Can upside down catfish live with arowanas?

Verdict

No. Upside down catfish and arowanas should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches upside down catfish do.

Upside down catfish72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Silver arowana75–86°F · pH 6–7

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches upside down catfish do.
Deal breakerArowanas are aggressive and will bully peaceful upside down catfish.
Watch outArowanas grow to 36 inches and need 250 gallons, far more than a tank set up for upside down catfish.

What works

Both are fine at 75–79°F.
pH 6–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: upside down catfish the bottom, arowanas the top.

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

	Upside down catfish	Silver arowana
Temperature	72–79 °F	75–86 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7
Adult size	4.0 in	36.0 in
Minimum tank	30 gal	250 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Top
Group	Groups of 3+	One per tank
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for upside down catfish

All upside down catfish tank mates

Questions

Can upside down catfish live with arowanas?

No. Upside down catfish and arowanas should not share a tank. An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches upside down catfish do.

What temperature suits both upside down catfish and arowanas?

75–79 °F. Upside down catfish need 72–79 °F, arowanas need 75–86 °F.

What size tank do upside down catfish and arowanas need together?

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