Brilliant Rasbora Tank Mates
Brilliant Rasbora is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 161 freshwater species that pair well with a brilliant rasbora — plus the 57 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.
The best tank mates for a brilliant rasbora
- Ember Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Neon Green Rasbora ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Ramshorn Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Dawn Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Nerite Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Assassin Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Endler's Livebearer ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Glowlight Danio ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Gold Ring Danio ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Neon Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Trinidad Guppy ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Pygmy Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Glowlight Rasbora ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Blue Danio ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Emperor Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Flame Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Glowlight Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Golden Dwarf Barb ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Phoenix Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Red Phantom Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Rosy Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
Brilliant Rasbora tank mates that can work with care
- Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)pH preferences only just meet (Brilliant Rasbora 5.5–7.5 vs Afra Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Altifrons Geophagus clearly outsizes Brilliant Rasbora and is semi-aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)Adult Amano Shrimp might survive with Brilliant Rasbora, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
- Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Angelfish ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Angelicus Synodontis ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)Angelicus Synodontis is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
+ 114 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.
Fish to avoid keeping with a brilliant rasbora
- Wels Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Alligator Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Redtail Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Fire Eel ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Clown Knifefish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
- Koi ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
- Spotted Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory spotted gar — it will be eaten.
- Wolf Cichlid ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
+ 49 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.
Check any fish against a brilliant rasbora
Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a brilliant rasbora, with the reasoning for each verdict.
Will it live with a Brilliant Rasbora?
We compare each fish against your brilliant rasbora on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Badis✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Banded Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Black Kuhli Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bolivian Ram✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Burmese Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Celebes Rainbowfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Celebes Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Costa's Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Costa's Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Croaking Gourami✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Dwarf Gourami✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Gold Barb✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7.5 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Gold Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Goldeneye Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Hongsloi Dwarf Cichlid✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Kuhli Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Leopard Frog Pleco✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 25–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Mahachai Betta✅ CompatibleAggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Peaceful + Aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Molly✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Murray River Rainbowfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 11 cm · Easy care · 15–26 °C (59–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Murray River Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Peacock Gudgeon✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Peppered Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Peppered Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rio Negro Checkerboard Cichlid✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Roundtail Paradise Fish✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 10–26 °C (50–79 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Splashing Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Splashing Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Thick-lipped Gourami✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Afra Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Brilliant Rasbora 5.5–7.5 vs Afra Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Afra Cichlid and Brilliant Rasbora are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add brilliant rasbora in a group to spread the pressure.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bandit Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Expect Bandit Cichlid to harass Brilliant Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Bandit Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bearded Corydoras⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Brichardi Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Brilliant Rasbora 5.5–7.5 vs Brichardi Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Expect Brichardi Cichlid to harass Brilliant Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Pleco⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Clown Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Convict Cichlid⚠️ With cautionAggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
- Convict Cichlid and Brilliant Rasbora are close in size, but the aggressive one tends to dominate — add brilliant rasbora in a group to spread the pressure.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Different pH ranges (5.5–7.5 vs 7.8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Daffodil Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Demasoni Cichlid⚠️ With cautionAggressive · 9 cm · Hard care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Brilliant Rasbora 5.5–7.5 vs Demasoni Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Demasoni Cichlid and Brilliant Rasbora are close in size, but the aggressive one tends to dominate — add brilliant rasbora in a group to spread the pressure.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Demasoni Cichlid in a shoal of 12+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Electric Yellow Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Brilliant Rasbora 5.5–7.5 vs Electric Yellow Cichlid 7.8–8.9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- Electric Yellow Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Giant Danio⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 20–27 °C (68–81 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Giant Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Lifalili Jewel Cichlid⚠️ With cautionAggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Lifalili Jewel Cichlid and Brilliant Rasbora are close in size, but the aggressive one tends to dominate — add brilliant rasbora in a group to spread the pressure.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Mexican Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 9 cm · Easy care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
- Expect Mexican Tetra to harass Brilliant Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~110 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Mexican Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Silver Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~115 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Silver Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Zebra Loach⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~115 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Alligator Gar is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
- Clown Knifefish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Fire Eel⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Fire Eel is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Redtail Catfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Brilliant Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Brilliant Rasbora is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory spotted gar — it will be eaten.
- Spotted Gar clearly outsizes Brilliant Rasbora and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Wels Catfish clearly outsizes Brilliant Rasbora and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Brilliant Rasbora whole.
- Expect Wolf Cichlid to harass Brilliant Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.
Setting up a brilliant rasbora community tank
Give the group a stable, planted 75 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.
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How to choose the right tank mates for a brilliant rasbora
As a peaceful species, brilliant rasbora is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It mostly occupies the middle of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.
Brilliant Rasbora grows to about 9 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 5 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 22–28 °C (72–82 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and 1–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.
Brilliant Rasbora is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 6+ of its own kind first, then build compatible tank mates around them. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.
Frequently asked questions
Can a brilliant rasbora live with other fish?
Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 161 compatible freshwater species for brilliant rasbora. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.
What is the best tank mate for a brilliant rasbora?
Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Ember Tetra, Neon Green Rasbora, Ramshorn Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.
What fish should you avoid keeping with a brilliant rasbora?
Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.
How big a tank do brilliant rasbora tank mates need?
Start from Brilliant Rasbora's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 75 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.