Tank mates for odessa barbs

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

Good tank mates for odessa barbs include nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and zebra danio. Avoid cherry shrimp, oscar and boesemani rainbowfish: odessa barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.

Odessa barbs: 20–25°C (68–77°F), pH 6–7.5, adult size 6 cm (2.4 in), minimum tank 20 gallons (76 L). Full odessa barb care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (69)

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

Caution Possible, with care (58)

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

  • Angelfish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.
    • Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
  • Common goldfish · 75+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Dwarf gourami · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of dwarf gouramis are an easy target.
  • Fancy goldfish · 20+ gal
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of fancy goldfish are an easy target.
  • Guppy · 10+ gal
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of guppies are an easy target.
  • Tiger barb · 29+ gal
    • Tiger barb nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like odessa barbs.
  • Amano shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Odessa barb hunts shrimp. Larger amano shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Bala shark · 230+ gal
    • Bala shark may eat odessa barbs, especially young or small ones.
  • Blood parrot cichlid · 55+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Blood parrot cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
    • Blood parrot cichlid defends its patch of the tank and may chase odessa barbs, which use the same area.
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
    • Clown loach grows much larger than odessa barbs and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Electric blue acara · 40+ gal
    • Electric blue acara may eat odessa barbs, especially young or small ones.
    • Electric blue acara is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
  • Firemouth cichlid · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Firemouth cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
  • Ghost shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Odessa barb hunts shrimp. Larger ghost shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Glowlight tetra · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Honey gourami · 10+ gal
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of honey gouramis are an easy target.
  • Kribensis · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Kuhli loach · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Molly · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Pearl gourami · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of pearl gouramis are an easy target.
  • Pictus catfish · 75+ gal
    • Pictus catfish may eat odessa barbs, especially young or small ones.
  • Rainbow shark · 75+ gal
    • Rainbow shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
  • Rummy-nose tetra · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Silver dollar · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of three spot gouramis are an easy target.
  • White cloud mountain minnow · 15+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • X-ray tetra · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Yoyo loach · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • African butterfly fish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of african butterfly fish are an easy target.
  • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
  • Bamboo shrimp · 20+ gal
    • Odessa barb hunts shrimp. Larger bamboo shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Bolivian ram · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
    • Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like odessa barbs.
  • Clown pleco · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Cockatoo cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Congo tetra · 40+ gal
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of Congo tetras are an easy target.
  • Diamond tetra · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Dwarf chain loach · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • Odessa barb may attack small crustaceans like dwarf orange crayfish, especially after they molt.
  • Endler's livebearer · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Forktail blue-eye · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
  • Marbled hatchetfish · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Rabbit snail · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
  • Red rainbowfish · 40+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Ropefish · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Ropefish may eat odessa barbs, especially young or small ones.
  • Rosy tetra · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Serpae tetra · 20+ gal
    • Serpae tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like odessa barbs.
  • Severum · 55+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Severum may eat odessa barbs, especially young or small ones.
    • Severum is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller odessa barbs.
    • Severum defends its patch of the tank and may chase odessa barbs, which use the same area.
  • Sparkling gourami · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Thai micro crab · 5+ gal
    • Odessa barb may attack small crustaceans like Thai micro crabs, especially after they molt.
  • Threadfin rainbowfish · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of threadfin rainbowfish are an easy target.
  • Upside-down catfish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Vampire shrimp · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Odessa barb hunts shrimp. Larger vampire shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Dwarf rasbora · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Green neon tetra · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Moonlight gourami · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of moonlight gouramis are an easy target.
  • Thick-lipped gourami · 20+ gal
    • Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of thick-lipped gouramis are an easy target.

Avoid Bad tank mates (22)

  • Cherry shrimp: Odessa barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
  • Oscar: Oscar can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Boesemani rainbowfish: They need different temperatures: Odessa barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), boesemani rainbowfish 26–29°C (79–84°F).
  • Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs.
  • Discus: They need different temperatures: Odessa barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
  • 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • German blue ram: They need different temperatures: Odessa barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), german blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F).
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs. Pea puffer is best kept in a species-only tank.
  • Peacock cichlid: 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs. 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Crystal red shrimp: Odessa barb eats small shrimp like crystal red shrimp.
  • Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs. 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: Frontosa can eat odessa barbs: 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Green terror: Green terror can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful odessa barbs.
  • 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. Odessa barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat odessa barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Zebra pleco: They need different temperatures: Odessa barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), zebra pleco 26–30°C (79–86°F).

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with odessa barbs?

Good tank mates for odessa barbs include nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and zebra danio. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat odessa barbs.

Can odessa barbs live with angelfish?

Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C). Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.

Can odessa barbs live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C). Odessa barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Can odessa barbs live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–25°C (72–77°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can odessa barbs live with bronze corydoras?

Yes. They share similar water needs (21–25°C (70–77°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.