Paradise fish Tank Mates
Short answer: the best paradise fish tank mates are . Paradise fish need 50–72 °F (10–22 °C), pH 6–8 and at least 20 gallons.
Same species: Keep only one paradise fish (or one male) per tank — males fight, often to the death.
Paradise fish care at a glance
| Adult size | 3.9 in (10 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 50–72 °F (10–22 °C) |
| pH | 6–8 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Swims in | Top |
| Group size | Keep one male per tank |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (0)
⚠️ Possible with caution (7)
- Tiger barb — Paradise fish is aggressive; tiger barb may get into fights with it.
- Mystery snail — Very narrow shared temperature range: Mystery snail 21–26 °C (70–79 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Swordtail — Paradise fish is aggressive; swordtail may get into fights with it.
- Rainbow shark — Paradise fish is aggressive; rainbow shark may get into fights with it.
- Red tail shark — Paradise fish is aggressive; red tail shark may get into fights with it.
- Buenos Aires tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive; Buenos Aires tetra may get into fights with it.
- Firemouth cichlid — Paradise fish is aggressive; firemouth cichlid may get into fights with it.
❌ Not recommended (64)
- Cherry shrimp — Paradise fish will hunt and eat cherry shrimp.
- Betta fish — No comfortable shared temperature: Betta fish 22–30 °C (72–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Dwarf gourami — No comfortable shared temperature: Dwarf gourami 22–27 °C (72–81 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Guppy — Paradise fish often attacks long-finned, colourful fish like guppy.
- Bristlenose pleco — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful bristlenose pleco.
- Fancy goldfish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful fancy goldfish.
- Harlequin rasbora — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful harlequin rasbora.
- Molly — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful molly.
- Neon tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
- Platy — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful platy.
- Angelfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Angelfish 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat paradise fish (10 cm).
- Nerite snail — No comfortable shared temperature: Nerite snail 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Pea puffer — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Pea puffer 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Amano shrimp — Paradise fish will hunt and eat Amano shrimp.
- Celestial pearl danio — An adult paradise fish (up to 10 cm) is big enough to eat celestial pearl danio (2.5 cm).
- Chili rasbora — An adult paradise fish (up to 10 cm) is big enough to eat chili rasbora (2 cm).
- Ember tetra — An adult paradise fish (up to 10 cm) is big enough to eat ember tetra (2 cm).
- Endler's livebearer — No comfortable shared temperature: Endler's livebearer 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Otocinclus — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful otocinclus.
- Panda cory — No comfortable shared temperature: Panda cory 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Black skirt tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and much larger than black skirt tetra; it will bully or injure it.
- Bronze cory — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful bronze cory.
- Cardinal tetra — No comfortable shared temperature: Cardinal tetra 23–29 °C (73–84 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Cherry barb — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful cherry barb.
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Glowlight tetra — No comfortable shared temperature: Glowlight tetra 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Honey gourami — No comfortable shared temperature: Honey gourami 22–27 °C (72–81 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Kuhli loach — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful kuhli loach.
- Rummy nose tetra — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Rummy nose tetra 23–26 °C (73–79 °F).
- Serpae tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and much larger than serpae tetra; it will bully or injure it.
- White cloud mountain minnow — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful white cloud mountain minnow.
- Zebra danio — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful zebra danio.
- Kribensis — No comfortable shared temperature: Kribensis 24–27 °C (75–81 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Pearl gourami — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Pearl gourami 24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
- Three spot gourami — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Three spot gourami 24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
- Electric yellow cichlid — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Electric yellow cichlid 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Discus — No comfortable shared temperature: Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Siamese algae eater — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful Siamese algae eater.
- Common pleco — No comfortable shared temperature: Common pleco 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Clown loach — No comfortable shared temperature: Clown loach 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Pygmy cory — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Pygmy cory 22–26 °C (72–79 °F).
- Sparkling gourami — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Sparkling gourami 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Black neon tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
- Bloodfin tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful bloodfin tetra.
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid — No comfortable shared temperature: Cockatoo dwarf cichlid 22–29 °C (72–84 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Dwarf neon rainbowfish 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Forktail blue-eye — No comfortable shared temperature: Forktail blue-eye 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Glass catfish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful glass catfish.
- Lemon tetra — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful lemon tetra.
- Peppered cory — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful peppered cory.
- Sterbai cory — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Sterbai cory 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- X-ray tetra — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs X-ray tetra 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Congo tetra — No comfortable shared temperature: Congo tetra 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Convict cichlid — No comfortable shared temperature: Convict cichlid 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Gold barb — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful gold barb.
- Odessa barb — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful Odessa barb.
- Rosy barb — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful rosy barb.
- Upside-down catfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Bolivian ram — No comfortable shared temperature: Bolivian ram 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Chinese algae eater — No comfortable shared temperature: Chinese algae eater 22–26 °C (72–79 °F) vs Paradise fish 10–22 °C (50–72 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat paradise fish (10 cm).
- Bala shark — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful bala shark.
How many paradise fish 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 paradise fish?
Good matches include . They share a temperature range with paradise fish (50–72 °F (10–22 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with paradise fish?
Avoid Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Fancy goldfish.
What size tank do paradise fish need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for one paradise fish, more if you add tank mates.
Can paradise fish live alone?
Yes. Keep only one paradise fish (or one male) per tank — males fight, often to the death.
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.