Mollies and Platys

Question
The tadpole is a leopard frog. I will keep it in the tank to observe it and will release it in a few weeks. I will not keep it in the tank.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
First of all I wanted to thank you for the great advice you gave me!

My question is: Can you have Platys, Mollies, ADF's, a blue gourami, chinese algea eaters and a tadpole all in the same aquarium? Are these fish compatible? Will they fight or compete for space?   I NEED HELP!!!!
-----Answer-----
Good morning Jonathan, thank you for your question.

To answer your question, first let us examine your choices. Let's start with the blue/three-spot gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus. This specimen grows up to 6" and can be territorial towards other tankmates. With a large enough tank (say, 55 gallons or larger) the territorial behavior would be reduced. I kept a gold gourami (different color variant of the same species) in a 29 gallon for a couple of years, eventually he got to be too much and I rehomed him with another aquarist. He grew a little and seems much happier in his 75 gallon tank. So I would nix this gourami if your tank is less than 55 gallons, and would instead look to the dwarf kinds such as the neon blue gourami.  

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/anabantoids.htm
Take a look at this article about gouramis and take note of the dwarf kinds.

The chinese algae eater is not a fish I would really recommend to anyone. They stop grazing algae over time, and would compete with the ADF for food, as they will readily suck on whatever pellets fall to the bottom. I would not keep two algae eaters in a tank. They can grow up to ten inches! I would return these if you are considering keeping ADFs in your tank. Their voracious appetites are not likely to be satisfied when the CAEs realize that their sinking food can be their sinking food, too.

The livebearers should be fine. My recommendation would be to add a couple of swordtails and make this an all livebearer tank...and skip the blue gourami altogether. Again, the three-spot/blue gourami will grow large and can become territorial. Might not be a threat to the ADFs if they are given ample hiding spaces, but why take the chance?

I am not sure what you mean by tadpoles. Can you clarify a bit? The tadpoles I am thinking of become frogs, which amphibians suited to life in a terrarium, not an aquarium. Describe this to me in a little more detail and I will try to answer your question.

ADFs can be kept with peaceful tropical fish as long as they are fed appropriately. Flake food for tropical fish won't reach the bottom, so they will need other foods. Do a Google search on "African dwarf frogs" and "feeding" - you will find some suggestions and techniques by browsing the hits.

Feel free to write back!
Nicole

Answer
Oh, I see. Do beware, as depending on the size of this tadpole, it may be seen as a live food to the mollies and platies, who routinely eat their own fry. If this tadpole is small enough for them to put in their mouth, there is no guarantee that they will not attempt to eat it! Here's a guide to raising tadpoles, especially helpful if you opt to keep it in a separate container for observation:

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/frogsandtoads/a/tadpoles.htm

Thank you for your question. While looking for a suitable website for you, I happened upon some sites describing a frog habitat kit "Planet Frog"...hmm, almost all of the reviews I read were negative. Seems like a neat idea that needs a little more product development! I appreciate the heads up, in case anyone asks me any questions about this.

Good luck with your pets!

Nicole