Advice For New Fish Additions Please

[snoozysusie]

HI THERE!
I'm going to get more fish for my tank. I have a pregnant guppy, 2 male guppies and 1 platy.
Is it good to have 1 male to 3 female guppies? I would like some swordtails too. Is it the same ratio for them as I dont want the females (and the current pregnant guppy) to get stressed with males chasing them??
I had a tank of mixed livebearers but only down to 3guppies+1platy due to mysterious deaths. All water stats were ok (even had them all checked again at lfs). Well planted tank with places to hide and been running for 6yrs without any probs until I added the new livebearers about a month ago(total of 14max -guppies/mollies/bristlenose plec/platties) . I dont know what to put the recent deaths down to as there were no strange symptoms. They seemed to each become weak and die a day or 2 later....
Anyway fingers crossed, the remaining 4 seem in ok health now. I treated the tank with melafix and these ones seem happy now. (I hope!!)
... Basicslly I'd like some advice on what I should add (would all livebearers tank) and what ratio m/f for each livebearer type ?
My lfs dont have endlers.. and when I bought the mollies the other month (all 3 died)... I then read on here about they need salt in water. That prob explains their deaths then as I did not know this/wasnt told ..

what should I get and how many ? not a huge tank but its v sparse at the mo. LFS accept fry back so I'd like some baby action in there. Any ideas?? Would love another bristlenose plec but will he eat fry??

Grateful for any advice - thank you!! x

 

[luque]

ratio is 3 female to 1 male, minimum,
swordtails can grow pretty big so depends if you want alot of small guppies (around 12) or IMO about (5 swords)

 

[rocknurworld2006]

bn catfish shouldnt eat fry no!

 

[snoozysusie]

bn catfish shouldnt eat fry no!

Many thanks for the advice there. As I only have 1 platy (male- I think!??) I'm going to get guppies and swordtails. After my (one -and only) bad experience with mollies and them all dying on me over a very short time, I don't want the guilt of any more deaths of them (due to lack of salt in water or whatever else the possible reason ). I'm still waiting for my delivery of live plants to go in the tank before I add the new fish. Another of my guppies seems to have 'disappeared' this morning . Hmm v strange all these mysterious vanishings and deaths. Now in tank : 1 platy and 2 guppies (1m and the other pregnant) so hoping that should tot up the seemingly empty tank as it is at present (if all goes well with her fry anyway...) Will go for 3 more female guppies (to rectify current ratio so there will be 1m and 4f in total) will also get 1m + 4f swordtails and a bristlenose plec (in addition to my remaining platy).
Do you think that will be ok ??
Thanks again.. very helpful