Best Angelfish Tank Mates

What makes a good tank mate for an angelfish?

A good angelfish tank mate is a fish the angelfish cannot swallow, that will not nip its fins, and that is comfortable in the same warm water. The angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) is a South American cichlid with a tall, flattened body; Seriously Fish gives an adult length of 6 in (15.2 cm), and Aquarium Co-Op notes adults can stand taller than they are long once the fins are counted. Four criteria follow from what the published sources record about the species.

1. Too large to eat. Seriously Fish and Maidenhead Aquatics say angelfish eat small fish such as neon tetras, and Aquarium Co-Op adds nano fish such as microrasboras and dwarf shrimp. This single trait rules out more species than any other.
2. Not a fin-nipper. Aquarium Co-Op warns that the angelfish’s long fins attract fin-nippers and advises against fin-nipping or very fast tankmates.
3. Shared warm water. The angelfish needs 75–86 °F (24–30 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 and 5–15 dGH. Coldwater fish such as goldfish, at 59–70 °F (15–21 °C), share no temperature with it.
4. Able to live beside a semi-aggressive cichlid. Our angelfish data records the temperament as semi-aggressive: generally peaceful, but squabbling with its own kind and chasing other fish from a spawning site.

Swim level matters less than size. Maidenhead Aquatics places angelfish in the middle to upper water column, so bottom dwellers such as plecos, corydoras and kuhli loaches share the least space with them. This guide is part of our tank mates by species series, which applies the same four checks to each fish.

Which fish are the best angelfish tank mates?

The best angelfish tank mates are bottom dwellers and mid-sized peaceful fish that are too big to eat, and the top of the chart above is made up of exactly those. Each is described below with the source evidence behind its score.

Bristlenose pleco

The bristlenose pleco scores 8/10 with an angelfish. It reaches 5 in (12.7 cm), stays on the bottom and, according to Aquarium Co-Op, eats only animals that are already dead. Seriously Fish says its territorial streak is aimed at its own kind and similar-shaped fish, not at a mid-water cichlid. The two share 75–79 °F (24–26 °C).

Corydoras and kuhli loach

Corydoras score 7/10 and kuhli loaches 7/10, just below the compatible band. Both are peaceful bottom dwellers and no source records angelfish eating either. The scores reflect the angelfish’s semi-aggressive temperament, the size gap to the corydoras and the kuhli loach’s softer water, which leaves a shared pH of pH 6.0–7.0. PlanetCatfish calls the bronze cory a perfect community citizen, and Aquarium Co-Op says corydoras suit nearly any community fish that will not eat or attack them. Corydoras need a group of 6, and our guide to compatible tank mates for corydoras ranks them from their own side. Seriously Fish describes the kuhli loach as peaceful, shy and nocturnal.

Dwarf gourami

The dwarf gourami scores 7/10. At 3.5 in (8.9 cm) it is too large for the angelfish to treat as food, and the two share 75–81 °F (24–27 °C). Two cautions come from its own data: Aquarium Co-Op describes male dwarf gouramis as territorial bullies, and Seriously Fish and Practical Fishkeeping report that it can carry dwarf gourami iridovirus, which may spread through shared water to other species.

Discus

Discus score 8/10, among the highest results in the chart. Both are cichlids from the Amazon basin, they share 79–86 °F (26–30 °C), and a discus at 5.5 in (14 cm) is close to the angelfish in size. The pairing is demanding, though: it needs 125 US gal (473 L), and Aquarium Co-Op describes discus as slow, shy feeders that fast-feeding tankmates can outcompete. The discus tank mates guide covers that side of the pairing.

Molly

Mollies score 6/10. They grow to 5 in (12.7 cm), so size is not the problem; the shared pH is narrow at pH 7.5–8.0, and Aquarium Co-Op notes that mollies nibble and that slow, long-finned fish may be poor tank mates for them.

Which fish should never live with angelfish?

Small schooling fish should never live with angelfish, because an adult angelfish eats fish small enough to swallow. Most of the species that fail outright in our data fail for that reason; goldfish are the exception.

Small tetras and rasboras

Neon tetras (3/10), cardinal tetras (3/10), harlequin rasboras (3/10) and GloFish tetras (3/10) all fail on size. The neon tetra reaches only 1.2 in (3 cm), and Seriously Fish names neon-sized tetras specifically as angelfish prey. Neons also share just 75–77 °F (24–25 °C) with angelfish. GloFish tetras add a second problem: Seriously Fish notes that the black tetra they are bred from has a fin-nipping reputation, which matters with a long-finned cichlid.

Small livebearers

Guppies (3/10), Endler’s livebearers (3/10) and platies (3/10) fail for the same reason. Aquarium Co-Op calls guppies a risky angelfish tank mate because of their size and fin vulnerability, and the Endler’s livebearer, at 1 in (2.5 cm), is the smallest fish in our data. Platies also share only 75–77 °F (24–25 °C). Our guide to guppy tank mates lists safer companions for them.

Zebra danios

Zebra danios score 3/10. They are small enough to eat, and their temperature range of 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) meets the angelfish’s only at a single point. Aquarium Co-Op also warns that danios may nip fins when kept in a small school.

Goldfish

Goldfish score 3/10 for a different reason: they share no temperature range with angelfish at all, and OATA reports goldfish nipping the fins of slower fish. The guide to what can live with goldfish explains why coldwater fish need coldwater companions.

Do fish from the same Amazon waters make safe angelfish tank mates?

