As an avid aquarist, I have learned that a well-balanced and harmonious community tank is essential to keeping angelfish thriving. In this article, we’ll explore the 20 best angelfish tank mates that not only complement the elegant beauty of these magnificent freshwater fish but also maintain a peaceful coexistence within the tank.
So let’s dive in, and discover the perfect tank companions for your angelfish!
How to Choose Tank Mates for Angelfish?
- Scientific name: Pterophyllum scalare
- Adult size: 6 inches (15 cm)
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Care Level: Moderate
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons (114 liters)
- Temperature: 76-82°F (24-28°C)
- Social behavior: Semi-aggressive
When it comes to establishing a serene environment for your angelfish, selecting the right tank mates is of utmost importance. Here are several factors to take into consideration when making your decision:
Size and Temperament
- Opt for fish that are similar in size to your angelfish, as smaller fish could be mistaken for prey.
- Steer clear of aggressive fish that might harass or harm your angelfish.
- Peaceful, community fish are ideal companions.
Water Parameters
- Ensure your chosen tank mates have matching water parameter requirements, including temperature, pH, and hardness. This guarantees that all fish within the tank are content and healthy.
Swimming Levels
- To minimize competition for territory and food, pick fish that occupy different swimming levels than your angelfish. For example, bottom-dwellers and mid-water fish are excellent choices.
Diet and Feeding
- Ensure that the dietary and feeding requirements of both the angelfish and potential tank mates are compatible, as this prevents competition for food resources.
Keeping these crucial factors in mind will help you in creating a well-balanced and harmonious community tank for your angelfish to flourish.
The Best Tank Mates for Angelfish
Here are my picks for the most popular fish species that will not only make good angelfish tank mates but are also good community fish:
Corydoras Catfish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, sinking pellets, flakes, and frozen/live food
- Maximum Size: 2-3 inches
Despite their shy and timid nature, which likely stems from their relatively small size, Corydoras Catfish rank high among my preferences for community fish.
They prefer living in groups, so I recommend purchasing at least 3 or 4 of them. You’ll often see them sticking together.
There are many different types of Cory Catfish, which makes it easy to find one that suits your taste. Despite the vast variety, their temperament remains consistent — they’re peaceful, calm, and timid.
These low-maintenance fish are especially appealing for beginner hobbyists. As bottom dwellers, you’ll find them methodically scavenging in the substrate of your tank, sweeping up leftover food.
Although they have a good reputation as tank cleaners, you shouldn’t rely solely on Cory Fish to keep your tank clean. In addition to picking up leftovers, they’ll consume various basic food types: pellets, flakes, and bottom-feeder tablets.
Bristlenose Pleco
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Herbivore, algae wafers, vegetables, occasional protein
- Maximum Size: 4-6 inches
Bristlenose Plecos are another bottom dweller species that likes to scavenge in the substrate of your aquarium.
They’re bizarre-looking with their fleshy little tentacles, which makes them appealing for many aquarists.
They’re native to the same regions as the Angelfish, so it’s understandable that they’ll enjoy the same water conditions.
Bristlenose Plecos are prolific tank cleaners known to keep algae down by feeding on it. Still, they won’t thrive on algae alone, and they prefer a plant-based diet.
These fish are easy to care for, they make good companions for angelfish, and they’re small.
Ram Cichlids
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, pellets, flakes, frozen/live food
- Maximum Size: 2-3 inches
Ram Cichlids are popular mainly among experienced aquarists as they can be a challenge for beginners.
They’re commonly known as butterfly cichlids because of their beautiful colors, high fins and fancy look.
Their peaceful nature and compatibility with non-aggressive fish make them good tank buddies for Angelfish.
They like digging in the bottom of your tank for small insects and plant food, but also feed in the water column or at the surface of the tank.
They prefer live or frozen feed (bloodworm, brine shrimp, tubifex), but they’re not very happy eating flakes or granules.
As I mentioned, they’re a bit more difficult to care for, which is why I don’t recommend them for beginners. They’re picky about water conditions, and they’re especially sensitive to nitrates and toxins.
They do well in a community tank, provided that they are not housed with large fish. Apart from angelfish, they also get along with guppies, mollies, platies, rummy-nose tetra, etc.
Dwarf Gourami
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, frozen/live food
- Maximum Size: 2 inches
Dwarf Gourami fish are shy and peaceful fish that are known as labyrinth fish due to their labyrinth-like breathing organ.
Despite being a species native to India and Bangladesh, which has very different conditions compared to where Angelfish originate from, they can still make good companions for these fish.
However, I recommend that you keep an eye on how your Angelfish interact with your Dwarf Gourami fish, because sometimes Angelfish can act territorial, and Dwarf Gourami let themselves easily bullied.
In general, however, you shouldn’t encounter any issues between these two species.
In terms of diet, these little buddies eat flake foods, freeze-dried foods, frozen foods, live food and vegetable tables.
