Can arowanas live with black neon tetras?

Verdict

No. Arowanas and black neon tetras should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches black neon tetras do.

Silver arowana75–86°F · pH 6–7

Black neon tetra73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches black neon tetras do.
Deal breakerArowanas are aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetras.
Watch outArowanas grow to 36 inches and need 250 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black neon tetras.

What works

Both are fine at 75–81°F.
pH 6–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: arowanas the top, black neon tetras the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Silver arowana	Black neon tetra
Temperature	75–86 °F	73–81 °F
pH	6–7	5.5–7.5
Adult size	36.0 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	250 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for black neon tetras

All black neon tetra tank mates

Questions

Can arowanas live with black neon tetras?

No. Arowanas and black neon tetras should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches black neon tetras do.

What temperature suits both arowanas and black neon tetras?

75–81 °F. Arowanas need 75–86 °F, black neon tetras need 73–81 °F.

What size tank do arowanas and black neon tetras need together?

At least 250 gal, set by the silver arowana. Add space for each extra fish.