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So I want to have guppies in my community tank. I currently have:

1x Gouramy
3x Cherry Barb
7x Neon Tetras
1x Corrie (I need more I know)
2x Kuhli Loach
2x Zebra Danio (one was born and raised in this tank)
Tank stuff is at the bottom of my post.

The tank has been set up for a few years and most of the fish have been living in it for at least half that time. I’ve tried to have guppies before but they mostly die within the first week. All my readings are good. I recently noticed that they are supposed to have salt added to the water and I've never really read into adding salt to a fresh water tank.

Will my other fish be ok with the salt?


55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.

A couple questions first... what type of gourami do you have? And what species of cory? We need to know that in order to know what stocking level you're currently at.

Before adding anything else to your tank, I'd suggest filling out the cory school and possibly adding to the danios you have. I'm not terribly familiar with kuhli loaches, but I think they're also a schooling fish. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

As for guppies, no they don't require salt in their water; I've had guppies for years and never dosed salt. The fancy types, however, can be rather delicate.

Have you done water testing and what are the results? Be careful when adding guppies and danios... danios can be nippy and guppies may be irresistible to them. I've had danios that don't care about guppies and I've seen some that pick them to death.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Item one. Do NOT add salt to a tank containing ANY Ostariophysan fishes. This list includes:

Characins
Carps (eg, Barbs, Danios, Rasboras, RTBS)
Loaches
Almost ALL Catfishes with the exception of brackish water Ariidae

The term 'Ostariophysan' derives from the former Order Ostariophysi (this is now a SuperOrder in the modern classification scheme) and all of these fishes possess certain key features. First is an anatomical curiosity called the Weberian Apparatus, a collection of bones connecting the swim bladder to the inner ear, which increases the sound sensitivity of these fishes. Second is that ALL of these fishes are primary freshwater fishes, that have NEVER had ANY marine ancestors, and have NEVER evolved to tolerate salt. Put salt in an aquarium containing these fishes and you will kill them.

Item two. You need to post the identity of your Gourami. This could have a BIG impact on your plans.

Item three. You need to increase the Cory shoal (and make sure you get the same species for optimum results). Also, the Danios need to be increased to at least 6 in number, preferably more if there is space. The Kuhlii loaches will be OK as a pair, but they might be happier with one or two more individuals as they are somewhat gregarious.

Item four. Once you've attended to that little lot, then you need ot ask if there's room for the guppies. If there is, I would advise only going with single sex selections unless your Gourami is likely to be capable of eating the resulting fry. The problem with Poeciliid livebearers is that a female is capable of storing sperm after mating, so even if she is segregated from the males after mating, she can produce 4 or 5 more litters of young! Are you prepared for a breeding explosion of this kind? If not, get single sex groups.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Hello justin84

I never have much luck with guppies in my community tank.
Often they ate themselves to death, sounds unlikely but all of our guppies died that way. Their stomachs actually blew up.

They ate from the top of the tank to the bottom of the tank. First they attacked the floating pellets for the platys, then the sinking pellets for the corys, and finally the the frozen food for the elephantnose at light was out.

They will be fine if you take the loaches out.

Yup. I'm that crazy Twilight/animal/music girl