Guppy Agression and Stocking Questions

Hello! I'm fairly new to fish keeping, so I'd like some advice if anyone is experienced with caring for guppies.

To give some background, I currently have 2 male guppies (both are separate breeds) and 3 ADFs in a 10 gallon tank. The tank is cycled, 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, and I perform weekly water changes. I've had the 2 guppies for about 5 months and got them when they were much smaller. The guppies have become much more aggressive as adults and even maimed a platy I had in the tank with them.

Currently its been a month since then and it seems like the guppies are now pointing their aggression at each other, since the platy is no longer with them. What I first thought was minor fin rot turns out to be fin nipping caused by their fighting. I cant put them in separate tanks, as I have no other cycled tanks atm. However, I have found a little makeshift way to separate them for the time being.

I have a nearly fully cycled 29 gallon planted tank ready to move them into. I have read that to quell aggression between male guppies, you can either introduce more males or 2 to 3 females per male. Which is where my questions begin.

I would like to know if it is better to purchase 4 more males (totaling 6 males) to place in the 29 gal tank to disperse the aggression? Or if it would be more beneficial to purchase 4 females (totaling 2 males and 4 females)? My concerns with purchasing more males is the effectiveness that it'll fix the aggression and also the fact that the 4 newly purchased males will most likely be much younger/smaller than the current ones. My concerns with females is obviously the breeding factor. I really do not want to deal with constantly removing fry and I doubt the ADFs can eat all of them, if any. However, I have considered maybe adding a Honey Gourami to possibly eat the fry as they spawn.

Any input or advice would be much appreciated! I realized a 29 gallon might be large for only 6 guppies, but I'm trying to slowly stock the tank. I'm trying my best.

 

I think adding 2-3 fenales per male would definitely slow them up on each other as they wpuld be constantly trying to get on the females! Would be very effective, but would so come with guppy fry, which i don't know if you want that or not.

 

When we have a guppy aquarium it is a 37 gallon. We keep 15 to 20 males with no females. The large number of males seems to keep them from damaging each other as there are so many moving targets.

 

I think adding 2-3 fenales per male would definitely slow them up on each other as they wpuld be constantly trying to get on the females! Would be very effective, but would so come with guppy fry, which i don't know if you want that or not.

Thank you for the reply! I'd prefer to not have to constantly be dealing with guppy fry. But if it does greatly discourage aggression, then maybe I can try it. I'll just have to get a laregr fish to help eat the fry to keep the numbers manageable for me.

When we have a guppy aquarium it is a 37 gallon. We keep 15 to 20 males with no females. The large number of males seems to keep them from damaging each other as there are so many moving targets.

I see. Thank you for your input! If I were to purchase more males, would it be beneficial to place them in the new tank first? Like let them occupy the new tank for a week or two, so they can get established. Because my fear is that my 2 male adult guppys may bully the new guppys pretty bad, since they'll be younger and smaller.

 

Thank you for the reply! I'd prefer to not have to constantly be dealing with guppy fry. But if it does greatly discourage aggression, then maybe I can try it. I'll just have to get a laregr fish to help eat the fry to keep the numbers manageable for me.

I see. Thank you for your input! If I were to purchase more males, would it be beneficial to place them in the new tank first? Like let them occupy the new tank for a week or two, so they can get established. Because my fear is that my 2 male adult guppys may bully the new guppys pretty bad, since they'll be younger and smaller.

Put them in at the same time if you are not going to QT the new ones (I highly recommend you QT them) that way they are all on the same footing (finning?) in the new aquarium.

 

Put them in at the same time if you are not going to QT the new ones (I highly recommend you QT them) that way they are all on the same footing (finning?) in the new aquarium.

Alright! Thank you! I’ll put them all in together! I’ll also try and get a quarantine tank ready for the new fish.