Gold barb tank mates

Good matches

50 of 98

The safest picks for gold barbs are goldfish, zebra danios and crayfish. Each match shares gold barbs' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Hardy, cool-tolerant and peaceful.

Temperature: 64–75°F
pH: 6–8
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum tank: 20 gal
With care: 29
Avoid: 19

How each group of fish does with gold barbs. Click through below for the reason behind every verdict.

Good tank mates

Possible, with care

Cherry shrimp Gold barbs will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.
Koi At 24 inches a koi can swallow a small gold barb. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Ghost shrimp Gold barbs will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.
Pea puffer They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Amano shrimp Gold barbs will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give amano shrimp somewhere to hide.
Kuhli loach They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast gold barbs will take the food first, so target-feed them.
Bamboo shrimp Gold barbs will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give bamboo shrimp somewhere to hide.
Yoyo loach They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Kribensis They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Common pleco Plecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for gold barbs.
Chinese algae eater They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Firemouth cichlid They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Apistogramma They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Hatchetfish They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Bala shark A grown bala shark may treat small gold barbs as food, especially at night.
Siamese algae eater They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Glowlight tetra They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Assassin snail They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Pencilfish They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Glass catfish They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Tinfoil barb A grown tinfoil barb may treat small gold barbs as food, especially at night.
Rummy nose tetra They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Severum They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Boesemani rainbowfish They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Dwarf neon rainbowfish They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Electric yellow cichlid They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Silver dollar They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Chili rasbora They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Avoid

Betta No shared temperature. Bettas need 76–82°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); gold barbs need 64–75°F. They overlap only at 64–66°F, the edge of both ranges.
Angelfish No shared temperature. Angelfish need 76–84°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches gold barbs do.
Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful gold barbs.
Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches gold barbs do.
Pearl gourami No shared temperature. Pearl gouramis need 77–82°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches gold barbs do.
Zebra pleco No shared temperature. Gold barbs need 64–75°F, zebra plecos need 79–88°F.
German blue ram No shared temperature. Rams need 80–86°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Clown loach No shared temperature. Clown loaches need 77–86°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches gold barbs do.
Discus No shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful gold barbs.
Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches gold barbs do.
Cardinal tetra No shared temperature. Cardinal tetras need 76–84°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Blood parrot No shared temperature. Blood parrots need 76–80°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Flowerhorn No shared temperature. Flowerhorns need 80–89°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.
Peacock cichlid No shared temperature. Peacock cichlids need 76–82°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.

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

Questions

What are the best tank mates for gold barbs?

Goldfish, Zebra danios, Crayfish, Paradise fish, Dojo loaches. They share gold barbs' temperature and pH and leave them alone.

What fish should not live with gold barbs?

Bettas, Axolotls, Angelfish, Oscars, Convict cichlids. No shared temperature. Bettas need 76–82°F, gold barbs need 64–75°F.

How is compatibility checked?

Each pair is compared on temperature and pH overlap, adult size and mouth size, fin nipping, temperament and territory. The worst result decides the verdict.