Glass catfish Tank Mates
Short answer: the best glass catfish tank mates are Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. Glass catfish need 68–79 °F (20–26 °C), pH 4–7 and at least 20 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Glass catfish care at a glance
| Adult size | 2.6 in (6.5 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 68–79 °F (20–26 °C) |
| pH | 4–7 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims in | Middle |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Moderate |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (52)
- Betta fish
- Dwarf gourami
- Guppy
- Bristlenose pleco
- Harlequin rasbora
- Molly
- Neon tetra
- Platy
- Angelfish
- Nerite snail
- Amano shrimp
- Celestial pearl danio
- Chili rasbora
- Ember tetra
- Endler's livebearer
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Bronze cory
- Cardinal tetra
- Cherry barb
- Glowlight tetra
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Rummy nose tetra
- White cloud mountain minnow
- Zebra danio
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Three spot gourami
- Rainbow shark
- Red tail shark
- Siamese algae eater
- Common pleco
- Clown loach
- Pygmy cory
- Sparkling gourami
- Black neon tetra
- Bloodfin tetra
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish
- Forktail blue-eye
- Lemon tetra
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- X-ray tetra
- Congo tetra
- Gold barb
- Odessa barb
- Rosy barb
- Upside-down catfish
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (10)
- Cherry shrimp — Glass catfish will eat baby cherry shrimp (and some individuals hunt adults), so a shrimp colony may not grow. Dense plants and moss help.
- Fancy goldfish — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller glass catfish (6.5 cm), especially at night.
- Tiger barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like glass catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Mystery snail — pH preferences don't overlap (Glass catfish 4–7, Mystery snail 7.2–8.5). Captive-bred fish often adapt, but one of them will be outside its comfort zone.
- Black skirt tetra — 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.
- Serpae tetra — Serpae tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like glass catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Electric yellow cichlid — pH preferences don't overlap (Glass catfish 4–7, Electric yellow cichlid 7.7–8.6). Captive-bred fish often adapt, but one of them will be outside its comfort zone.
- Buenos Aires tetra — 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.
- Firemouth cichlid — Firemouth cichlid is a much larger territorial fish and may bully glass catfish.
- Chinese algae eater — Adult Chinese algae eater can latch onto other fish and rasp their slime coat.
❌ Not recommended (9)
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat glass catfish (6.5 cm).
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful glass catfish.
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Glass catfish 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Discus — No comfortable shared temperature: Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) vs Glass catfish 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful glass catfish.
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful glass catfish.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Glass catfish 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat glass catfish (6.5 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat glass catfish (6.5 cm).
How many glass catfish 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 glass catfish?
Good matches include Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. They share a temperature range with glass catfish (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 glass catfish?
Avoid Oscar, Pea puffer, German blue ram, Discus, Paradise fish, Convict cichlid.
What size tank do glass catfish need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for a group of 6 glass catfish, more if you add tank mates.
Can glass catfish live alone?
No. Glass catfish 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.