Setting up your fish tank is an exciting time. Once the water has settled and you’re ready to add fish, there are many species to choose from. However, not all fish live happily together so it is important to assess their pairing before putting them in the same tank. If you’re keen to adopt some guppies and cherry barbs, you might be asking can cherry barbs live with guppies?
Cherry barbs and guppies will cohabit reasonably well. However, the rate at which they get along will be determined by the size of the tank and how many of each fish you intend to keep.
Male guppies can be relatively persistent when it comes to mating and they aren’t always fussy about the species. It has been known for these fish to attempt to mate with female cherry barbs so you need to ensure that each fish has its own space and somewhere to hide out.
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Guppies And Cherry Barbs – An Introduction
Guppies are potentially one of the most common tropical aquarium fish in the world. They are a hardy little fish and fare pretty well in a tank managed by a beginner which is why so many aquarium suppliers encourage you to take a batch home when setting up your first tank.
Moreover, these small fish are incredibly beautiful and come in a range of colours. If you really wanted to, you could have a tank filled with only guppies and still be left with something very pleasing to watch. While they aren’t the biggest fish in the tank, growing up to a maximum of two inches in length, guppies do like to have a lot of space. For this reason, we would recommend purchasing a tank of at least 10 gallons.
What’s more, guppies should also be kept in the right ratio with one male for every two females. Without this, you will notice that the males become very persistent and this can cause stress for the females who may go on to develop health issues related to this stress.
Cherry barbs are another type of tropical fish that are ideal for beginner fish keepers since they are relatively low maintenance. Much like guppies, the male cherry barb has a tendency to wind the females up by being pesky about mating. For this reason, these fish do very well in a tank that is heavily planted where the females can take shelter.
The cherry barb grows to be around the same size as a guppy but needs considerably more space with the minimum tank size being around 25 gallons. That said, if you are keeping guppies in here too, the additional space won’t be an issue.
Common Problems With Keeping Cherry Barbs And Guppies
FInding the perfect pairings for your fish tank is important and while you have probably heard that certain barbs are not compatible with guppies, the cherry barb is the least threatening. If you have ever tried to keep tiger barbs with guppies, for example, you will have seen a lot of in-tank tension and will have quickly removed one of the offending species.
While cherry barbs are one of the best barbs to keep with your guppies, you might expect to encounter any of the following issues. If you do notice these problems then it may be wise to separate the fish or they may face injury and even death.
- Male guppies may attempt to mate with female cherry guppies despite being a different species; this could cause stress to the fish.
- Male guppies and male cherry fish may fight to gain territory.
- Cherry barbs can be nipy fish although not as much as other types of barbs.
Can Cherry Barbs And Guppies Live Together?
In the wild, Cherry barbs are native to Sri Lanka although there have now been examples of this fish discovered in Central America and Columbia. Guppies come from South America so while it isn’t likely that they would cross paths too frequently, it is possible.
However, both of these fish are widely distributed in the tropical aquarium trade and are frequently sold alongside one another. The two species will live quite peacefully with one another although they probably won’t spend a lot of time fraternising together.
As a general rule of thumb, cherry barbs are quite a placid species. They don’t tend to fight and will typically only become territorial when mating issues are involved. Male guppies are known for trying to mate with other species of female and of course, this can be distressing for a female Cherry barb. That said, including the right numbers should ease any problems.
How Many Cherry Barbs And Guppies Should I Keep Together?
It might be surprising but you will find that the more of each fish you keep, the fewer problems you are likely to encounter. If you attempt to house one female cherry barb and one male guppy in the same tank, you’re setting yourself up for failure since the fish are not likely to get along.
On the flip side, if you try to keep a single male cherry barb and a single male guppy in the same tank, regardless of the number of females from each species, you’re going to have fights on your hands. This is because the fish will become incredibly territorial and may even fight to the point of serious injury. At best, you can expect some chasing and a bit of nipping.
The best way to keep these two species in the same tank is to choose slightly larger groups with an equal male to female ratio. This way, they’ll likely only interact with those from the same species and will barely notice the others.
Moreover, it is important to think about what other, if any, species you have in the tank. Many would agree that things like white cloud minnows and platy fish are good tankmates for the cherry barb and guppy.
In any case, you should always provide lots of plantlife and other places for your fish to hide out if they have had enough of their fellow fish.
What Fish Should I Keep With Cherry Barbs?
If you want to completely avoid any issues with fights and animosity between your cherry barbs and guppies, it is best to house them separately. However, just because you can’t keep the two together, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a plethora of other species that might make great tankmates
The cherry barb is a very placid and peaceful fish so we would recommend allowing it to share space with fish that have a similar temperament. This is the best way to have them all live in harmony.
Generally speaking, any fish from the tetra family will abide well with the cherry barb as well as glass catfish and pearl danios. Clown loaches, rainbow sharks, and mollies also make great companions in the tank for the cherry barb. That said, when you first introduce the cherry barbs to a new community of fish, they may be a little timid at first. Once they have tested the water and know their tank mates aren’t a threat, they’ll become much more confident.
What Fish Should I Keep With Guppies?
Guppies are not only a very good-looking fish but they are also incredibly practical since they are known to take care of mosquitos. If you live in a climate where these pesky bugs are a problem, including guppies in your tank is a must.
The guppy is a peaceful fish, just like the cherry barb and while they will cohabit well with them, there are some species that are even more compatible. For example, fish like mollies, platies, and swordtails will all pair well with the guppy. The key is not to house them with aggressive fish or those that nip, especially larger ones who could see a tiny guppy as their next meal.
Moreover, gouramis and various species of tetra, particularly the cardinal tetra will do well in a tank with guppies. If you want another practical fish thrown into the equation then a bristlenose pleco is a great tankmate for your pretty school of guppies.
Conclusion
Cherry barbs and guppies are both very common fish in tropical aquariums around the world. While they are both peaceful species that don’t typically cause many problems, there may be some issues with mating and territory when housing them together. This doesn’t mean that they can’t live together but you should be mindful to give the fish plenty of space and lots of other members of their own species.
