Silvertip Tetra Tank Mates
Silvertip Tetra is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 55 freshwater species that pair well with a silvertip tetra — plus the 88 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.
The best tank mates for a silvertip tetra
- Assassin Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °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 ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °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.
- Axelrod's Cory ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Bandit Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Japanese Trapdoor Snail ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 10–28 °C (50–82 °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.
- Julii Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Masked Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 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.
- Skunk Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5 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.
- Bloodfin Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Rust Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Agassiz's Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 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.
- Blackline Rasbora ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Diamond Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 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.
- Elegant Cory ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 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.
- False Julii Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °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.
- Glass Bloodfin Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 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.
- Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 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.
- Pearl Danio ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–25 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Corydoras Catfish ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6.5 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.
- Spotfin Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 6.5 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.
- Costa's Tetra ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 7 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.
- Peppered Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 7 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.
- Spotted Corydoras ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 7 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °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.
- Gold Barb ✅ CompatibleEasy care · Peaceful · 7.5 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
Silvertip Tetra tank mates that can work with care
- Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 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.
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Silvertip Tetra and Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With cautionEasy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)Silvertip Tetra may eat Amano Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
- Amapá Tetra ⚠️ With cautionMedium care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Silvertip Tetra and Amapá Tetra are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amapá tetra in a group to spread the pressure.
- 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)Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Ash Lipped Apisto ⚠️ With cautionHard care · Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)Silvertip Tetra and Ash Lipped Apisto can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
+ 189 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.
Fish to avoid keeping with a silvertip tetra
- Wels Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Alligator Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Redtail Catfish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Fire Eel ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Silvertip Tetra is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
- Clown Knifefish ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)Silvertip Tetra and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Koi ⛔ AvoidMedium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)Size gap is too large (90 vs 5 cm): Koi will treat Silvertip Tetra as food.
- Spotted Gar ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Wolf Cichlid ⛔ AvoidHard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)Silvertip Tetra and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
+ 80 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.
Check any fish against a silvertip tetra
Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a silvertip tetra, with the reasoning for each verdict.
Will it live with a Silvertip Tetra?
We compare each fish against your silvertip tetra on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Adolf's Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 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 Silvertip Tetra 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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Axelrod's Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Axelrod's Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bandit Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Bandit Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Blackline Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, 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 Silvertip Tetra 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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bloodfin Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, 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 Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Blue Turbo Snail✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 25–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Butterfly Hillstream Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Diamond Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 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.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy 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 Silvertip Tetra 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✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °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 Silvertip Tetra 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.
- German Blue Ram✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 27–30 °C (81–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 27–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Glass Bloodfin Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 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.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Hillstream Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °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 Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Horseman Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Horseman Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Japanese Trapdoor Snail✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 10–28 °C (50–82 °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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Julii Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Julii Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Masked Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Easy 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 Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Masked Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Narcissus II Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Panda Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °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 Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Panda Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rust Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Easy care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Skunk Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5 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 Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Skunk Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Amano Shrimp⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra may eat Amano Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Checkered Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Checkered Barb at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Checkered Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cherry Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Cherry Barb at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Cherry Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Chocolate Gourami⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Hard care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Chocolate Gourami at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Chocolate Gourami in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cochu's Blue Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra and Cochu's Blue Tetra are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add cochu's blue tetra in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Cochu's Blue Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Firehead Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Firehead Tetra at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Firehead Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Five-banded Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Five-banded Barb — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Five-banded Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Forktail Blue-eye⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra and Forktail Blue-eye are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add forktail blue-eye in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Forktail Blue-eye in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Half-striped Penguin Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Half-striped Penguin Tetra — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Half-striped Penguin Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Harlequin Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Harlequin Rasbora at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Harlequin Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Honey Gourami⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra and Honey Gourami are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add honey gourami in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Humpbacked Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 5 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Humpbacked Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Morse Code Corydoras⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~80 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Morse Code Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Mystery Snail⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Easy care · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Mystery Snail — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rummy-nose Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 5 cm · Medium care · 23–29 °C (73–84 °F)
- Expect Silvertip Tetra to harass Rummy-nose Tetra at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Rummy-nose Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotfin Betta⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Silvertip Tetra and Spotfin Betta can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Size gap is too large (250 vs 5 cm): Alligator Gar will treat Silvertip Tetra as food.
- Alligator Gar is slow and long-finned; a busy silvertip tetra shoal tends to nip at it. Keep silvertip tetra in a proper group of 6+ and watch them closely.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Silvertip Tetra and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Clown Knifefish (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 5 cm Silvertip Tetra whole.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Silvertip Tetra is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 5 cm): Koi will treat Silvertip Tetra as food.
- Silvertip Tetra is a notorious fin-nipper — even though Koi is larger, an active shoal will harass its trailing fins. Only safe in a full group of 6+ with plenty of cover.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 5 cm Silvertip Tetra whole.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 5 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Silvertip Tetra as food.
- Spotted Gar is slow and long-finned; a busy silvertip tetra shoal tends to nip at it. Keep silvertip tetra in a proper group of 6+ and watch them closely.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Silvertip Tetra and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
- Silvertip Tetra 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.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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)
- Silvertip Tetra and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Size gap is too large (72 vs 5 cm): Wolf Cichlid will treat Silvertip Tetra as food.
- Silvertip Tetra is a notorious fin-nipper — even though Wolf Cichlid is larger, an active shoal will harass its trailing fins. Only safe in a full group of 6+ with plenty of cover.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Silvertip Tetra 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 silvertip tetra 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 silvertip tetra
Being semi-aggressive, silvertip tetra can nip or harass smaller, slower or long-finned fish — give it space, broken sight-lines and similarly robust companions. It mostly occupies the middle of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.
Silvertip Tetra grows to about 5 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 22–28 °C (72–82 °F), pH 6–8 and 4–15 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.
Silvertip Tetra 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 silvertip tetra live with other fish?
Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 55 compatible freshwater species for silvertip tetra. 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 silvertip tetra?
Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Assassin Snail, Malaysian Trumpet Snail, Axelrod's Cory. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.
What fish should you avoid keeping with a silvertip tetra?
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 silvertip tetra tank mates need?
Start from Silvertip Tetra'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.