Upside-down Catfish Tank Mates

Upside-down Catfish is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 207 freshwater species that pair well with an upside-down catfish — plus the 2 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Upside-down Catfish care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for an upside-down catfish

  • 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; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Ramshorn Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 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.
  • 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)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 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.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 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.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 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.
  • Trinidad Guppy ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful, 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)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • 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)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °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, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °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 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °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)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
With caution

Upside-down Catfish tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Alligator Gar ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Alligator Gar may bully the smaller Upside-down Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Altifrons Geophagus may bully the smaller Upside-down Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Adult Amano Shrimp might survive with Upside-down Catfish, 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 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Angelicus Synodontis ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Angelicus Synodontis may bully the smaller Upside-down Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Arrowhead Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 12 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Auratus Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Aggressive · 11 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

+ 123 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with an upside-down catfish

  • Discus ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Peaceful · 20 cm · 28–31 °C (82–88 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Upside-down Catfish 22–26 °C vs Discus 28–31 °C).
  • German Blue Ram ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 27–30 °C (81–86 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Upside-down Catfish 22–26 °C vs German Blue Ram 27–30 °C).
Interactive tool

Check any fish against an upside-down catfish

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against an upside-down catfish, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Upside-down Catfish?

We compare each fish against your upside-down catfish on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
  • Bearded Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, 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 Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Boesemani Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 11 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Boesemani Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brilliant Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Burmese Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, 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.
  • Clown Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
  • Clown Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Clown Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Convict Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Aggressive, 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 bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Giant Danio✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 20–27 °C (68–81 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Giant Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Golden Wonder Killifish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Keyhole Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Kribensis✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °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.
  • Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy 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.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Leopard Frog Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 25–26 °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.
  • Mexican Tetra✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Easy care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    • Peaceful + 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.
    • Keep Mexican Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Molly✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Murray River Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 11 cm · Easy care · 15–26 °C (59–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Murray River Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Paradise Fish✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 16–26 °C (61–79 °F)
    • Peaceful + Aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Porthole Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 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 bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Rosy Barb✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Peaceful + 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.
    • Keep Rosy Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Silver Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Silver Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Tiger Betta✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 11 cm · Hard care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Topaz Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Zebra Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Hard care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–26 °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.
  • Afra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Arrowhead Puffer⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Auratus Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Auratus Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bandit Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Bandit Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brichardi Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Bucktooth Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Bucktooth Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Demasoni Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Hard care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Demasoni Cichlid in a shoal of 12+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Electric Yellow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Golden Vampire Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Ice Blue Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Johanni Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Johanni Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Lifalili Jewel Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Mascara Barb⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Mascara Barb in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Rusty Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Tanganyikan Butterfly Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Discus⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 20 cm · Hard care · 28–31 °C (82–88 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Upside-down Catfish 22–26 °C vs Discus 28–31 °C).
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Discus in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • German Blue Ram⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 27–30 °C (81–86 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Upside-down Catfish 22–26 °C vs German Blue Ram 27–30 °C).

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 an upside-down catfish community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 115 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 an upside-down catfish

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

Upside-down Catfish grows to about 10 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 5 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 22–26 °C (72–79 °F), pH 6–8 and 5–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Upside-down Catfish is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 5+ 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 an upside-down catfish live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 207 compatible freshwater species for upside-down catfish. 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 an upside-down catfish?

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 an upside-down catfish?

Avoid Discus, German Blue Ram and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do upside-down catfish tank mates need?

Start from Upside-down Catfish's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 115 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Upside-down Catfish care guide