Walking Catfish Tank Mates

Walking Catfish is aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 4 freshwater species that pair well with a walking catfish — plus the 280 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Walking Catfish care guide →

Best matches

The best tank mates for a walking catfish

Yellow-spotted Pleco ✅ Compatible

Medium care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)

Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
Common Pleco ✅ Compatible

Medium care · Peaceful · 45 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)

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.
Sailfin Pleco ✅ Compatible

Medium care · Peaceful · 50 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)

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.
Elephant-nose Knifefish ✅ Compatible

Hard care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)

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.

With caution

Walking Catfish tank mates that can work with care

Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With caution

Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Adolf's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With caution

Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Agassiz's Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Assassin Snail ⚠️ With caution

Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Assassin Snail, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Axelrod's Cory ⚠️ With caution

Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Axelrod's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Bandit Corydoras ⚠️ With caution

Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Bandit Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Bearded Corydoras ⚠️ With caution

Medium care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Bearded Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Black Doras Catfish ⚠️ With caution

Hard care · Peaceful · 60 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)

Your 380 L tank is below the ~500 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Blood Red Tiger Pleco ⚠️ With caution

Medium care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)

Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Blood Red Tiger Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.

+ 48 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a walking catfish

Mekong Giant Catfish ⛔ Avoid

Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 300 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)

Walking Catfish and Mekong Giant Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid

Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)

Walking Catfish 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)

Walking Catfish 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)

Walking Catfish 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)

Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Walking Catfish and Fire Eel will hold territory and clash.
Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid

Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)

Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Walking Catfish and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid

Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)

Walking Catfish 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: Walking Catfish and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.

+ 272 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a walking catfish

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

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Walking Catfish?

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

Your tank: 380 L (~100 gal)

Common Pleco✅ Compatible
Peaceful · 45 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- 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 bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
Elephant-nose Knifefish✅ Compatible
Peaceful · 35 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- 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 bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
Sailfin Pleco✅ Compatible
Peaceful · 50 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- 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 bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
Yellow-spotted Pleco✅ Compatible
Peaceful · 35 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
Bearded Corydoras⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Bearded Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
Black Doras Catfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 60 cm · Hard care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Your 380 L tank is below the ~500 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Bristlenose Pleco⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 23–30 °C (73–86 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Bristlenose Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Clown Loach⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
- Clown Loach is small enough to tempt Walking Catfish; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
- Your 380 L tank is below the ~400 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Giant Glass Catfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Walking Catfish clearly outsizes Giant Glass Catfish and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Giant Glass Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Goldfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
- Walking Catfish clearly outsizes Goldfish and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Walking Catfish may hunt Goldfish, fry or shrimplets — safest in a heavily planted tank.
Koi⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Your 380 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Marbled Hoplo⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Marbled Hoplo, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Medusa Pleco⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Porthole Catfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Porthole Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Rubber Lip Pleco⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Rubber Lip Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Snowball Pleco⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Snowball Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Spotted Rubbernose Pleco⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Spotted Rubbernose Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Spotted Talking Catfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Spotted Talking Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Upside-down Catfish⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Walking Catfish may bully the smaller Upside-down Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
Weather Loach⚠️ With caution
Peaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
- Weather Loach is small enough to tempt Walking Catfish; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Walking Catfish and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Alligator Gar may bully the smaller Walking Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Your 380 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: Walking Catfish and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
- Your 380 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)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Walking Catfish and Fire Eel will hold territory and clash.
Mekong Giant Catfish⛔ Not recommended
Semi-aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
- Walking Catfish and Mekong Giant Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 380 L tank is below the ~100000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Walking Catfish and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 380 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)
- Walking Catfish and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Your 380 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)
- Walking Catfish and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Wels Catfish may bully the smaller Walking Catfish, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
- Your 380 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: Walking Catfish and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.
- Your 380 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 walking catfish community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 380 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 walking catfish

Walking Catfish is aggressive and territorial, so most community fish are unsafe; any tank mate must be large, tough and able to hold its own. It mostly occupies the bottom of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Walking Catfish grows to about 50 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 25 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 20–28 °C (68–82 °F), pH 5.5–8 and 2–25 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Walking Catfish doesn't need its own kind to feel secure; think twice before keeping more than one if it is territorial. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a walking catfish live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 4 compatible freshwater species for walking 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 a walking catfish?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Yellow-spotted Pleco, Common Pleco, Sailfin Pleco. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a walking catfish?

Avoid Mekong Giant Catfish, Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do walking catfish tank mates need?

Start from Walking Catfish's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 380 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Walking Catfish care guide