Severum tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for severums are kuhli loaches, angelfish and yoyo loaches. Each match shares severums' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Laid-back for a big cichlid, but eats small fish and soft plants.

Temperature

74–84°F

pH

6–7

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

55 gal

With care

39

Avoid

13

Good tank mates

• Kuhli loach75–84°F
• Angelfish76–84°F
• Yoyo loach75–84°F
• Clown loach77–84°F
• Oscar74–81°F
• Elephant nose fish74–82°F
• Apistogramma75–84°F
• Common pleco74–84°F
• Blue gourami74–82°F
• Black ghost knife74–82°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–84°F
• Bichir74–82°F
• Corydoras74–79°F
• Bristlenose pleco74–81°F
• Chinese algae eater74–80°F
• Pictus catfish74–79°F
• Pearl gourami77–82°F
• Rainbow shark74–80°F
• Tiger barb74–81°F
• Bolivian ram74–79°F
• Kissing gourami74–82°F
• Congo tetra74–82°F
• Clown pleco74–82°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Paradise fish74–79°F
• German blue ram80–84°F
• Upside down catfish74–79°F
• Red tail shark74–79°F
• Silver dollar75–82°F
• Zebra pleco79–84°F
• Bala shark74–82°F
• Zebra loach74–79°F
• Electric blue acara74–82°F
• Discus82–84°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Killifish74–77°F
• Crayfish74–77°F
• Black skirt tetra74–80°F
• GloFish tetra74–80°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Odessa barb74–79°F
• Dojo loach74–77°F
• Tinfoil barb74–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Rosy barb74–77°F

Possible, with care

• Betta Severums are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Pea puffer Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Guppy A grown severum may treat small guppies as food, especially at night.
• Honey gourami A grown severum may treat small honey gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Sparkling gourami At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small sparkling gourami. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive. Severums hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Dwarf gourami Severums are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive. Severums hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Ember tetra At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Rummy nose tetra A grown severum may treat small rummy nose tetras as food, especially at night.
• Mystery snail Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Otocinclus A grown severum may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast severums will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Hatchetfish At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small hatchetfish. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Cardinal tetra A grown severum may treat small cardinal tetras as food, especially at night.
• Neon tetra At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small neon tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Molly Different water: mollies want pH 7.5–8.5, severums want pH 6–7.
• Cherry barb A grown severum may treat small cherry barbs as food, especially at night.
• Lemon tetra A grown severum may treat small lemon tetras as food, especially at night.
• Chili rasbora At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small chili rasbora. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Pencilfish A grown severum may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.
• Panda cory A grown severum may treat small panda corys as food, especially at night.
• Black neon tetra At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small black neon tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Harlequin rasbora A grown severum may treat small harlequin rasboras as food, especially at night.
• Endler's livebearer Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Glowlight tetra At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small glowlight tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Zebra danio A grown severum may treat small zebra danios as food, especially at night.
• Serpae tetra A grown severum may treat small serpae tetras as food, especially at night.
• Ramshorn snail Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Hillstream loach They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Pygmy cory At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small pygmy cory. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Nerite snail Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Celestial pearl danio At 8 inches a severum can swallow a small celestial pearl danio. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Boesemani rainbowfish Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Assassin snail Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Platy Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Swordtail Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Flowerhorn Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Gold barb They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Avoid

• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); severums need 74–84°F. No temperature suits both.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 8 inches severums do.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); severums need 74–84°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Cherry shrimp A severum is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Bamboo shrimp A severum is big enough to swallow adult bamboo shrimp.
• Amano shrimp A severum is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Ghost shrimp A severum is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• African cichlid Different water: african cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, severums want pH 6–7.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: severums want pH 6–7, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Koi Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); severums need 74–84°F. They overlap only at 74–77°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: severums want pH 6–7, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); severums need 74–84°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); severums need 74–84°F. No temperature suits both.

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