Flowerhorn tank mates

Good matches

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Flowerhorns are best kept on their own. No species we check passes every test.

Usually kept alone. Attacks almost anything in its tank.

Temperature

80–89°F

pH

7–8

Temperament

Aggressive

Minimum tank

75 gal

With care

10

Avoid

88

Possible, with care

• Oscar They only share 80–81°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Mystery snail Large flowerhorns crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Jack Dempsey Both are aggressive. It can work in a large tank with broken sight lines, or end in a fight.
• Black ghost knife Flowerhorns are aggressive. Black ghost knives hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Bichir Flowerhorns are aggressive. Bichirs hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Chinese algae eater They only share 80°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Kissing gourami Flowerhorns are aggressive. Kissing gouramis hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Assassin snail They only share 80°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Ramshorn snail They only share 80°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Severum Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.

Avoid

• Betta An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches bettas do.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); flowerhorns need 80–89°F. No temperature suits both.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); flowerhorns need 80–89°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pea puffer An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Kuhli loach An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3.5 inches kuhli loaches do.
• Firemouth cichlid Flowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than firemouth cichlids.
• Guppy An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches guppies do.
• Angelfish An adult flowerhorn is twice the size of an angelfish and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Common pleco Flowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful plecos.
• Clown loach Flowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful clown loaches.
• Zebra pleco An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3.5 inches zebra plecos do.
• Yoyo loach An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Koi Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); flowerhorns need 80–89°F. No temperature suits both.
• Convict cichlid An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches convict cichlids do.
• German blue ram An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches rams do.
• Ghost shrimp Flowerhorns hunt shrimp. Adult ghost shrimp will be eaten.
• Discus An adult flowerhorn is twice the size of a discus and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Cherry shrimp Flowerhorns hunt shrimp. Adult cherry shrimp will be eaten.
• Blue gourami An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• Corydoras No shared temperature. Corydoras need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 12 inches flowerhorns do.
• Crayfish No shared temperature. Crayfish need 65–77°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); flowerhorns need 80–89°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pearl gourami An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches pearl gouramis do.
• Elephant nose fish Flowerhorns are aggressive, and slow, long-finned elephant nose fish cannot escape them.
• Honey gourami An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches honey gouramis do.
• Bristlenose pleco An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches bristlenose plecos do.
• Endler's livebearer An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches endlers do.
• Zebra danio No shared temperature. Zebra danios need 65–77°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Nerite snail No shared temperature. Nerite snails need 72–78°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Molly An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches mollies do.
• African cichlid An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches african cichlids do.
• African dwarf frog An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches african dwarf frogs do.
• Sparkling gourami An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches sparkling gouramis do.
• Apistogramma An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches apistogramma do.
• Paradise fish No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, paradise fish need 61–79°F.
• Dojo loach No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, dojo loaches need 59–77°F.
• Rainbow shark Flowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than rainbow sharks.
• Bala shark Flowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful bala sharks.
• Red tail shark No shared temperature. Red tail sharks need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Hillstream loach No shared temperature. Hillstream loaches need 68–75°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Pictus catfish No shared temperature. Pictus catfish need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Clown pleco An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3.5 inches clown plecos do.
• Dwarf gourami An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Bamboo shrimp Flowerhorns hunt shrimp. Adult bamboo shrimp will be eaten.
• Amano shrimp Flowerhorns hunt shrimp. Adult amano shrimp will be eaten.
• Siamese algae eater No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, siamese algae eaters need 75–79°F.
• Boesemani rainbowfish An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches boesemani rainbowfish do.
• Electric yellow cichlid An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches yellow labs do.
• Bolivian ram No shared temperature. Bolivian rams need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Kribensis An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches kribensis do.
• Otocinclus No shared temperature. Otocinclus need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Hatchetfish An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches hatchetfish do.
• Panda cory No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, panda corys need 68–77°F.
• Upside down catfish No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, upside down catfish need 72–79°F.
• Tiger barb An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches tiger barbs do.
• Congo tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches congo tetras do.
• Platy An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches platies do.
• Zebra loach No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, zebra loaches need 73–79°F.
• Blood parrot Flowerhorns are aggressive, and slow, long-finned blood parrots cannot escape them.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); flowerhorns need 80–89°F. No temperature suits both.
• Swordtail No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, swordtails need 72–79°F.
• Ember tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 0.8 inches ember tetras do.
• Rummy nose tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches rummy nose tetras do.
• Electric blue acara Flowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than electric blue acaras.
• Cardinal tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches cardinal tetras do.
• Peacock cichlid Flowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than peacock cichlids.
• Gold barb No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
• Tinfoil barb Flowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful tinfoil barbs.
• Cherry barb An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches cherry barbs do.
• Lemon tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches lemon tetras do.
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches dwarf neon rainbowfish do.
• Pencilfish An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Killifish No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, killifish need 70–77°F.
• Neon tetra No shared temperature. Neon tetras need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Silver dollar Flowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful silver dollars.
• Celestial pearl danio No shared temperature. Celestial pearl danios need 72–79°F, flowerhorns need 80–89°F.
• Glass catfish An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches glass catfish do.
• Chili rasbora An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 0.8 inches chili rasboras do.
• Black neon tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches black neon tetras do.
• Rosy barb No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, rosy barbs need 64–77°F.
• Black skirt tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
• Harlequin rasbora An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches harlequin rasboras do.
• Odessa barb No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, odessa barbs need 70–79°F.
• Serpae tetra No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, serpae tetras need 72–79°F.
• GloFish tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches glofish do.
• Glowlight tetra An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches glowlight tetras do.
• Pygmy cory No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, pygmy corys need 72–79°F.

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