

As we mentioned before, there are a lot of things that could go wrong in a guppy-angelfish aquarium. If you are still tempted to do this combination, take into account, that there are a lot of factors that would play a big role in your guppy fish’s well-being.

Both species are really incompatible, simply because they have different temperaments, and tank setup needs. Read the reasons below, to fully understand what I mean.

Temperament

To begin, most angelfish are very territorial and can be aggressive. Even though angelfish are one of the prettiest fish species in the aquarium hobby, they need to have their own little corner in the aquarium. In a lot of instances, angelfish even portray a lot of aggression towards their own species. At first, angelfish can seem to be a peaceful community fish, but similar to betta fish, these species have a unique character, that changes a lot. They can become suddenly aggressive, so keeping guppies and angelfish together is not a good idea.

Another thing that causes angelfish aggression is breeding. During breeding times, angelfish become even more territorial and aggressive. Guppies are known for eating everything they can, so they would definitely try to eat angelfish eggs, which would make angelfish attack your guppies.

Tank Size

Moving on, most angelfish can grow up to at least 5-6 inches (13-15cm). For a pair of fish this size, you would need at least 40 gallons to successfully keep angelfish. They also need a stronger filter, and a lot of aquatic plants to thrive properly. In terms of expenses, an angelfish tank costs way more, and adding guppies to it would cause a lot of problems.

Now, on the other hand, a group of guppies can easily live in a 5-gallon aquarium, with a basic filter, and some aquatic plants. They would do far better in a 5-gallon tank, than in a 40-gallon with angelfish. If you really want to keep guppies, we highly suggest just setting up a basic aquarium for them. Also, if you are more attracted to angelfish, go with a 40-gallon tank, without adding guppies to it.

You might also like to read: Can Guppies Eat Betta Food? Guppy Food Guide

Stress

If you still decide to set up an angelfish tank and add guppies to it, you need to know that for the majority of their life guppies will feel stressed. This extensive stress will be caused by angelfish. Even though angelfish are not that fast, they will eventually chase after guppies.

Furthermore, guppies and angelfish like to swim in the middle part of the tank, so both species would see each other very often. This is not good, because larger angelfish would simply eat your guppies. Also, during feeding times angelfish can become territorial, which would result in your guppies not getting enough nutrients. Keeping these two species together will result in your guppies being extensively stressed and hiding all the time.

Guppy Fry

Another factor that you should consider is the well-being of guppy fry. Guppies are livebearers, which means the females do not lay eggs and give birth to live guppy babies. Guppy fry is extremely small and can become an easy snack for angelfish. There are zero chances, that guppy fry will reach adulthood in a guppy-angelfish aquarium.

Guppies breed multiple times a year, so angelfish would get used to eating guppy fry, and eventually would even try to eat adult guppies. If you want to successfully grow and breed guppies, choosing angelfish as tank mates is a bad idea.

Using a breeding box is also not a solution, because eventually, you will need to introduce the newly-grown guppies into your tank. Angelfish will see these new fish as food, and will definitely go after them.

Tank Mates for Angelfish

If you really want to keep angelfish and are looking for better tank mates, consider fish, that are bottom-dwellers, and would not cross paths with angelfish in any way. Most bottom-dwellers are very peaceful and don’t portray any territorial behavior towards other species. Of course, there is a bunch of fish, that could be angelfish tank mates, but we only choose to highlight just a few, so you would know what to look for.

Kuhli Loach

To begin, one of the bottom-dweller fish, that would do well with angelfish is kuhli loaches. These species don’t require a lot of space, spend most of their time hiding, and rarely go to the middle space of the aquarium.

Another fact about kuhli loaches is that they are not territorial to other species. Even if angelfish and kuhli loaches see each other, nothing would happen in most cases. Kuhli loaches are also nocturnal, which means during the day they mostly hide, and at night explore.

Corydora Catfish

Corydoras are very peaceful creatures, that mainly search for food all day long on the substrate. Almost all corydora species grow to 2- inches, which means they would be too big for angelfish to eat. These species are also excellent tank mates because they would eat all the leftover food from angelfish, resulting in a cleaner aquarium. Just be sure not to add pygmy corydora to an angelfish tank, because they are too small and would get eaten.

Nerite Snail

Next, angelfish are mostly aggressive towards other fish, and nerite snails are simply not worth their attention. Nerite snails are slow-moving creatures, that would not get in angelfish way, which makes them a good addition to an angelfish aquarium. Furthermore, nerite snails can be excellent at cleaning aquariums, because they eat leftover food and algae.

Tank Mates for Guppies

If you really feel, that your guppies need tank mates, and are sad that you can’t put guppies and angelfish together, fear not, because guppies can easily live with a bunch of other cool fish together. Smaller nano-fish and other peaceful community creatures would do very well with guppies.

Neon Tetra

Neons are one of the most popular tank mates for guppies. They are small, fast-moving fish, that portray schooling behavior, and have unique looks. Neon tetras are very peaceful, and would not bother guppies in any way. Guppy fry would also not need to be separated and can live in an aquarium with neon tetras.

Galaxy Rasbora

Another nano-fish, that is very colorful and extremely peaceful is galaxy rasbora. These species are also known as celestial pearl danios, and would easily coexist with guppies in the same tank. Galaxy rasboras are usually smaller than guppies, which means they literally have no chance of harming adult or baby guppies.

Honey Gourami

A bigger fish that could do well with guppies is the honey gourami. These species are known to be peaceful, and can only show territorial aggression towards their own kind. There is a lot of fish, that can be honey gourami tank mates, and guppies are one of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Guppies Eat Other Fish Eggs?

Guppies are very opportunistic species, and will definitely eat other fish eggs. That is why you should not keep angelfish with guppies because eventually, guppies will try to eat angelfish eggs.

Do Guppies Fin Nip Angelfish?

Guppies might try to fin nip angelfish if they feel stressed, but it is unlikely since guppies are peaceful. The most likely outcome would be angelfish eating your guppies because these species view smaller fish as food.

Writer's Thoughts

Both fish species are very popular in this hobby, but I strongly believe that guppies and angelfish should not be kept together. Simply put into words, there are a bunch of other amazing fish combinations, that pose no threat to any species’ well-being.

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