# Are guppies schooling fish?



## Gizmo

Got my hands on a 1/4" male feeder guppy (or an endler, I have no idea but VERY pretty) for free and stuck him in my 3G tank. Do guppies need buddies?


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## automatic-hydromatic

they're not really a schooling fish, but they do tend to stick together in groups I've noticed if they're in a tank with other Gups

but there's a difference in just "hanging around with other fish", and "schooling"


that being said, you can keep them by themselves without any distress, but it's sometimes just more pleasing to look at a group of them


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## jrman83

My livebearer book says they are I believe. But the ones in my 75g are everywhere. They may tend to stay together somewhat, but not what I would call schooling, maybe shoaling, if there is a difference. But then again, my males and females are all in the same tank...so you know what their togetherness is driven by... 

If you compared them to blood fins or rummy nose, maybe even as far as neons or cardinals, they don't even come close to schooling, IMO.


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## phys

i think they would school if they were the same color/type. I had some and they did school if they were similar but those that werent usually did just hang out then leave again. If you get any, get them soon because they will get slightly territorial and make sure you get them of the same type. If you get some that are more fancy than the others, then they may pick on or be picked on.


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## NeonShark666

Older adult guppies don't school much. Their schools usually consist of males circling around females. For male guppies to display their full colors you need a female.


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## chris oe

A male guppy is completely content by himself, even happier if there are a couple females. Most guppy breeders agree the ideal guppy group is one male to every two females. A larger group than that is usually a bad idea in a community tank, since the population tends to grow to fill all available space.


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## mec102778

Population grows till it surpases all available space. I hate my wife's guppy tank for just that reason. They are always pregnant.


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## jrman83

FWIW, I have a single male Guppy in a 125g tank that has about 60 varous tetras, 4 Angels and 7 Cories. He seems pretty happy, although I have thought of throwing some other males in there for company. He came with a tank I got back in SEP. Just haven't moved him to my Guppy tank yet.


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## chris oe

Male guppies don't actually become more happy with other males around. If you want other males in there, and they get along, that's fine, but don't do it for the guppies. They don't really want the other males around, and can actually be a little territorial towards each other, although less so if there are no females around. Although it seldom leads to damage, there can be some picking and chasing and displaying at each other. I've had male-only ten gallons with twenty plus males and everybody was fine and nobody was injured.


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## Gizmo

Considering it's a 3 gallon tank I have him in (they get to be 2", or so I read), and that he's a male, I will be sticking with just the one. Especially because I had dreams to breed RCS in there, and I'm betting the majority of the babies will end up as guppy snacks. Right now, thankfully, he's too small (less than 1/2") to be much of a threat to the babies. Maybe I'll get a crop or two of RCS babies before the guppy grows up.


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