Fancy guppies and zebra danios - #??

[yashinfan]

Can I keep fancy guppies and zebra danios in the same tank (32 gallons)? I heard that guppies were not fast enough to compete for food. How many guppies and danios can I keep in a 32 gallon tank without over-stocking? I am planning to breed both, what number of each fish do you recommend that I start with? Thanks!

[kveeti]

Because I keep guppies and zebra danios together, I remembered there was a thread on it before. Seems it's not recommended by some (yet as I posted there I have had no problems)... As far as the food goes, guppies are plenty fast and can be pretty pushy themselves.
http://64.191.28.50/forums/showthread.php?threadid=4452&highlight=danios+guppies

[yashinfan]

The "expert" at the pet store said he would advise against guppies and danios being tank-mates. However, he does admit that people have had experiences where they have left each other alone. Do you think I should try rooming them together and if that doesn't work just adding a divider??

[mickey]

Try dropping some food in different locations at the same time ,this way all your fish should get a fair share of the food.
I cant see you having any problems keeping guppies and danios togather but you might think about adding some bottom feeders to help clear up the food that they miss
Cheers.

[TKOS]

I know you are planning on adding those Danios first to cycle the tank. Make sure your guppies are added with 0 readings for ammonia and nitrites. I made a mistake when I first started my parents tank last year and added guppies right away. They quickly lost there colour and a month later I had no guppies.

I doubt you will be able to breed guppies in that same tank as all the abbies will probably get eaten before you get a chance to get to them.

If you feed a variety of food at the same time such as a floating flake and a slowly sinking granual then the fish will have options and the guppies will be able to get plenty of food.

[yashinfan]

There is going to be a seperate breeding tank for the fish. The guppies will not be added until after I have successfully bred the danios at least once so that probably won't be for another month. The main reason I asked if they could live together is because if they cannot, maybe I should look for a different species?

[kveeti]

One thing I have learned reading these forums, is that every time one person has a problem with a certain fish or combination of fishes, there will be others who do not. Not discounting character traits, there also has to be other factors involved (numbers, tank set up or the ever-present nobody really knows). I think a lot has to do with who is there first and in your case if it is the zebra danios, then you might have a problem. But you might not. If you have your heart set on guppies, I'd say give it a go. In my experience, guppies can be very nasty to newcomers, too, but they get over it and usually end up living harmoniously.

A suggestion for another fish would be black skirt tetras – they are pretty quick swimmers and I do believe they have the same temperament as zebra danios (what do others think?). Plus they are very hardy. Apart from the lovely guppy tails, both zebra danios and guppies are torpedo-shaped, which doesn’t break up the viewing (the only downside I have found keeping them together). Now, with black skirt tetras you have a different body shape, they don’t get too large (2-1/2 inches, just a little longer than the zebras) but they are round. If you have at least 6 of each, they would each play amongst themselves (in theory) and leave the others alone.

[TKOS]

I agree that you can never be fully sure which fish will live well together. My friends single cherry barb in a tank of convicts can atest to that.

Serpae tetra would probably look great with Zebra's as well, though I think that the guppies were chosen due to their easy ability to breed.

[yashinfan]

Yes, I was looking for fish I could keep with the Danios but breed as well. I also wanted fish that were aesthitically pleasing to look at. I absolutely love the colour and patterns of the guppies at my local pet store, so the question pretty much is- put 'em together or get a divider? I'd rather not have them divided but if I have to then I will. Another option to keep with danios is swordtails, which are nice as well but not as nice as the fancy guppies. Everyone agrees swordtails are much better companions for danios. I guess I'll just have to try then! The only reason I am skeptical about guppies and danios not being able to live together is the fact that there are long-tailed zebras, and therefore would have long tails like the guppies. If I kept long-tailed danios with guppies would that eliminate the chances of fin-nipping??

[tricksterpup]

I wouldn't worry to much on the fin nipping. Your guppies and zebras should be fine. I have kept a breeding colony with a school of zebras for years. No real problems there. The guppies are fast enough to avoid the zebras. I would suggest that this should be a heavly planted tank or atleast have some hornwort floating on top of the tank. So at least your guppies will have plenty of place and confort to have young. And it would give the fry plenty of places to hide also from anyone willing to eat them.
jim

[yashinfan]

As I said before, I'm not worried about their fry because all fry will be kept separately from the others. So it's just a question of fin-nibbling between the two species. I'm getting very mixed messages but I suppose I'll give it a try sometime, maybe in August.