Angelfish are amazing pets due to their unique appearance. Caring for this fish will require patience and knowledge. And with the right aquarium environment, this fish will live for years.
Before you add angelfish to the aquarium you should know about its ideal tank mates. A lot of people ask whether angelfish and guppies make the best tank mates.
Here we will answer this question and much more about the compatibility of angel wish with guppies.
Do Angelfish and Guppies Make Good Tank Mates?
Angelfish are aggressive by nature. That is why keeping guppies and angelfish together is not a good idea.
Here are some of the reasons why you should not keep angelfish and guppies in the same tank.
Cause Stress to Guppies
Angelfish are aggressive that won’t leave the guppies alone in the tank. They will chase the fish around particularly if the tank is small. This will cause a lot of stress for the guppies.
Guppies are not as swift or agile in the tank as the angelfish. They tend to hide rather than confront larger or aggressive fish. Generally, guppies won’t venture out in the middle of the aquarium if it contains angelfish.
Angelfish also tend to mark their territory inside the aquarium, which restricts the movement of the guppies. The guppies will be forced to remain at a corner of the tank.
The resultant stress will make it susceptible to diseases that will cause it to die early.
Size Differences
Angelfish can grow to a large size. The fish can grow up to 8 inches tall and 6 inches long. In comparison, guppies grow to a size of just 1.5 to 2 inches. This means that guppies can become the food of angelfish.
In the wild, smaller fish become prey to larger fish. A fish can be eaten by another fish that is three to four times larger. And the same is also true for artificial settings such as the aquarium.
Larger angelfish will attack small size guppy fish. No species of guppies are safe with angelfish inside an aquarium. Adult angelfish can eat juvenile and young guppies.
Moreover, small angelfish will also eat young and fry guppies. So, keeping the two fish in the aquarium is not a good idea.
Breeding Problems
You will face difficulty in breeding guppies and angelfish. Baby fry will get eaten by angelfish.
It is unlikely that the male and female guppies will mate in an aquarium with aggressive fish. Even if they mate, the angelfish will eat the fry.
Guppy fry is about 0.25 inches in length. They can be eaten by not only angelfish but also many other fish species.
You may keep small guppies and angelfish inside the tank. But as they grow, angelfish will make it difficult for guppies to thrive inside the tank due to their aggressive nature.
The constant harassing and chasing around inside the aquarium will cause stress to the guppy fish.
Territorial Behavior
An angelfish will prevent guppies from thriving in a community tank. They display territorial behavior and fight other fish for the territory. Frequent altercations with the guppies will reduce their population in the tank.
Angelfish are also agile swimmers. They will hunt down guppies inside the tank. Even if you provide guppy with plenty of hiding space, guppies won’t be safe inside the aquarium with angelfish around them.
It will be difficult for guppies to survive inside the aquarium.
Large Tank Requirement
To avoid altercations between the guppy fish and angelfish, you need to buy a large tank.
Angelfish require a lot of space. A large aquarium with at least 120 gallons is recommended to keep the angelfish and guppies together in the same tank.
If you have a small tank, you need to install a divider to prevent altercations between guppies and angelfish. In this way, you don’t have to buy another aquarium if you want to keep both guppies and angelfish.
Keeping the two fish in the same tank with a divider will also save the cost of heater, filter, decorations, and energy bills.
Temperament of Guppies
Guppy fish have a peaceful temperament that makes them compatible with a lot of fish. They are a community fish that can be found in sizes between 0.5 and 2.4 inches.
The fish can live to about 2 years in the right aquarium conditions.
Generally, guppy fish are active and easy to care for beginners. They don’t require a lot of care inside the aquarium.
Guppies don’t show any aggression towards other fish. They are only known to be aggressive towards their own young and often eat the offspring.
The fish are compatible with most other peaceful and semi-aggressive fish.
Temperament of Angelfish
Angelfish are not community fish. They are an aggressive fish species that often harass peaceful and smaller fish. The fish often cause stress to smaller fish including guppies.
While angelfish are colorful and attractive, taking care of them is not easy. You need to carefully monitor the behavior of the angelfish if you introduce them in a community tank. Only a few fish are compatible with angelfish.
Angelfish are predatory fish in the wild. They often display territorial behavior.
The fish will fight among each other as well as other fish species. You need to keep then m in a large aquarium to avoid the fish from harassing other fish.
The Best Fish to Add With Your Angel Fish
Here are some of the best fishes to keep with you angel fish:
Platy Fish (Xiphophorous maculatus)
Patty fish are a hardy fish species that are easy to care for. They have a colorful and friendly personality. Moreover, the fish are easy to breed in aquariums at home.
A few patty fish can turn into a thriving community quickly.
You won’t require a large aquarium to keep platy fish. Any tank that is ideal for angelfish will be sufficient for keeping platy fish.
Kuhli Loach (Pangio kuhlii)
Kuhli Loach is a nocturnal fish species that are active during the night. It is the owl of the aquarium that looks for food after dark. They have a unique appearance and resemble an eel rather than traditional fish.
