Tank mates for penguin tetras

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

Good tank mates for penguin tetras include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco and bronze corydoras. Avoid oscar, bala shark and chinese algae eater: oscar can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Penguin tetras: 22–28°C (72–82°F), pH 6–7.5, adult size 5 cm (2 in), minimum tank 20 gallons (76 L). Full penguin tetra care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (95)

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

Caution Possible, with care (33)

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

  • Angelfish · 29+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.
    • Angelfish may eat penguin tetras, especially young or small ones.
    • Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
  • Common goldfish · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–22°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
    • Common goldfish may eat penguin tetras, especially young or small ones.
  • Dwarf gourami · 15+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of dwarf gouramis are an easy target.
  • Fancy goldfish · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–23°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of fancy goldfish are an easy target.
  • Guppy · 10+ gal
    • Penguin tetra 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 penguin tetras.
  • Blood parrot cichlid · 55+ gal
    • Blood parrot cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
    • Blood parrot cichlid defends its patch of the tank and may chase penguin tetras, which use the same area.
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Clown loach grows much larger than penguin tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Discus · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 28–28°C).
  • Dojo loach · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–23°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Firemouth cichlid · 29+ gal
    • Firemouth cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • German blue ram · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 27–28°C).
  • Hillstream loach · 20+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Honey gourami · 10+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of honey gouramis are an easy target.
  • Pearl gourami · 29+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of pearl gouramis are an easy target.
  • Rainbow shark · 75+ gal
    • Rainbow shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • Red-tail shark · 75+ gal
    • Red-tail shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • Rosy barb · 29+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of three spot gouramis are an easy target.
    • Three spot gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • White cloud mountain minnow · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–22°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • African butterfly fish · 29+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of african butterfly fish are an easy target.
    • African butterfly fish may eat penguin tetras, especially young or small ones.
    • African butterfly fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
  • Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
    • Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like penguin tetras.
  • Congo tetra · 40+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of Congo tetras are an easy target.
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Gold barb · 29+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Golden wonder killifish · 20+ gal
    • Golden wonder killifish may eat penguin tetras, especially young or small ones.
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller penguin tetras.
    • Kissing gourami grows much larger than penguin tetras and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Paradise fish · 20+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Serpae tetra · 20+ gal
    • Serpae tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like penguin tetras.
  • Threadfin rainbowfish · 20+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of threadfin rainbowfish are an easy target.
  • Moonlight gourami · 29+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of moonlight gouramis are an easy target.
  • Thick-lipped gourami · 20+ gal
    • Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of thick-lipped gouramis are an easy target.

Avoid Bad tank mates (21)

  • Oscar: Oscar can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bala shark: Bala shark can eat penguin 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 penguin tetras.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful penguin tetras.
  • Electric blue acara: Electric blue acara can eat penguin 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful penguin tetras.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful penguin tetras. 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Pictus catfish: Pictus catfish can eat penguin 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 penguin 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat penguin 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 penguin 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: Frontosa can eat penguin 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Green terror: Green terror can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful penguin tetras.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful penguin tetras.
  • Ropefish: Ropefish can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Severum: Severum can eat penguin 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. Penguin tetras don't belong in that setup.
  • Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat penguin tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with penguin tetras?

Good tank mates for penguin tetras include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco and bronze corydoras. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat penguin tetras.

Can penguin tetras live with angelfish?

Sometimes, with care. Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target. Angelfish may eat penguin tetras, especially young or small ones.

Can penguin tetras live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Penguin tetra sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Can penguin tetras live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–26°C (72–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can penguin tetras live with bronze corydoras?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–26°C (72–79°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.