Buenos Aires tetra Tank Mates
Short answer: the best buenos aires tetra tank mates are Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Tiger barb, Nerite snail, Amano shrimp. Buenos Aires tetras need 61–82 °F (16–28 °C), pH 5.5–8.5 and at least 30 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Buenos Aires tetra care at a glance
| Adult size | 2.8 in (7 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 US gallons |
| Temperature | 61–82 °F (16–28 °C) |
| pH | 5.5–8.5 |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive |
| Swims in | Middle |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (30)
- Dwarf gourami
- Bristlenose pleco
- Molly
- Tiger barb
- Nerite snail
- Amano shrimp
- Endler's livebearer
- Mystery snail
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Black skirt tetra
- Bronze cory
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Serpae tetra
- Zebra danio
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Three spot gourami
- Rainbow shark
- Red tail shark
- Siamese algae eater
- Common pleco
- Clown loach
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
- Forktail blue-eye
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (33)
- Cherry shrimp — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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; Buenos Aires tetra may get into fights with it.
- Celestial pearl danio — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like ember tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Cardinal tetra — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like cherry barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- German blue ram — Very narrow shared temperature range: Buenos Aires tetra 16–28 °C (61–82 °F) vs German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F).
- Glowlight tetra — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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.
- Discus — Buenos Aires tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like discus; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Pygmy cory — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like lemon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive; Buenos Aires tetra may get into fights with it.
- X-ray tetra — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Buenos Aires 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 — Firemouth cichlid is a much larger territorial fish and may bully Buenos Aires tetra.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — Very narrow shared temperature range: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Buenos Aires tetra 16–28 °C (61–82 °F).
- Chinese algae eater — Adult Chinese algae eater can latch onto other fish and rasp their slime coat.
❌ Not recommended (8)
- Betta fish — Buenos Aires tetra is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of betta fish.
- Guppy — Buenos Aires tetra is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of guppy.
- Angelfish — Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires tetra (7 cm).
- 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 Buenos Aires tetra.
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and much larger than Buenos Aires tetra; it will bully or injure it.
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat Buenos Aires tetra (7 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat Buenos Aires tetra (7 cm).
How many Buenos Aires tetras per tank?
40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with Buenos Aires tetras?
Good matches include Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Tiger barb, Nerite snail, Amano shrimp. They share a temperature range with Buenos Aires tetras (61–82 °F (16–28 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with Buenos Aires tetras?
Avoid Betta fish, Guppy, Angelfish, Oscar, Electric yellow cichlid, Convict cichlid.
What size tank do Buenos Aires tetras need?
We recommend at least 30 US gallons for a group of 6 Buenos Aires tetras, more if you add tank mates.
Can Buenos Aires tetras live alone?
No. Buenos Aires 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.