No. Sharing a river is not the same as sharing a tank, and the cardinal tetra shows why. Cardinals and angelfish both come from South American waters, and their temperature ranges overlap widely, at 75–84 °F (24–29 °C). On water alone the cardinal looks like an ideal angelfish tank mate.

The pairing still scores 3/10 because the cardinal grows to only 1.4 in (3.6 cm) against the angelfish’s 6 in (15.2 cm). Our cardinal tetra data records it as a very peaceful schooling fish that is itself prey for angelfish. The same logic sinks neon tetras, which Seriously Fish names directly as the kind of fish an angelfish may eat.

The misconception runs the other way too. The oscar shares 75–80 °F (24–27 °C) with angelfish and scores 7/10, because a full-grown angelfish is not small enough to trigger the size check. Yet Seriously Fish and Aquarium Co-Op describe the oscar as a predator of any fish small enough to swallow, it reaches 14 in (35.6 cm), and the pair needs 125 US gal (473 L). The oscar tank mates list shows how few fish suit that setup. Use origin and water as a first filter, then check adult sizes for every pairing.

Can angelfish live with bettas?

Angelfish and bettas can share water, but the pairing carries a fin risk from both sides. It scores 7/10 with a caution verdict. The two share a broad band of 75–86 °F (24–30 °C), yet Seriously Fish says a male betta may attack fish with trailing fins as rivals, and the angelfish is a long-finned fish. Aquarium Co-Op, writing from the angelfish side, calls bettas a risky tankmate because of the betta’s size and fin vulnerability.

The pair would also need 90 US gal (341 L), far more than a betta’s own 10 US gal (38 L). Seriously Fish advises keeping bettas alone, and our page on compatible tank mates for bettas lists the companions that work better with them.

What tank size do angelfish need with tank mates?

Every angelfish pairing in our data needs at least 90 US gal (341 L), and pairings with discus or oscars need 125 US gal (473 L). The shared figure takes the larger of the two species’ minimum tanks, adds a margin of one half because the angelfish is semi-aggressive, and rounds up to the next common tank size.

10 and 20-gallon tanks

No angelfish tank mate fits a 10 or 20-gallon tank in our data, because the angelfish’s own minimum is already 53 US gal (201 L). That figure comes from Seriously Fish, which recommends a tank of 100 × 40 × 50 cm (200 litres) and notes that the tall body needs height as well as length. For a small tank, the guide to the best fish for a 10-gallon community tank starts from species that suit that size.

29 to 55-gallon tanks

Sources disagree at this size. Aquarium Co-Op says a 29-gallon tank can hold up to four adult angelfish with tankmates and suggests 55 gallons for five or six juveniles, while Seriously Fish sets the single-tank minimum at 53 US gal (201 L). Our pair figures follow the more conservative Seriously Fish number, so a 55-gallon community with angelfish sits below the 90 US gal (341 L) our method calculates.

90 gallons and larger

At 90 US gal (341 L) the full list opens up: bristlenose plecos, corydoras, kuhli loaches, dwarf gouramis, mollies and snails all reach that figure. Discus and oscars need 125 US gal (473 L). The aquarium stocking calculator checks how many of each a given tank can hold.

Can angelfish live with shrimp and snails?

Angelfish can live with snails, but dwarf shrimp are on the menu. The difference comes down to size and what the sources record about angelfish as predators.

Shrimp

Aquarium Co-Op and Shrimp and Snail Breeder both rule out dwarf shrimp with angelfish. The cherry shrimp pairing scores 3/10; a cherry shrimp reaches only 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Amano shrimp grow larger, to 2 in (5.1 cm), and score 3/10, but Aquarium Co-Op lists medium to large cichlids among the fish that eat them. The guide to cherry shrimp tank mates lists fish small enough to leave shrimp alone.

Snails

No source in our angelfish data says angelfish eat snails, and the nerite snail (7/10) and mystery snail (7/10) both land in the caution band. The limit is water chemistry: snails need harder, more alkaline water, so the shared pH is pH 7.2–8.0 for the nerite. Aquarium Co-Op and Maidenhead Aquatics list large or aggressive cichlids among nerite threats, and Applesnail.net names strong-jawed fish such as cichlids as a threat to mystery snails. Our guide to aquarium snail tank mates covers both species.

Can angelfish live with other angelfish?

Yes, but expect squabbling. Seriously Fish suggests keeping angelfish in small groups and warns of some aggression between them, especially once pairs form territories. Aquarium Co-Op calls normal chasing within a group semi-aggressive and notes that a single angelfish does not seem to suffer when kept alone, which is why our minimum group size is 1.

Breeding raises the stakes for tank mates. Angelfish breeding is rated easy in our data: Seriously Fish says a bonded pair needs little encouragement, and both parents guard eggs laid on leaves, slate or glass. Maidenhead Aquatics says angelfish chase other fish mainly from these spawning sites, so a pair can make a calm community tense. Co-Op’s figure of four adults in 29 gallons, quoted above, describes a group, not a breeding pair with tank mates.

How should you plan an angelfish community tank?

Plan an angelfish community from the angelfish outwards: choose the tank for the angelfish first, then add only fish too large to eat. In practice that means a tank of at least 90 US gal (341 L) for our calculated pairings, bottom dwellers such as bristlenose plecos or corydoras, and no fish as small as neon tetras.

Angelfish are rated beginner in our data and live 8–12 years according to Aquarium Co-Op, so a mistake in tank mates is a long one. Our angelfish temperature range of 75–86 °F (24–30 °C) is wide, and the aquarium temperature guide explains how to set a heater for a mixed tank. To test a species not covered here, run it through the species compatibility checker, which uses the same data as this chart.