Can arowanas live with dwarf neon rainbowfish?

Verdict

No. Arowanas and dwarf neon rainbowfish should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches dwarf neon rainbowfish do.

Silver arowana75–86°F · pH 6–7

Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches dwarf neon rainbowfish do.
Deal breakerArowanas are aggressive and will bully peaceful dwarf neon rainbowfish.
Watch outArowanas grow to 36 inches and need 250 gallons, far more than a tank set up for dwarf neon rainbowfish.

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°F.
pH 6.5–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: arowanas the top, dwarf neon rainbowfish 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	Dwarf neon rainbowfish
Temperature	75–86 °F	75–82 °F
pH	6–7	6.5–7.5
Adult size	36.0 in	2.5 in
Minimum tank	250 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for dwarf neon rainbowfish

All dwarf neon rainbowfish tank mates

Questions

Can arowanas live with dwarf neon rainbowfish?

No. Arowanas and dwarf neon rainbowfish should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches dwarf neon rainbowfish do.

What temperature suits both arowanas and dwarf neon rainbowfish?

75–82 °F. Arowanas need 75–86 °F, dwarf neon rainbowfish need 75–82 °F.

What size tank do arowanas and dwarf neon rainbowfish need together?

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