Can pictus catfish live with black neon tetras?

Verdict

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

Pictus catfish72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Black neon tetra73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 73–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: pictus catfish the bottom, 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

	Pictus catfish	Black neon tetra
Temperature	72–79 °F	73–81 °F
pH	6–7.5	5.5–7.5
Adult size	5.0 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pictus catfish

All pictus catfish tank mates

Better tank mates for black neon tetras

All black neon tetra tank mates

Questions

Can pictus catfish live with black neon tetras?

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

What temperature suits both pictus catfish and black neon tetras?

73–79 °F. Pictus catfish need 72–79 °F, black neon tetras need 73–81 °F.

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

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