Freshwater fish compatibility chart

The 30 most popular aquarium species, every pair checked for water, size and behavior.

Find one fish on the left and the other along the top. ✓ compatible ! caution ✕ keep apart. Tap a square to see why, or use the compatibility checker for any of our 150 species.

Compatibility of 30 popular freshwater aquarium species
	Angelfish	Betta fish	Bristlenose pleco	Bronze corydoras	Cherry shrimp	Common goldfish	Common pleco	Dwarf gourami	Fancy goldfish	Guppy	Neon tetra	Nerite snail	Oscar	Panda corydoras	Tiger barb	Zebra danio	African dwarf frog	Amano shrimp	Assassin snail	Bala shark	Black skirt tetra	Blood parrot cichlid	Boesemani rainbowfish	Cardinal tetra	Celestial pearl danio	Cherry barb	Chili rasbora	Chinese algae eater	Clown loach	Convict cichlid
Angelfish		✕	✓	!	✕	✕	✓	!	✕	!	✕	✓	!	!	✕	!	✕	!	✓	✓	!	!	✓	✕	✕	!	✕	!	!	!
Betta fish	✕		✓	✓	✕	✕	✓	✕	✕	✕	!	✓	✕	!	✕	!	✓	!	✓	!	!	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	!	!	!	!
Bristlenose pleco	✓	✓		!	✓	!	!	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	!	!	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Bronze corydoras	!	✓	!		✓	!	!	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Cherry shrimp	✕	✕	✓	✓		✕	✓	✕	✕	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✕	✕	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✕	✕
Common goldfish	✕	✕	!	!	✕		✕	✕	!	!	✕	!	✕	!	!	!	✕	!	!	!	!	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕
Common pleco	✓	✓	!	!	✓	✕		✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Dwarf gourami	!	✕	✓	✓	✕	✕	✓		✕	!	!	✓	✕	!	✕	!	✓	!	✓	✓	!	!	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Fancy goldfish	✕	✕	!	!	✕	!	!	✕		!	!	!	!	!	✕	!	!	!	!	!	!	✕	✕	!	✕	!	✕	✕	✕	✕
Guppy	!	✕	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	!	!		✓	✓	✕	✓	✕	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	!	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Neon tetra	✕	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	!	✓		✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Nerite snail	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	!	✓	✓		✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓
Oscar	!	✕	!	✕	✕	✕	✓	✕	!	✕	✕	✕		✕	✕	✕	✕	!	✕	!	✕	!	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✓	✓	!
Panda corydoras	!	!	!	✓	✓	!	!	!	!	✓	✓	✓	✕		!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Tiger barb	✕	✕	✓	!	✕	!	✓	✕	✕	✕	!	✓	✕	!		!	!	!	✓	✓	!	!	!	!	!	!	!	!	✓	!
Zebra danio	!	!	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	!	!	!	✓	✓	✕	✓	!		✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
African dwarf frog	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✕	!	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓		✓	✓	✕	✓	!	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Amano shrimp	!	!	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	!	!	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	!	✓	✓		✓	!	!	!	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	!	!
Assassin snail	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✕	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓
Bala shark	✓	!	✓	✓	✕	!	✓	✓	!	✕	✕	✓	!	✕	✓	✕	✕	!	✓		!	!	✓	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✓	✕
Black skirt tetra	!	!	✓	✓	✕	!	✓	!	!	!	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	!	✓	!		!	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Blood parrot cichlid	!	✓	✓	!	✕	✕	✓	!	✕	!	!	✓	!	!	!	!	!	!	✓	!	!		!	!	✕	!	✕	!	✓	✓
Boesemani rainbowfish	✓	✓	!	!	✕	✕	✓	✓	✕	!	✕	!	✕	✕	!	✕	!	!	!	✓	!	!		✓	✕	!	!	✕	✓	✕
Cardinal tetra	✕	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓		✓	✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Celestial pearl danio	✕	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✕	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✕	✕	✓		✓	✓	✕	!	✕
Cherry barb	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	!	✓	✓		✓	✕	!	✕
Chili rasbora	✕	!	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✕	!	✓	✓	✓		✕	!	✕
Chinese algae eater	!	!	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✓	✓	✕	!	✕	✕	!	✓	✕	✕	!	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕		✕	!
Clown loach	!	!	!	!	✕	✕	!	!	✕	!	!	✕	✓	!	✓	!	!	!	✕	✓	!	✓	✓	!	!	!	!	✕		✕
Convict cichlid	!	!	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	✓	!	✕	!	✕	✕	!	✓	✕	✕	✓	✕	✕	✕	✕	✕	!	✕

Compatibility by species

Angelfish: good with bristlenose pleco, common pleco, nerite snail, assassin snail, bala shark, boesemani rainbowfish. Avoid betta fish, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, neon tetra, tiger barb, african dwarf frog, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, chili rasbora.

Betta fish: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, common pleco, nerite snail, african dwarf frog, assassin snail, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, cherry barb. Avoid angelfish, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, dwarf gourami, fancy goldfish, guppy, oscar, tiger barb.

