Can red tail sharks live with ember tetras?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Red tail sharks and ember tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 5 inches a red tail shark can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Red tail shark72–79°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Ember tetra73–84°F · pH 5.5–7

What to watch

Watch outAt 5 inches a red tail shark can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What works

Both are fine at 73–79°F.
pH 6.5–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: red tail sharks the bottom, ember 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

	Red tail shark	Ember tetra
Temperature	72–79 °F	73–84 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	5.5–7
Adult size	5.0 in	0.8 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	5 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for red tail sharks

All red tail shark tank mates

Better tank mates for ember tetras

All ember tetra tank mates

Questions

Can red tail sharks live with ember tetras?

Yes, with care. Red tail sharks and ember tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 5 inches a red tail shark can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both red tail sharks and ember tetras?

73–79 °F. Red tail sharks need 72–79 °F, ember tetras need 73–84 °F.

What size tank do red tail sharks and ember tetras need together?

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