Upside-down catfish Tank Mates
Short answer: the best upside-down catfish tank mates are Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. Upside-down catfish need 75–82 °F (24–28 °C), pH 6–7.5 and at least 30 gallons. Keep them in a group of 3 or more.
Upside-down catfish care at a glance
| Adult size | 3.9 in (10 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 US gallons |
| Temperature | 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims in | All levels |
| Group size | Groups of 3+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (46)
- Betta fish
- Dwarf gourami
- Guppy
- Bristlenose pleco
- Harlequin rasbora
- Molly
- Platy
- Angelfish
- Amano shrimp
- Celestial pearl danio
- Chili rasbora
- Ember tetra
- Endler's livebearer
- Mystery snail
- Otocinclus
- Bronze cory
- Cardinal tetra
- Cherry barb
- Glowlight tetra
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Rummy nose tetra
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Three spot gourami
- Discus
- 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
- Glass catfish
- Lemon tetra
- Sterbai cory
- X-ray tetra
- Congo tetra
- Firemouth cichlid
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (15)
- Cherry shrimp — Upside-down catfish will eat baby cherry shrimp (and some individuals hunt adults), so a shrimp colony may not grow. Dense plants and moss help.
- Neon tetra — Very narrow shared temperature range: Neon tetra 21–25 °C (70–77 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Tiger barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like upside-down catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Nerite snail — Very narrow shared temperature range: Nerite snail 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Panda cory — Very narrow shared temperature range: Panda cory 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Black skirt tetra — 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.
- German blue ram — Very narrow shared temperature range: German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Serpae tetra — Serpae 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.
- Zebra danio — Very narrow shared temperature range: Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Zebra danio 18–25 °C (64–77 °F).
- Electric yellow cichlid — pH preferences don't overlap (Upside-down catfish 6–7.5, 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 upside-down catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Odessa barb — Very narrow shared temperature range: Odessa barb 16–25 °C (61–77 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Boesemani rainbowfish — Very narrow shared temperature range: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Chinese algae eater — Chinese algae eater is a much larger territorial fish and may bully upside-down catfish.
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) may try to eat smaller upside-down catfish (10 cm), especially at night.
❌ Not recommended (10)
- Fancy goldfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat upside-down catfish (10 cm).
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful upside-down catfish.
- White cloud mountain minnow — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs White cloud mountain minnow 14–22 °C (57–72 °F).
- Paradise fish — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Peppered cory — No comfortable shared temperature: Peppered cory 20–24 °C (68–75 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful upside-down catfish.
- Gold barb — No comfortable shared temperature: Gold barb 16–24 °C (61–75 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Rosy barb — No comfortable shared temperature: Rosy barb 16–24 °C (61–75 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat upside-down catfish (10 cm).
How many upside-down catfish per tank?
40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with upside-down catfish?
Good matches include Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. They share a temperature range with upside-down catfish (75–82 °F (24–28 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with upside-down catfish?
Avoid Fancy goldfish, Oscar, Pea puffer, White cloud mountain minnow, Paradise fish, Peppered cory.
What size tank do upside-down catfish need?
We recommend at least 30 US gallons for a group of 3 upside-down catfish, more if you add tank mates.
Can upside-down catfish live alone?
No. Upside-down catfish are social and should be kept in groups of at least 3.
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.