Can rainbow sharks live with black neon tetras?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Rainbow sharks and black neon tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown rainbow shark may treat small black neon tetras as food, especially at night.

Rainbow shark72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Black neon tetra73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown rainbow shark may treat small black neon tetras as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 73–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: rainbow sharks 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

	Rainbow shark	Black neon tetra
Temperature	72–80 °F	73–81 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	5.5–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for rainbow sharks

All rainbow shark tank mates

Better tank mates for black neon tetras

All black neon tetra tank mates

Questions

Can rainbow sharks live with black neon tetras?

Yes, with care. Rainbow sharks and black neon tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown rainbow shark may treat small black neon tetras as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both rainbow sharks and black neon tetras?

73–80 °F. Rainbow sharks need 72–80 °F, black neon tetras need 73–81 °F.

What size tank do rainbow sharks and black neon tetras need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the rainbow shark. Add space for each extra fish.