Fish Compatibility Chart: The Best Fish Friends For Balanced Aquariums - Badman's Tropical Fish (2024)

The Fish Compatibility Chart is a resource document that is often consulted by both beginner and seasoned aquarists before designing or setting up a community aquarium. Being familiar with the basics of freshwater fish compatibility is crucial when it comes to creating a balanced and harmonious closed ecosystem for your beloved fish.

In this article, you will learn about the freshwater fish that get along, as well as what to consider when choosing members of your community tank.

Fish Compatibility

Best Compatible Freshwater Fish (Chart)

Here is a more in-depth explanation that covers the differences and similarities of our recommended freshwater fish and how many of them you should keep in a community tank to ensure peace and stability between all the aquarium residents.

– Tetra Fish

The various species of Tetras are known for their peaceful temperament and colorful bodies. In fact, many aquarists will immediately think of Tetra Fish when they are asked for ideas on possible aquarium fish combination and community tank setups.

Some of the most compatible Tetra Fish include the Sunny Lemon Tetras, Ember Tetras, and Rummy-nose Tetras. If you intend to include Tetras in your community tank, be sure to keep them in groups of at least six or more as they exhibit strong shoaling tendencies and are happiest when swimming around with members of the same species.

Another interesting thing about Tetras is that they are highly tolerant of and compatible with their own cousin species. This means that you can create an entire community tank based on different variants of Tetra Fish. For instance, Neon Tetras, Sunny Lemon Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, and Cardinal Tetras can all live in the same aquarium for as long as they are given more than enough space to swim around.

Generally, keep small schools of these different Tetra Fish species, and you are bound to see wonderful shoaling activities in your community tank!

– Common Guppy

The Common Guppy can be found in most fish shops for a good reason: they are extremely easy to care for and have an excellent reputation when it comes to aquarium fish compatibility.

Guppies usually grow to about two inches in length, with some of the larger variants reaching up to two-and-a-half inches, and they should be kept in schools of six or more. These fish are highly compatible with peaceful freshwater fish such as Gouramis, Mollies, Swordtails, and Platies.

– Molly Fish

Mollies are livebearing freshwater fish that are sure to bring spunk and fun to your aquarium. They have been popular in the fishkeeping community for several years because they are easy to raise and they are known to get along well with different species of tropical fish that are likewise known to be non-aggressive.

Some of the compatible fishes with Mollies include Guppies, Barbs, Danios, Swordtails, Loaches, and Corydoras Catfish.

– Platy Fish

Like Mollies and Guppies, Platy Fish are known for their high community fish compatibility primarily because of their docile behavior and their small size. Platy Fish are also popular among aquarists because of their vibrant scales and their playful personalities.

There are so many types of Platies to choose from that you are bound to find at least one or two that will fit the aesthetic and environment that you envision for your community tank.

These fish are best kept in small schools of six and above and can be expected to live for about two to three years. You can house your Platfy Fish in a community tank with fish of similar personalities such as Mollies, Danios, Swordtails, Guppies, Cory Catfishes, Tetras, and a lot more.

– Danios

There are so many species of Danio Fish today that they are considered a staple in community tank setups.

Danios are a delight to care for in a community setting because they are lively and quite hardy; they are also eager omnivores and will thrive on a diet of pellets and meaty food.

Some of the best species of Danios to consider as a member of community tanks are the Dwarf Spotted Danio, Pearl Danio, and Zebra Danio. You should keep your Danios in groups of no less than five members, with a ratio of one male to four females to curb any episodes of aggression or territoriality among these small but rambunctious fish.

– Corydoras Catfish

Quiet and unassuming, the Corydoras Catfish is one of the most compatible freshwater fish species known in the hobby because it is content to stay at the bottom layer of most tanks and hardly gets in the way of other, more active fish.

Cory Catfishes are relatively small and can be kept in pairs. Some of the most recommended Cory Catfish species for beginners are the Panda Cory, Bronze Cory, and Pepper Cory. You can house your Cory Catfishes with other tropical fish that occupy the top or middle layers of the tank, and have a reputation for being friendly or non-aggressive.

– Plecostomus

The Plecostomus, which is also called the Plecos or Janitor Fish, is known for its peaceful nature as well as its capability to defend itself against other larger species of freshwater fish. There are more than 100 species of Plecos in the hobby today, but the ones that stand out in terms of tropical fish compatibility are the Bristlenose Plecos and the Clown Plecos.

You can keep two of these wonderful bottom-feeders in your community tank and not worry about them too much, as they mostly scavenge for uneaten food or algae on the substrate and surfaces of their aquarium. Plecos are able to live happily and healthily in a community tank that also has Guppies, Gouramis, Goldfish, and even some species of Cichlids and Oscars provided that there is enough space and food for everyone.

– Swordtail Fish

Swordtails are beautiful fish and are also beginner-friendly as they are not highly sensitive or demanding when it comes to maintaining specific water parameters. Having the latter in mind, Swordtails are incredibly compatible with a lot of other freshwater fish that are similar in temperament and size.

You can expect Swordtails to become fast friends with Platies, Mollies, Loaches, Otocinclus, and even feisty Rosy Barbs and Angelfish. Swordtails are not considered schooling fish and thus can be introduced into a community tank as an individual species or as part of a pair or trio.

– Otocinclus

If you are looking for another bottom-dweller for your freshwater community tank, then look no further than the Otocinclus. Highly regarded as a low-maintenance and peaceful freshwater fish, the Otocinclus is perfect for most beginner community tank setups.

It will cause no trouble for other freshwater species, and will likely remain at the bottom of its aquarium where it will be content munching on algae and scavenging for leftover snacks.

The Otocinclus is compatible with Rasboras, Guppies, Cory Catfishes, Barbs, Danios, and Gouramis.

Best Compatible Saltwater Fish (Chart)

Conclusion

Now that you have a better grasp of freshwater fish compatibility, you should be able to build your own community tank without having to worry about whether or not your chosen fishes will get along with each other. Here is a quick recap of the most important points we covered in this article:

• The Fish Compatibility Chart is a tool that aquarists use to help them decide which species of fish they can introduce into a community tank.
• Most community-compatible freshwater fish are those that are peaceful or docile in nature, are small to medium in size, and do not have aggression or territoriality issues.
• Our experts highly recommend the following freshwater fish based on their compatibility and individual personalities: Tetras, Guppies, Mollies, Platies, Danios, Cory Catfishes, Plecos, Swordtails, and Otocinclus.
• Creating a harmonious and well-balanced aquarium does not have to be an intimidating or tedious experience.

As long as you keep these points of freshwater fish compatibility in mind, you should be able to come up with many combinations of fish that can coexist in your aquascape.