Black skirt tetra tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for black skirt tetras are corydoras, paradise fish and mystery snails. Each match shares black skirt tetras' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Nips long fins, more so in small groups.

Temperature

70–80°F

pH

6–7.5

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

15 gal

With care

24

Avoid

15

Good tank mates

• Corydoras72–79°F
• Paradise fish70–79°F
• Mystery snail70–80°F
• Sparkling gourami72–80°F
• Bolivian ram72–79°F
• Otocinclus72–79°F
• Kuhli loach75–80°F
• Panda cory70–77°F
• Pictus catfish72–79°F
• Tiger barb72–80°F
• Blue gourami72–80°F
• Upside down catfish72–79°F
• Rainbow shark72–80°F
• Zebra danio70–77°F
• Killifish70–77°F
• Odessa barb70–79°F
• Hillstream loach70–75°F
• Bristlenose pleco73–80°F
• Red tail shark72–79°F
• Bamboo shrimp72–80°F
• Crayfish70–77°F
• Zebra loach73–79°F
• Harlequin rasbora72–80°F
• GloFish tetra72–80°F
• Yoyo loach75–80°F
• Cherry barb73–80°F
• Neon tetra72–79°F
• Congo tetra73–80°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Lemon tetra72–80°F
• Ramshorn snail70–80°F
• Platy70–80°F
• Clown pleco73–80°F
• Hatchetfish75–80°F
• Serpae tetra72–79°F
• Apistogramma75–80°F
• Dojo loach70–77°F
• Rosy barb70–77°F
• Black neon tetra73–80°F
• Endler's livebearer72–80°F
• Pygmy cory72–79°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–80°F
• Glowlight tetra74–80°F
• Nerite snail72–78°F
• Celestial pearl danio72–79°F
• Gold barb70–75°F
• Pencilfish75–80°F
• Ember tetra73–80°F
• Electric blue acara72–80°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–80°F
• Severum74–80°F
• Assassin snail75–80°F
• Cardinal tetra76–80°F
• Chili rasbora75–80°F
• Swordtail72–79°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–80°F

Possible, with care

• Pea puffer Pea puffers are aggressive. Black skirt tetras hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Cherry shrimp Black skirt tetras will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Honey gourami Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Honey gouramis cannot get away.
• Amano shrimp Black skirt tetras will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give amano shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Goldfish A grown goldfish may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.
• Dwarf gourami Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Ghost shrimp Black skirt tetras will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.
• African dwarf frog Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. African dwarf frogs cannot get away.
• Elephant nose fish Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Common pleco Plecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.
• Koi At 24 inches a koi can swallow a small black skirt tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Chinese algae eater Chinese algae eaters grow to 10 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.
• Pearl gourami Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Pearl gouramis cannot get away.
• Kissing gourami A grown kissing gourami may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.
• Bala shark At 13 inches a bala shark can swallow a small black skirt tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Clown loach Clown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Tinfoil barb A grown tinfoil barb may treat small black skirt tetras as food, especially at night.
• Zebra pleco They only share 79–80°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• German blue ram They only share 80°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Silver dollar Silver dollars grow to 6 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.
• Blood parrot Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Blood parrots cannot get away.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: black skirt tetras want pH 6–7.5, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, black skirt tetras want pH 6–7.5.

Avoid

• Betta Black skirt tetras nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); black skirt tetras need 70–80°F. No temperature suits both.
• Guppy Black skirt tetras nip fins, and the long fins of guppies are an easy target.
• Angelfish Black skirt tetras nip fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive and much bigger than black skirt tetras.
• Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Fancy goldfish Black skirt tetras nip fins, and the long fins of fancy goldfish are an easy target.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive and much bigger than black skirt tetras.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); black skirt tetras need 70–80°F. They overlap only at 70–72°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Discus No shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, black skirt tetras need 70–80°F.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the black skirt tetra care sheet.