Melanurus Wrasse Tank Mates

Melanurus Wrasse is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 19 freshwater species that pair well with a melanurus wrasse — plus the 3 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 10, 2026 • Full Melanurus Wrasse care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a melanurus wrasse

  • Banggai Cardinalfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-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.
  • Blue Damselfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + 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.
  • Firefish ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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.
  • Green Chromis ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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.
  • Ocellaris Clownfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 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.
  • Percula Clownfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Royal Gramma ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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.
  • Six Line Wrasse ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 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.
  • Yellow Watchman Goby ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 9 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Bicolor Blenny ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Coral Beauty Angelfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 10 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.
  • Yellow Coris Wrasse ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 12 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Lawnmower Blenny ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 13 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Clarkii Clownfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Tomato Clownfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 14 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.
  • Bicolor Angelfish ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + 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.
  • Diamond Goby ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-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.
  • Mandarin Dragonet ✅ Compatible
    Hard care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Semi-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.
  • Cleaner Wrasse ✅ Compatible
    Hard care · Peaceful · 11 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.
With caution

Melanurus Wrasse tank mates that can work with care

  • Blue Tang ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Emperor Angelfish ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 38 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~850 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Flame Angelfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Foxface Rabbitfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 24 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Kole Tang ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 18 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Naso Tang ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~680 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Neon Goby ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Watch for Melanurus Wrasse picking off any neon goby small enough to fit in its mouth.
  • Purple Tang ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

+ 4 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a melanurus wrasse

  • Maroon Clownfish ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Aggressive · 15 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Melanurus Wrasse and Maroon Clownfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Domino Damselfish ⛔ Avoid
    Easy care · Aggressive · 14 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Melanurus Wrasse and Domino Damselfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Clown Goby ⛔ Avoid
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Size gap is too large (12 vs 4 cm): Melanurus Wrasse will treat Clown Goby as food.
Interactive tool

Check any fish against a melanurus wrasse

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a melanurus wrasse, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Melanurus Wrasse?

We compare each fish against your melanurus wrasse on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Banggai Cardinalfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-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.
  • Bicolor Angelfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + 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.
  • Bicolor Blenny✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Blue Damselfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + 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.
  • Clarkii Clownfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Cleaner Wrasse✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 11 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.
  • Coral Beauty Angelfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy 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.
  • Diamond Goby✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-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.
  • Firefish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy 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.
  • Green Chromis✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy 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.
    • Keep Green Chromis in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Lawnmower Blenny✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 13 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Mandarin Dragonet✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-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.
  • Ocellaris Clownfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy 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.
  • Percula Clownfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Royal Gramma✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy 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.
  • Six Line Wrasse✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy 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.
  • Tomato Clownfish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy 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.
  • Yellow Coris Wrasse✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Yellow Watchman Goby✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Blue Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Emperor Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 38 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~850 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Flame Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Foxface Rabbitfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 24 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Kole Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 18 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Naso Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~680 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Neon Goby⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Watch for Melanurus Wrasse picking off any neon goby small enough to fit in its mouth.
  • Purple Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Queen Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~850 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Regal Angelfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~480 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Sailfin Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 40 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~570 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Yellow Tang⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 20 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Your 210 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Goby⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 4 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (12 vs 4 cm): Melanurus Wrasse will treat Clown Goby as food.
  • Domino Damselfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Melanurus Wrasse and Domino Damselfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Maroon Clownfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 15 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Melanurus Wrasse and Maroon Clownfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.

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 melanurus wrasse community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 210 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

How to choose the right tank mates for a melanurus wrasse

Being semi-aggressive, melanurus wrasse can nip or harass smaller, slower or long-finned fish — give it space, broken sight-lines and similarly robust companions. It ranges across the whole water column, so tank mates that keep to one level help reduce friction.

Melanurus Wrasse grows to about 12 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 6 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.

Melanurus Wrasse 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.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a melanurus wrasse live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 19 compatible freshwater species for melanurus wrasse. 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 melanurus wrasse?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Banggai Cardinalfish, Blue Damselfish, Firefish. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a melanurus wrasse?

Avoid Maroon Clownfish, Domino Damselfish, Clown Goby and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do melanurus wrasse tank mates need?

Start from Melanurus Wrasse's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 210 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Melanurus Wrasse care guide