Black skirt tetra Tank Mates
Short answer: the best black skirt tetra tank mates are Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Nerite snail, Amano shrimp, Endler's livebearer. Black skirt tetras need 68–79 °F (20–26 °C), pH 6–7 and at least 20 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Black skirt tetra care at a glance
| Adult size | 2.4 in (6 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 68–79 °F (20–26 °C) |
| pH | 6–7 |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive |
| Swims in | Middle |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (28)
- Dwarf gourami
- Bristlenose pleco
- Molly
- Tiger barb
- Nerite snail
- Amano shrimp
- Endler's livebearer
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Bronze cory
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Serpae tetra
- Zebra danio
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Rainbow shark
- Red tail shark
- Siamese algae eater
- Common pleco
- Clown loach
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
- Forktail blue-eye
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- Buenos Aires tetra
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (31)
- Cherry shrimp — Black skirt tetra will eat baby cherry shrimp (and some individuals hunt adults), so a shrimp colony may not grow. Dense plants and moss help.
- Fancy goldfish — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like fancy goldfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Harlequin rasbora — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like harlequin rasbora; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Neon tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like neon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Platy — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like platy; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive; black skirt tetra may get into fights with it.
- Celestial pearl danio — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like celestial pearl danio; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Chili rasbora — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like chili rasbora; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Ember tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like ember tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Mystery snail — pH preferences don't overlap (Black skirt tetra 6–7, Mystery snail 7.2–8.5). Captive-bred fish often adapt, but one of them will be outside its comfort zone.
- Cardinal tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like cardinal tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Cherry barb — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like cherry barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Glowlight tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like glowlight tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Rummy nose tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like rummy nose tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- White cloud mountain minnow — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like white cloud mountain minnow; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Three spot gourami — An adult three spot gourami (up to 15 cm) may try to eat smaller black skirt tetra (6 cm), especially at night.
- Pygmy cory — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like pygmy cory; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Sparkling gourami — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like sparkling gourami; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Black neon tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like black neon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Bloodfin tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like bloodfin tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like dwarf neon rainbowfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Glass catfish — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like glass catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Lemon tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like lemon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- X-ray tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like X-ray tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Congo tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like Congo tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Gold barb — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like gold barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Odessa barb — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like Odessa barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Rosy barb — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like rosy barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Upside-down catfish — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like upside-down catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Firemouth cichlid — An adult firemouth cichlid (up to 15 cm) may try to eat smaller black skirt tetra (6 cm), especially at night.
- Chinese algae eater — Adult Chinese algae eater can latch onto other fish and rasp their slime coat.
❌ Not recommended (12)
- Betta fish — Black skirt tetra is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of betta fish.
- Guppy — Black skirt tetra is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of guppy.
- Angelfish — Black skirt tetra is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of angelfish.
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat black skirt tetra (6 cm).
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: Black skirt tetra 20–26 °C (68–79 °F) vs German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F).
- Electric yellow cichlid — Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid: it needs hard, alkaline water and an African-cichlid community, and is too boisterous for black skirt tetra.
- Discus — No comfortable shared temperature: Black skirt tetra 20–26 °C (68–79 °F) vs Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F).
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive and much larger than black skirt tetra; it will bully or injure it.
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and much larger than black skirt tetra; it will bully or injure it.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Black skirt tetra 20–26 °C (68–79 °F) vs Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat black skirt tetra (6 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat black skirt tetra (6 cm).
How many black skirt tetras per tank?
20 gal 29 gal 40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with black skirt tetras?
Good matches include Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Nerite snail, Amano shrimp, Endler's livebearer. They share a temperature range with black skirt tetras (68–79 °F (20–26 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with black skirt tetras?
Avoid Betta fish, Guppy, Angelfish, Oscar, German blue ram, Electric yellow cichlid.
What size tank do black skirt tetras need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for a group of 6 black skirt tetras, more if you add tank mates.
Can black skirt tetras live alone?
No. Black skirt tetras are social and should be kept in groups of at least 6.
Note: Compatibility depends on individual temperament, tank size, decor and how fish are introduced. Our verdicts use conservative rules applied to published care data (see methodology). They are guidance, not a guarantee. Quarantine new fish and watch for chasing, torn fins or hiding.