Cherry barb Tank Mates
Short answer: the best cherry barb tank mates are Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. Cherry barbs need 68–81 °F (20–27 °C), pH 6–8 and at least 20 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Cherry barb care at a glance
| Adult size | 2.0 in (5 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 68–81 °F (20–27 °C) |
| pH | 6–8 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims in | Middle |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (50)
- Betta fish
- Dwarf gourami
- Guppy
- Bristlenose pleco
- Harlequin rasbora
- Molly
- Neon tetra
- Platy
- Nerite snail
- Amano shrimp
- Celestial pearl danio
- Chili rasbora
- Ember tetra
- Endler's livebearer
- Mystery snail
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Bronze cory
- Cardinal tetra
- Glowlight tetra
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Rummy nose tetra
- White cloud mountain minnow
- Zebra danio
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- 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
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- X-ray tetra
- Congo tetra
- Gold barb
- Odessa barb
- Rosy barb
- Upside-down catfish
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (11)
- Cherry shrimp — Cherry barb will eat baby cherry shrimp (and some individuals hunt adults), so a shrimp colony may not grow. Dense plants and moss help.
- Tiger barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like cherry barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Angelfish — An adult angelfish (up to 15 cm) may try to eat smaller cherry barb (5 cm), especially at night.
- Black skirt tetra — 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.
- Serpae tetra — Serpae tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like cherry barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Kribensis — Kribensis is a much larger territorial fish and may bully cherry barb.
- Three spot gourami — An adult three spot gourami (up to 15 cm) may try to eat smaller cherry barb (5 cm), especially at night.
- Discus — Very narrow shared temperature range: Cherry barb 20–27 °C (68–81 °F) vs Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F).
- Buenos Aires tetra — 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.
- Firemouth cichlid — An adult firemouth cichlid (up to 15 cm) may try to eat smaller cherry barb (5 cm), especially at night.
- Chinese algae eater — Adult Chinese algae eater can latch onto other fish and rasp their slime coat.
❌ Not recommended (10)
- Fancy goldfish — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat cherry barb (5 cm).
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat cherry barb (5 cm).
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful cherry barb.
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: Cherry barb 20–27 °C (68–81 °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 cherry barb.
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful cherry barb.
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful cherry barb.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Cherry barb 20–27 °C (68–81 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat cherry barb (5 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat cherry barb (5 cm).
How many cherry barbs 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 cherry barbs?
Good matches include Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora, Molly. They share a temperature range with cherry barbs (68–81 °F (20–27 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with cherry barbs?
Avoid Fancy goldfish, Oscar, Pea puffer, German blue ram, Electric yellow cichlid, Paradise fish.
What size tank do cherry barbs need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for a group of 6 cherry barbs, more if you add tank mates.
Can cherry barbs live alone?
No. Cherry barbs 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.