Loach fish will search the bottom of the aquarium searching for food scraps. They serve as an ideal tank mate of angelfish due to their shy and timid personality and small size.
The fish can get along well in a community environment. But since they are social fish, you should buy five to six fish to keep with the angelfish.
Kuhli loach fish prefer sand substrates. A great choice for the loach fish is the CaribSea Moonlight Sand. Smooth rock substrate will also be fine for the fish.
German Blue Ram Cichlids (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
German blue ram cichlids have an aggressive appearance. But contrary to expectations they have a lively and peaceful temperament.
They are one of the most attractive cichlids that are ideal for a community aquarium. The fish are known for their social nature and attractive personalities.
You can keep angelfish and German blue ram cichlids together in a tank. However, taking care of the fish is not easy.
They require near perfect water quality otherwise they will die. The fish are particularly sensitive to the high level of nitrates in the water. So, you will need to regularly check the water quality to ensure that it is perfect for the fish.
If you know how to take care of German blue rams, they can be an ideal tank mate for angelfish.
Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus cirrhosis)
Bristlenose Plecos are found in the Amazon River basin similar to the angelfish. The fish species are bottom feeders that mainly eat algae and leftover food at the bottom of the aquarium.
Taking care of the fish is not that difficult.
Bristlenose has a peaceful temperament. But they are also a hardy fish species. The fish will counter any aggressive behavior of the angelfish.
The fish prefer an aquarium with live plants. They can be a great addition to any community tank. They stay small and help in keeping the aquarium clean by eating the algae.
The fish species will be perfect for a tank containing angelfish.
Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius)
Dwarf gourami fish species are also ideal tank mates for angelfish. They are native to South Asia where they are found in freshwaters.
While angelfish and gourami live on the other side of the world, they are ideal tank mates.
Gourami fish are reserved, peaceful, and tolerant of different water conditions. They can live in water that is suitable for angelfish.
The dwarf gourami fish and angelfish will live together without any issue. But you should not keep them together if your angelfish is highly territorial.
Corydoras Catfish (Corydoras sterbai)
Corydoras catfish are a popular freshwater fish species among aquarists. Also known as Cory cats, the fish have a calm and peaceful temperament.
They prefer to live in groups but are timid around other fish species.
You can keep around 4 to 5 cory cats in a moderate size aquarium. The fish can be kept with angelfish without any trouble.
They are available in a wide variety of colors that can liven up your aquarium.
Swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii)
Swordtails are lively fish that are closely related to the platy fish. They are livebearers giving birth to the young fish similar to platies.
The fish also have a peaceful temperament but can hold their own against aggressive fish like angelfish.
Male fish have an elongated anal fin due to which they are named swordtail fish. Experienced aquarists would find swordtails to be an easy breed. They can reproduce without much care and attention.
You can keep swordtails with most fish species including angelfish. They are a hardy fish that can thrive in a community tank with angelfish.
But if you plan to breed the fish, you must keep them in a different tank as they get eaten quickly by other inhabitants of the tank.
Keyhole Cichlid (Cleithracara maronii)
Keyhole cichlids are another popular choice for keeping with angelfish. The fish species have a hardy and unique personality. They are generally peaceful but can stand their ground against the aggressive angelfish.
You will find that keyhole cichlids will mostly mind their own business away from the angelfish. They are unlikely to nip at the long fins of the angelfish.
Finding keyhole cichlids will be difficult. But if you do manage to locate one, you definitely want to buy them.
Most aquarists rave about the amazing personality of the fish that will be an ideal tank mate with almost any other fish in a community aquarium.
Kribensis Cichlids (Pelvicachromis pulcher)
Kribensis Cichlids are colorful cichlids that are sought after by many aquarists due to their attractive personality and semi-aggressive temperament.
The fish act aggressively towards others only during the breeding season.
You can keep angelfish and kribs fish together without much trouble. The two can hold against each other in a tank. However, juvenile kribs may fall prey to the larger angelfish.
While adult kirbs fish are smaller in sizes than the angelfish, they have a feisty attitude. They can defend against the aggressive behavior of the angelfish. So, keeping adult kribs and angelfish won’t be a problem.
Wrapping Up
Angelfish have a fascinating appearance and personality due to which many aquarists keep them in the aquarium. But the fish also has an aggressive and almost unpredictable behavior.
Guppies on the other hand are peaceful fish. They are compatible with most fish and don’t have a problem adjusted with other peaceful or semi-aggressive fish in a tank.
However, they are not compatible with angelfish due to the aggressive nature of the latter.
Guppies are vulnerable to aggressive and larger fish. You should only keep guppies with other peaceful and small fish species.
It is not recommended to keep angelfish and guppies in the same aquarium as they have a different temperament.
Due to the aggressive nature, angelfish will not let guppies swim in peace. They will harass and eat the guppies due to which you should keep them in a separate tank.
Unless you have a very large tank with a few angelfish, it is not recommended to keep guppies and angelfish in the same tank.
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