Pearl Danio Tank Mates

Pearl Danio is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 142 freshwater species that pair well with a pearl danio — plus the 76 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Pearl Danio care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a pearl danio

  • Ember Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 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.
  • Neon Green Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Ramshorn Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 20–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Dawn Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 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.
  • Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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 ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 21–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 20–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Trinidad Guppy ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Pygmy Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Blue Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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 ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Flame Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Golden Dwarf Barb ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 20–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
With caution

Pearl Danio tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Expect Afra Cichlid to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Expect African Butterfly Cichlid to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Expect Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Adult Amano Shrimp might survive with Pearl Danio, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
  • Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Medium 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 caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Angelfish clearly outsizes Pearl Danio and is semi-aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
  • Arrowhead Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 12 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Expect Arrowhead Puffer to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Ash Lipped Apisto ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    Ash Lipped Apisto and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.

+ 114 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a pearl danio

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Size gap is too large (300 vs 6 cm): Wels Catfish will treat Pearl Danio as food.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Size gap is too large (120 vs 6 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Pearl Danio as food.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (100 vs 6 cm): Fire Eel will treat Pearl Danio as food.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (90 vs 6 cm): Koi will treat Pearl Danio as food.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Size gap is too large (90 vs 6 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Pearl Danio as food.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 72 cm predatory wolf cichlid — it will be eaten.

+ 68 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a pearl danio

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

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Pearl Danio?

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

  • Adolf's Cory✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Adolf's Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Agassiz's Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Agassiz's Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Blackline Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Blackline Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Blood Red Tiger Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bloodfin Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 5.5 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bloodfin Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Butterfly Hillstream Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Celebes Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 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 Pearl Danio 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.
  • Corydoras Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Corydoras Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Diamond Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 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 Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Diamond Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Duplicareus Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Duplicareus Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Elegant Cory✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 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 Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Elegant Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • False Julii Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep False Julii Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Glass Bloodfin Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 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 Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Glass Bloodfin Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Guppy✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 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 top of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Hillstream Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Narcissus II Cory✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Narcissus II Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Panda Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–23 °C (64–73 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Platy✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 21–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Rust Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 5.5 cm · Easy care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Rust Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Samurai Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard 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 Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Slate Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Slate Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotfin Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Spotfin Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Sterbai Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 6.5 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Sterbai Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Ash Lipped Apisto⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Ash Lipped Apisto and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Banded Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Banded Dwarf Cichlid and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Betta⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Betta and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Black Ruby Barb⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Black Ruby Barb and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~100 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Black Ruby Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Black Skirt Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Black Skirt Tetra and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Black Skirt Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bleeding Heart Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Expect Bleeding Heart Tetra to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bright Diamond Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bright Diamond Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Colombian Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Colombian Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~114 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Colombian Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Desert Goby⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    • Expect Desert Goby to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Dwarf Chain Loach⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Dwarf Chain Loach in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Eastern Betta⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Eastern Betta and Pearl Danio are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add pearl danio in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • GloFish Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Expect GloFish Tetra to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep GloFish Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Odessa Barb⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Expect Odessa Barb to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Odessa Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Peaceful Betta⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Peaceful Betta is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Smaragd Betta⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 6 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Smaragd Betta is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Three-striped Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · Medium care · 23–29 °C (73–84 °F)
    • Expect Three-striped Dwarf Cichlid to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
    • Alligator Gar is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
    • Expect Clown Knifefish to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (100 vs 6 cm): Fire Eel will treat Pearl Danio as food.
    • Expect Fire Eel to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 6 cm): Koi will treat Pearl Danio as food.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (120 vs 6 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Pearl Danio as food.
    • Expect Redtail Catfish to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 6 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Pearl Danio as food.
    • Expect Spotted Gar to harass Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (300 vs 6 cm): Wels Catfish will treat Pearl Danio as food.
    • Wels Catfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Pearl Danio is bite-sized to a 72 cm predatory wolf cichlid — it will be eaten.
    • Wolf Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Pearl Danio — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Pearl Danio 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 pearl danio 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

How to choose the right tank mates for a pearl danio

As a peaceful species, pearl danio is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It mostly occupies the top of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Pearl Danio grows to about 6 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 3 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 20–25 °C (68–77 °F), pH 6–7.8 and 4–18 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Pearl Danio 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.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a pearl danio live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 142 compatible freshwater species for pearl danio. 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 pearl danio?

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 pearl danio?

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 pearl danio tank mates need?

Start from Pearl Danio'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.

← Back to the full Pearl Danio care guide