Rainbow shark tank mates

Good matches

35 of 98

The safest picks for rainbow sharks are guppies, angelfish and oscars. Each match shares rainbow sharks' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Claims the bottom of the tank and chases look-alikes.

Temperature

72–80°F

pH

6.5–7.5

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

55 gal

With care

50

Avoid

13

Good tank mates

• Guppy72–80°F
• Angelfish76–80°F
• Oscar74–80°F
• Tiger barb72–80°F
• Bala shark72–80°F
• Blue gourami72–80°F
• Electric blue acara72–80°F
• Black skirt tetra72–80°F
• Kissing gourami72–80°F
• Congo tetra73–80°F
• Harlequin rasbora72–80°F
• Tinfoil barb72–80°F
• Paradise fish72–79°F
• Cherry barb73–80°F
• GloFish tetra72–80°F
• Lemon tetra72–80°F
• Odessa barb72–79°F
• Platy72–80°F
• Serpae tetra72–79°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Swordtail72–79°F
• Zebra danio72–77°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Rosy barb72–77°F
• Severum74–80°F
• Pearl gourami77–80°F
• Silver dollar75–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–80°F
• Crayfish72–77°F
• Pencilfish75–80°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–80°F
• Killifish72–77°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–80°F
• Gold barb72–75°F
• Cardinal tetra76–80°F

Possible, with care

• Betta Rainbow sharks are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• African cichlid Different water: rainbow sharks want pH 6.5–7.5, african cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Pea puffer At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Honey gourami Rainbow sharks are much bigger and pushier than honey gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Sparkling gourami A grown rainbow shark may treat small sparkling gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Neon tetra A grown rainbow shark may treat small neon tetras as food, especially at night.
• Dwarf gourami Rainbow sharks are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Corydoras Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Celestial pearl danio At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small celestial pearl danio. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Bristlenose pleco Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Bichir Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Pictus catfish Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Koi A grown koi may treat small rainbow sharks as food, especially at night.
• Black neon tetra A grown rainbow shark may treat small black neon tetras as food, especially at night.
• Pygmy cory At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small pygmy cory. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive. Rainbow sharks hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Kuhli loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Common pleco Both claim territory on the bottom. Give each its own cave and plenty of floor space.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Mystery snail Large rainbow sharks crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Glowlight tetra A grown rainbow shark may treat small glowlight tetras as food, especially at night.
• Bolivian ram Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Ember tetra At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Endler's livebearer At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small endler's livebearer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Bamboo shrimp Rainbow sharks will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give bamboo shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Upside down catfish Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Elephant nose fish Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Otocinclus Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast rainbow sharks will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Hatchetfish A grown rainbow shark may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.
• Yoyo loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Firemouth cichlid Both claim territory on the bottom. Give each its own cave and plenty of floor space.
• Clown pleco Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Chinese algae eater Both claim territory on the bottom. Give each its own cave and plenty of floor space.
• Dojo loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Siamese algae eater Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Kribensis Both claim territory on the bottom. Give each its own cave and plenty of floor space.
• Zebra loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Chili rasbora At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small chili rasbora. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Panda cory Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Ramshorn snail Large rainbow sharks crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Hillstream loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: rainbow sharks want pH 6.5–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Clown loach Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: rainbow sharks want pH 6.5–7.5, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Nerite snail Large rainbow sharks crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• Apistogramma Both claim territory on the bottom. Give each its own cave and plenty of floor space.
• Assassin snail Large rainbow sharks crack or pick at small snails. A big mystery snail has better odds than a ramshorn.
• 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.

Avoid

• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); rainbow sharks need 72–80°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); rainbow sharks need 72–80°F. No temperature suits both.
• Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive and much bigger than rainbow sharks.
• Cherry shrimp A rainbow shark is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Red tail shark Two shark minnows in one tank fight over the bottom until one gives up.
• Amano shrimp A rainbow shark is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Ghost shrimp A rainbow shark is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 6 inches rainbow sharks do.
• Discus No shared temperature. Discus need 82–88°F, rainbow sharks need 72–80°F.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); rainbow sharks need 72–80°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 6 inches rainbow sharks do.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); rainbow sharks need 72–80°F. They meet only at 72°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Flowerhorn Flowerhorns are aggressive and much bigger than rainbow sharks.

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