Can neon tetras live with pictus catfish?

Verdict

No. Neon tetras and pictus catfish should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches neon tetras do.

Neon tetra72–79°F · pH 6–7

Pictus catfish72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches neon tetras do.

What works

Both are fine at 72–79°F.
pH 6–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: neon tetras the mid, pictus catfish the bottom.

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

	Neon tetra	Pictus catfish
Temperature	72–79 °F	72–79 °F
pH	6–7	6–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	10 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 3+
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for neon tetras

All neon tetra tank mates

Better tank mates for pictus catfish

All pictus catfish tank mates

Questions

Can neon tetras live with pictus catfish?

No. Neon tetras and pictus catfish should not share a tank. An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches neon tetras do.

What temperature suits both neon tetras and pictus catfish?

72–79 °F. Neon tetras need 72–79 °F, pictus catfish need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do neon tetras and pictus catfish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the pictus catfish. Add space for each extra fish.