Maroon Clownfish Tank Mates
Maroon Clownfish is aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 6 freshwater species that pair well with a maroon clownfish — plus the 22 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.
The best tank mates for a maroon clownfish
- Neon Goby ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Firefish ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Royal Gramma ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Yellow Watchman Goby ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 9 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Lawnmower Blenny ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 13 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Mandarin Dragonet ✅ CompatibleHard care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
Maroon Clownfish tank mates that can work with care
- Banggai Cardinalfish ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Banggai Cardinalfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Cleaner Wrasse ⚠️ With cautionHard care · Peaceful · 11 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Cleaner Wrasse — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Clown Goby ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish clearly outsizes Clown Goby and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Diamond Goby ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Your 110 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Green Chromis ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Expect Maroon Clownfish to harass Green Chromis at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Yellow Coris Wrasse ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 12 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Yellow Coris Wrasse — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
Fish to avoid keeping with a maroon clownfish
- Naso Tang ⛔ AvoidHard care · Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish and Naso Tang are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Queen Angelfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish and Queen Angelfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Sailfin Tang ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 40 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Sailfin Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Emperor Angelfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Semi-aggressive · 38 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Maroon Clownfish and Emperor Angelfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Blue Tang ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Blue Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Purple Tang ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Purple Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Regal Angelfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Regal Angelfish will hold territory and clash.
- Foxface Rabbitfish ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 24 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Foxface Rabbitfish will hold territory and clash.
+ 14 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.
Check any fish against a maroon clownfish
Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a maroon clownfish, with the reasoning for each verdict.
Will it live with a Maroon Clownfish?
We compare each fish against your maroon clownfish on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Firefish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Lawnmower Blenny✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 13 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Mandarin Dragonet✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Neon Goby✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Royal Gramma✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Yellow Watchman Goby✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Banggai Cardinalfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Banggai Cardinalfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Cleaner Wrasse⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 11 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Cleaner Wrasse — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Clown Goby⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 4 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish clearly outsizes Clown Goby and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Diamond Goby⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Green Chromis⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Expect Maroon Clownfish to harass Green Chromis at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Green Chromis in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Yellow Coris Wrasse⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Yellow Coris Wrasse — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Blue Tang⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Blue Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Emperor Angelfish⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 38 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish and Emperor Angelfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~850 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Foxface Rabbitfish⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 24 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Foxface Rabbitfish will hold territory and clash.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Naso Tang⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 45 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish and Naso Tang are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~680 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Purple Tang⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Purple Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Queen Angelfish⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 45 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Maroon Clownfish and Queen Angelfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~850 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Regal Angelfish⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 25 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Regal Angelfish will hold territory and clash.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~480 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Sailfin Tang⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 40 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Maroon Clownfish and Sailfin Tang will hold territory and clash.
- Your 110 L tank is below the ~570 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
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 maroon clownfish community tank
Give the group a stable, planted 110 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 maroon clownfish
Maroon Clownfish is aggressive and territorial, so most community fish are unsafe; any tank mate must be large, tough and able to hold its own. It ranges across the whole water column, so tank mates that keep to one level help reduce friction.
Maroon Clownfish grows to about 15 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 8 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 24–27 °C (75–81 °F), pH 8–8.4 and 8–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.
Maroon Clownfish doesn't need its own kind to feel secure; think twice before keeping more than one if it is territorial. 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 maroon clownfish live with other fish?
Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 6 compatible freshwater species for maroon clownfish. 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 maroon clownfish?
Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Neon Goby, Firefish, Royal Gramma. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.
What fish should you avoid keeping with a maroon clownfish?
Avoid Naso Tang, Queen Angelfish, Sailfin Tang and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.
How big a tank do maroon clownfish tank mates need?
Start from Maroon Clownfish's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 110 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.