Pencilfish tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for pencilfish are bettas, kuhli loaches and guppies. Each match shares pencilfish' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Small mouth, quiet manners. Struggles with boisterous eaters.

Temperature

75–82°F

pH

5–7.5

Temperament

Peaceful

Minimum tank

15 gal

With care

21

Avoid

14

Good tank mates

• Betta76–82°F
• Kuhli loach75–82°F
• Guppy75–82°F
• Honey gourami75–82°F
• Angelfish76–82°F
• Sparkling gourami75–82°F
• Corydoras75–79°F
• Apistogramma75–82°F
• Yoyo loach75–82°F
• Dwarf gourami75–82°F
• Mystery snail75–82°F
• Blue gourami75–82°F
• Hatchetfish75–81°F
• Otocinclus75–79°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–82°F
• Pearl gourami77–82°F
• Tiger barb75–81°F
• Cherry barb75–81°F
• Bolivian ram75–79°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Congo tetra75–82°F
• Bristlenose pleco75–81°F
• Lemon tetra75–82°F
• Bamboo shrimp75–82°F
• Cardinal tetra76–82°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–82°F
• Clown pleco75–82°F
• Ember tetra75–82°F
• German blue ram80–82°F
• Chili rasbora75–82°F
• Paradise fish75–79°F
• Panda cory75–77°F
• Rainbow shark75–80°F
• Upside down catfish75–79°F
• Harlequin rasbora75–80°F
• Zebra loach75–79°F
• Killifish75–77°F
• Black neon tetra75–81°F
• Red tail shark75–79°F
• Neon tetra75–79°F
• Black skirt tetra75–80°F
• Zebra pleco79–82°F
• Zebra danio75–77°F
• Endler's livebearer75–82°F
• Glowlight tetra75–80°F
• GloFish tetra75–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Serpae tetra75–79°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Odessa barb75–79°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Electric blue acara75–82°F
• Assassin snail75–80°F
• Crayfish75–77°F
• Ramshorn snail75–80°F
• Pygmy cory75–79°F
• Nerite snail75–78°F
• Celestial pearl danio75–79°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F
• Platy75–80°F
• Dojo loach75–77°F
• Rosy barb75–77°F
• Swordtail75–79°F

Possible, with care

• Pea puffer Pea puffers are aggressive, though pencilfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Cherry shrimp Pencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Amano shrimp Pencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give amano shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Elephant nose fish A grown elephant nose fish may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Ghost shrimp Pencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast pencilfish will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Clown loach A grown clown loach may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Common pleco Plecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pencilfish.
• Chinese algae eater Chinese algae eaters grow to 10 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pencilfish.
• Silver dollar Silver dollars grow to 6 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pencilfish.
• Kissing gourami At 10 inches a kissing gourami can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Bala shark At 13 inches a bala shark can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Severum A grown severum may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Hillstream loach They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6, pencilfish want pH 5–7.5.
• Discus They only share 82°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Blood parrot A grown blood parrot may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Tinfoil barb At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pencilfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Gold barb They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, pencilfish want pH 5–7.5.

Avoid

• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); pencilfish need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful pencilfish.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); pencilfish need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Pictus catfish An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful pencilfish.
• Koi Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); pencilfish need 75–82°F. They overlap only at 75–77°F, the edge of both ranges.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); pencilfish need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); pencilfish need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2 inches pencilfish do.

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