Tank mates for ember tetras

We checked ember tetras against all 149 other species in our database for water temperature, pH, size, fin nipping, predation and aggression.

Good tank mates for ember tetras include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, dwarf gourami, neon tetra and panda corydoras. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish and fancy goldfish: angelfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Ember tetras: 23–28°C (73–82°F), pH 5.5–7, adult size 2 cm (0.8 in), minimum tank 10 gallons (38 L). Full ember tetra care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (85)

Shared water conditions and no known conflict. Still add fish slowly and watch them.

Caution Possible, with care (27)

These can work in the right setup, but there is a real risk. Read the reason first.

  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Betta fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Tiger barb · 29+ gal
    • Tiger barb nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like ember tetras.
    • Tiger barb is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Clown loach grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Discus · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 28–28°C).
    • Discus grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Dojo loach · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–23°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
    • Dojo loach grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • German blue ram · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 27–28°C).
  • Hillstream loach · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Kribensis · 29+ gal
    • Kribensis is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Molly · 29+ gal
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (5.5–7 vs 7.5–8.5).
    • One prefers soft water and the other hard water (GH 1–10 vs 15–30 dGH).
  • Mystery snail · 10+ gal
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (5.5–7 vs 7.2–8).
  • Rainbow shark · 75+ gal
    • Rainbow shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
    • Rainbow shark grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Red-tail shark · 75+ gal
    • Red-tail shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Rosy barb · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Siamese algae eater · 55+ gal
    • Siamese algae eater grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
    • Three spot gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
    • Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like ember tetras.
    • Buenos Aires tetra is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Cockatoo cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Cockatoo cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Crystal red shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Gardneri killifish · 10+ gal
    • Gardneri killifish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Gold barb · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
    • Kissing gourami grows much larger than ember tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Rabbit snail · 29+ gal
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (5.5–7 vs 7.5–8.5).
  • Serpae tetra · 20+ gal
    • Serpae tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like ember tetras.
    • Serpae tetra is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.
  • Glowlight danio · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 23–24°C).
  • Variatus platy · 15+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.

Avoid Bad tank mates (37)

  • Angelfish: Angelfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Ember tetra 23–28°C (73–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F). Common goldfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Fancy goldfish: Fancy goldfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Oscar: Oscar can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bala shark: Bala shark can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Blood parrot cichlid: Blood parrot cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras.
  • Electric blue acara: Electric blue acara can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Electric yellow cichlid: Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Firemouth cichlid: Firemouth cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras. Pea puffer is best kept in a species-only tank.
  • Peacock cichlid: Peacock cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Peacock cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Pictus catfish: Pictus catfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras. Red zebra cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Silver dollar: Silver dollar can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • White cloud mountain minnow: They need different temperatures: Ember tetra 23–28°C (73–82°F), white cloud mountain minnow 16–22°C (61–72°F).
  • African butterfly fish: African butterfly fish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bumblebee catfish: Bumblebee catfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras. Demasoni cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: They need very different water: pH 5.5–7 vs 8–9. Frontosa can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Frontosa is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 8–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Giant danio: Giant danio can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Golden wonder killifish: Golden wonder killifish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Green terror: Green terror can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful ember tetras.
  • Paradise fish: Paradise fish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Ropefish: Ropefish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Scissortail rasbora: Scissortail rasbora can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Severum: Severum can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Shell dweller cichlid: Shell dweller cichlid is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Ember tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Upside-down catfish: Upside-down catfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Keyhole cichlid: Keyhole cichlid can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Moonlight gourami: Moonlight gourami can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with ember tetras?

Good tank mates for ember tetras include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, dwarf gourami, neon tetra and panda corydoras. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat ember tetras.

Can ember tetras live with angelfish?

No. Angelfish can eat ember tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.

Can ember tetras live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Betta fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller ember tetras.

Can ember tetras live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (23–26°C (73–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can ember tetras live with bronze corydoras?

Yes. They share similar water needs (23–26°C (73–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

How we decide: we compare each pair's comfortable temperature, pH and hardness ranges, adult sizes, mouth size (who can eat whom), fin nipping, aggression and territory. Read the full method. Data last reviewed 2026-10-13.