Elephant nose fish tank mates

Good matches

42 of 98

The safest picks for elephant nose fish are bettas, angelfish and oscars. Each match shares elephant nose fish' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Shy, sensitive and a slow eater. Bullies starve it out.

Temperature

73–82°F

pH

6–7.5

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

55 gal

With care

31

Avoid

25

Good tank mates

• Betta76–82°F
• Angelfish76–82°F
• Oscar74–81°F
• Kissing gourami73–82°F
• Congo tetra73–82°F
• Blue gourami73–82°F
• Bala shark73–82°F
• Dwarf gourami73–82°F
• Severum74–82°F
• Electric blue acara73–82°F
• Kuhli loach75–82°F
• Black ghost knife73–82°F
• Bichir73–82°F
• Pearl gourami77–82°F
• Corydoras73–79°F
• Silver dollar75–82°F
• Odessa barb73–79°F
• Bristlenose pleco73–81°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Pictus catfish73–79°F
• Clown loach77–82°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Bolivian ram73–79°F
• Koi73–77°F
• Clown pleco73–82°F
• Platy73–80°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–82°F
• Upside down catfish73–79°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F
• Zebra loach73–79°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Swordtail73–79°F
• Apistogramma75–82°F
• Killifish73–77°F
• Gold barb73–75°F
• Crayfish73–77°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Zebra pleco79–82°F
• Dojo loach73–77°F
• Hillstream loach73–75°F
• German blue ram80–82°F

Possible, with care

• Guppy A grown elephant nose fish may treat small guppies as food, especially at night.
• Honey gourami A grown elephant nose fish may treat small honey gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Tiger barb Tiger barbs nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Cherry barb A grown elephant nose fish may treat small cherry barbs as food, especially at night.
• Lemon tetra A grown elephant nose fish may treat small lemon tetras as food, especially at night.
• Black skirt tetra Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Harlequin rasbora A grown elephant nose fish may treat small harlequin rasboras as food, especially at night.
• GloFish tetra Glofish nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Paradise fish Paradise fish nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Pencilfish A grown elephant nose fish may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Tinfoil barb Tinfoil barbs nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Yoyo loach Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Common pleco Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like elephant nose fish and rasp their slime coat.
• Rummy nose tetra A grown elephant nose fish may treat small rummy nose tetras as food, especially at night.
• Chinese algae eater Chinese algae eaters sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like elephant nose fish and rasp their slime coat.
• Rainbow shark Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Rosy barb Rosy barbs nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• Cardinal tetra A grown elephant nose fish may treat small cardinal tetras as food, especially at night.
• Mystery snail Large elephant nose fish crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Otocinclus A grown elephant nose fish may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast elephant nose fish will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Red tail shark Red tail sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Zebra danio A grown elephant nose fish may treat small zebra danios as food, especially at night.
• Discus They only share 82°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, elephant nose fish want pH 6–7.5.
• Panda cory A grown elephant nose fish may treat small panda corys as food, especially at night.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: elephant nose fish want pH 6–7.5, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Ramshorn snail Large elephant nose fish crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Nerite snail Large elephant nose fish crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Assassin snail Large elephant nose fish crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.

Avoid

• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); elephant nose fish need 73–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pea puffer At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1-inch pea puffer whole.
• Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
• Sparkling gourami At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.5-inch sparkling gourami whole.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); elephant nose fish need 73–82°F. They overlap only at 73–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Ember tetra At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 0.8-inch ember tetra whole.
• Black neon tetra At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.5-inch black neon tetra whole.
• Neon tetra At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.5-inch neon tetra whole.
• Serpae tetra At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.75-inch serpae tetra whole.
• Glowlight tetra At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.5-inch glowlight tetra whole.
• Hatchetfish At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1.5-inch hatchetfish whole.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
• Chili rasbora At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 0.8-inch chili rasbora whole.
• Pygmy cory At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1-inch pygmy cory whole.
• Cherry shrimp An elephant nose fish is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Celestial pearl danio At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1-inch celestial pearl danio whole.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 9 inches elephant nose fish do.
• Endler's livebearer At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1-inch endler's livebearer whole.
• Bamboo shrimp An elephant nose fish is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.
• Amano shrimp An elephant nose fish is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Ghost shrimp An elephant nose fish is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); elephant nose fish need 73–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Flowerhorn Flowerhorns are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); elephant nose fish need 73–82°F. They overlap only at 73–74°F, the edge of both ranges.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the elephant nose fish care sheet.