Can Guppy Live With Southern platyfish?

Platies are very peaceful livebearers. They show none of the aggression of some swordtails and mollies, and even the males tolerate one another. Guppies are just as peaceful, so neither fish will bother the other.

Both want moderately hard, alkaline water. Platies need pH 7 to 8.2 and 10 to 30 dGH and do not thrive in soft, acidic conditions; guppies take pH 7 to 8. The overlap is pH 7 to 8 at 20 to 26 °C, with the platy setting the warm limit.

The real work is the fry. Platy females store sperm and drop 20 to 80 young every four to six weeks after a single mating, and guppies give birth every 25 to 30 days. Keep two or three females per male in each species so the males spread their attention, give the tank a secure lid because platies jump, and decide early what to do with the surplus. A planted tank at least 60 cm long suits a mixed group.