Bristlenose pleco: good with angelfish, betta fish, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, tiger barb, zebra danio, amano shrimp, assassin snail, bala shark, black skirt tetra, blood parrot cichlid, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Bronze corydoras: good with betta fish, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, bala shark, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid oscar, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Cherry shrimp: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, common pleco, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid angelfish, betta fish, common goldfish, dwarf gourami, fancy goldfish, oscar, tiger barb, bala shark, black skirt tetra, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, chinese algae eater, clown loach, convict cichlid.

Common goldfish: few safe matches in this chart. Avoid angelfish, betta fish, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, neon tetra, oscar, african dwarf frog, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, chinese algae eater, clown loach, convict cichlid.

Common pleco: good with angelfish, betta fish, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, oscar, tiger barb, zebra danio, amano shrimp, assassin snail, bala shark, black skirt tetra, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid common goldfish, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Dwarf gourami: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, common pleco, nerite snail, african dwarf frog, assassin snail, bala shark, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid betta fish, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, oscar, tiger barb, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Fancy goldfish: few safe matches in this chart. Avoid angelfish, betta fish, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, tiger barb, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, celestial pearl danio, chili rasbora, chinese algae eater, clown loach, convict cichlid.

Guppy: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid betta fish, oscar, tiger barb, bala shark, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Neon tetra: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, guppy, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish, oscar, bala shark, boesemani rainbowfish, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Nerite snail: good with angelfish, betta fish, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras, tiger barb, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, bala shark, black skirt tetra, blood parrot cichlid, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid. Avoid oscar, assassin snail, clown loach.

Oscar: good with common pleco, chinese algae eater, clown loach. Avoid betta fish, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, tiger barb, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora.

Panda corydoras: good with bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid oscar, bala shark, boesemani rainbowfish, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Tiger barb: good with bristlenose pleco, common pleco, nerite snail, assassin snail, bala shark, clown loach. Avoid angelfish, betta fish, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, fancy goldfish, guppy, oscar.

Zebra danio: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid oscar, bala shark, boesemani rainbowfish, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

African dwarf frog: good with betta fish, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish, oscar, bala shark, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Amano shrimp: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, assassin snail, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora.

Assassin snail: good with angelfish, betta fish, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras, tiger barb, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, bala shark, black skirt tetra, blood parrot cichlid, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid. Avoid nerite snail, oscar, clown loach.

Bala shark: good with angelfish, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, common pleco, dwarf gourami, nerite snail, tiger barb, assassin snail, boesemani rainbowfish, clown loach. Avoid cherry shrimp, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Black skirt tetra: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, common pleco, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, assassin snail, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid cherry shrimp, oscar, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Blood parrot cichlid: good with betta fish, bristlenose pleco, common pleco, nerite snail, assassin snail, clown loach, convict cichlid. Avoid cherry shrimp, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, celestial pearl danio, chili rasbora.

Boesemani rainbowfish: good with angelfish, betta fish, common pleco, dwarf gourami, bala shark, cardinal tetra, clown loach. Avoid cherry shrimp, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, neon tetra, oscar, panda corydoras, zebra danio, celestial pearl danio, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Cardinal tetra: good with betta fish, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, boesemani rainbowfish, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish, oscar, bala shark, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Celestial pearl danio: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, cherry barb, chili rasbora. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, oscar, bala shark, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Cherry barb: good with betta fish, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, chili rasbora. Avoid common goldfish, oscar, bala shark, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Chili rasbora: good with bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common pleco, dwarf gourami, guppy, neon tetra, nerite snail, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, amano shrimp, assassin snail, black skirt tetra, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, oscar, bala shark, blood parrot cichlid, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Chinese algae eater: good with nerite snail, oscar, assassin snail. Avoid bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, common pleco, dwarf gourami, fancy goldfish, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, bala shark, black skirt tetra, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, clown loach.

Clown loach: good with oscar, tiger barb, bala shark, blood parrot cichlid, boesemani rainbowfish. Avoid cherry shrimp, common goldfish, fancy goldfish, nerite snail, assassin snail, chinese algae eater, convict cichlid.

Convict cichlid: good with nerite snail, assassin snail, blood parrot cichlid. Avoid bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras, cherry shrimp, common goldfish, common pleco, dwarf gourami, fancy goldfish, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras, zebra danio, african dwarf frog, bala shark, black skirt tetra, boesemani rainbowfish, cardinal tetra, celestial pearl danio, cherry barb, chili rasbora, clown loach.

How we decide

Each square comes from the same rules as our stocking calculator: overlapping temperature and pH ranges, adult size against mouth size, fin nippers against long fins, aggression and territory, and shrimp or snail safety. Read the method.

Frequently asked questions

How do I read the fish compatibility chart?

Find one fish in the left column and the other along the top. A green tick means compatible, an amber ! means it can work with care, and a red cross means keep them apart. Tap any square for the reasons.

Which freshwater fish are compatible with almost everything?

Small, peaceful fish that like the same middle-of-the-road water: corydoras, otocinclus, harlequin rasboras, platies and nerite snails get along with most community fish. Check temperature, though: some are happier cooler or warmer.

Which popular fish are hardest to mix?

Bettas (they attack long-finned fish), tiger barbs (fin nippers), goldfish (cold water and big waste), and large cichlids like oscars (they eat small fish).