Scarlet Badis Tank Mates

Scarlet Badis is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 127 freshwater species that pair well with a scarlet badis — plus the 109 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

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

The best tank mates for a scarlet badis

  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Dawn Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Cherry Shrimp ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °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.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy 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 ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Trinidad Guppy ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Pygmy Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Blue Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Emperor Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °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.
  • Flame Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Ghost Shrimp ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °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.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °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.
  • Golden Dwarf Barb ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Red Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Yellow Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
With caution

Scarlet Badis tank mates that can work with care

  • African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and African Butterfly Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • 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)
    Scarlet Badis and Angelfish can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Banded Gourami ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Banded Gourami can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Bandit Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Bandit Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Bearded Corydoras ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Black Darter Tetra ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 4 cm · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Black Darter Tetra can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Black Ruby Barb ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 6 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.

+ 96 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a scarlet badis

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (100 vs 2 cm): Fire Eel will treat Scarlet Badis as food.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Scarlet Badis and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (90 vs 2 cm): Koi will treat Scarlet Badis as food.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Scarlet Badis and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Scarlet Badis and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.

+ 101 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a scarlet badis

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

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Scarlet Badis?

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

  • Assassin Snail✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Blackwing Hatchetfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Blackwing Hatchetfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Cherry Shrimp✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Cherry Shrimp in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Clown Killifish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Clown Killifish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Crimson Red Betta✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.5 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Crystal Red Shrimp✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Crystal Red Shrimp in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Dawn Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Dawn Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Dwarf Spotted Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Dwarf Spotted Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Endler's Livebearer✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Eyespot Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °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.
    • Keep Eyespot Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Fire Red Licorice Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.5 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Danio✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Glowlight Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Gold Ring Danio✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °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.
    • Keep Gold Ring Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Green Neon Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Green Neon Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Lambchop Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Lambchop Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Neon Blue Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Neon Blue Rasbora in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Neon Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 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.
    • Keep Neon Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Nerite Snail✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2.5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Pygmy Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3.2 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Pygmy Corydoras in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Tail-spot Corydoras in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Tiger Shrimp✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Hard care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Tiger Shrimp in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Trinidad Guppy✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Black Darter Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 4 cm · Hard care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Black Darter Tetra can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Watch for Black Darter Tetra picking off any scarlet badis small enough to fit in its mouth.
  • Celestial Pearl Danio⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Celestial Pearl Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Celestial Pearl Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Chili Rasbora⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Chili Rasbora — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Chili Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Ember Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Ember Tetra at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Ember Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Emerald Dwarf Danio⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Emerald Dwarf Danio at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Emerald Dwarf Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Exclamation Point Rasbora⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Exclamation Point Rasbora are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add exclamation point rasbora in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Exclamation Point Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Hummingbird Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 1.8 cm · Hard care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Hummingbird Tetra are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add hummingbird tetra in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Hummingbird Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Neon Green Rasbora⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Neon Green Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Neon Green Rasbora in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Pea Puffer⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Pea Puffer can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Rainbow Emperor Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 3.6 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Watch for Rainbow Emperor Tetra picking off any scarlet badis small enough to fit in its mouth.
    • Keep Rainbow Emperor Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Ramshorn Snail⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Easy care · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Ramshorn Snail — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
  • Ruby Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Ruby Tetra at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Ruby Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Serpae Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 4 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Serpae Tetra can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Watch for Serpae Tetra picking off any scarlet badis small enough to fit in its mouth.
    • Keep Serpae Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Strawberry Rasbora⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Expect Scarlet Badis to harass Strawberry Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Strawberry Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Tiger Badis⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 4 cm · Medium care · 22–24 °C (72–75 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Tiger Badis can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Scarlet Badis is small enough to tempt Tiger Badis; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
  • Tucano Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 1.7 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Tucano Tetra — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Tucano Tetra in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Scarlet Badis is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Scarlet Badis and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 2 cm): Clown Knifefish will treat Scarlet Badis as food.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (100 vs 2 cm): Fire Eel will treat Scarlet Badis as food.
    • Scarlet Badis and Fire Eel can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 2 cm): Koi will treat Scarlet Badis as food.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 2 cm Scarlet Badis whole.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 2 cm Scarlet Badis whole.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Scarlet Badis and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Scarlet Badis is bite-sized to a 300 cm predatory wels catfish — it will be eaten.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Scarlet Badis and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.
    • Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 2 cm Scarlet Badis whole.
    • Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 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 scarlet badis 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 scarlet badis

Being semi-aggressive, scarlet badis can nip or harass smaller, slower or long-finned fish — give it space, broken sight-lines and similarly robust companions. It mostly occupies the bottom of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Scarlet Badis grows to about 2 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 2 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 22–27 °C (72–81 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and 2–10 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Scarlet Badis is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 2+ 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 scarlet badis live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 127 compatible freshwater species for scarlet badis. 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 scarlet badis?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Red Lip Nerite Snail, Dawn Tetra, Nerite Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a scarlet badis?

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 scarlet badis tank mates need?

Start from Scarlet Badis'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.

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