In nature, they like eating small insects from the surface of the water and algae growth that they find on plants.
If you want to breed these fish, make sure to provide plenty of vegetation in the tank as they build bubble nests using vegetation.
Platy Fish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 1.5-2.5 inches
Despite the fact that platies in the wild exhibit dull coloration with no distinctive marks, platies bred in captivity exhibit wonderful colors that range from orange, yellow, red, to black, silver, and green.
They’re small fish that don’t need a large tank, but they’re quite active and breed fast, so get ready for some baby platies too.
Platies are the quintessential beginner-friendly fish for freshwater aquariums. They’re incredibly social and hardy fish. They like heavily planted tanks.
They’re omnivorous, which makes them easy to feed, especially that they’ll accept most foods: flake, pellet, fresh vegetables, spirulina algae, fresh or frozen foods.
Besides angelfish, platies get along with other community fish like guppies, swordtails, tetras, catfish, etc.
Swordtails
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 4 inches
Swordtails are great community fish that come in many colors and varieties, and it’s sure to jazz up your tank.
Along with their great color variations, their elongated bottom fins have earned them the name Swordtail fish.
They’re livebearers and easily reproduce, without any special preparation that tank owners need to do.
Despite their peaceful nature, they don’t let themselves easily bullied by aggressive fish, so a little aggressivity from Angelfish won’t bother them much.
They’re easy to care for, they enjoy being in groups, and they’re omnivorous eating live food, flakes, frozen and pretty much everything.
They’re quite an active little bunch and sometimes they’ll even jump out of the tank, so choose a higher tank to avoid that.
They make good Angelfish companions and they get along well with other livebearing species too.
Molly Fish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 3-4 inches
Mollies and Angelfish are a match made in heaven. They’re perfect companions, especially that Mollies can protect themselves from potential aggressions coming from Angelfish.
Mollies can adapt to a variety of water conditions and some types of mollies can even live in saltwater aquariums. They do well with any of the common tropical freshwater fish.
They’re best buds with guppies, so much so that they’re known to interbreed with them.
The only issue that you may encounter with mollies is that they tend to nip at the fins of other fish, but they mostly keep to themselves and don’t bother their tank mates.
They’re often recommended as a beginner freshwater fish because of their endurance and community-friendliness. They breed easily and rapidly.
They’re not fussy about food, they enjoy a fair amount of vegetables, and eat dried, frozen and live foods.
Guppy Fish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 1-2 inches
Guppies are popular freshwater fish among beginners. They’re a hardy species that gets along with many other peaceful community fish.
If you’re planning on keeping guppies with angelfish, add them to your tank while your angelfish are still young. This way they’ll grow up seeing guppies as tank mates and not potential food targets.
Guppy males are brightly colored with gorgeous fins and tails, females are less interesting when it comes to physical traits.
Guppies are small and active fish that breed easily and are undemanding both in terms of water conditions and diet.
They’ll eat live food (bloodworm, tubifex, brine shrimp), flakes with vegetable content, pellets and other artificial foods.
They get along with peaceful fish like mollies, bristlenose plecos, dwarf gourami, harlequin rasboras, and if the conditions I discussed above, they can be housed with Angelfish as well.
Like with every other fish species that isn’t a 100% match for angelfish, make sure you keep an eye on their behavior.
Keyhole Cichlids
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 4 inches
It will be difficult to find Keyhole Cichlids in pet stores, because they’re not as popular among aquarists. However, cichlid keepers absolutely love them for their smart and peaceful personality.
The dark stripe that goes across their eyes earned them the name Keyhole Cichlids.
They are undemanding fish that exhibit no aggressivity towards other fish. They get along with Angelfish and they won’t cause any problems like nipping at the elongated fins of Angelfish.
Keyhole Cichlids can live a long time (up to 8 years) and they form couples, being regarded as monogamous fish.
Because they’re timid, they like to have plenty of hiding spaces, so make sure to provide a sufficient number of shelters in the tank.
They’re diet is made up of insects, worms, crustaceans, and larvae. In captivity they’ll eat frozen, dry and live food.
Kribensis Cichlids (Rainbow Kribs)
- Compatibility: 3/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 4 inches
Kribensis Cichlids and Angelfish aren’t a match made in heaven, but they can be kept together if there are no other small fish in the tank.
They can both become aggressive, although the Kribensis is more aggressive and will nip at the fins of Angelfish. Still, they can hold their own against each other.
Kribensis Cichlids or Kribs are colorful, attractive fish that can be found in a variety of color morphs. Although they remain small, they have a large personality.
They’re undemanding when it comes to water conditions, which makes them a hardy fish that’s suitable for beginners.
Because they’re territorial, avoid overstocking the tank. Provide them with enough plants and cover areas, but allow enough space for open swimming as well.
They’re easy going when it comes to food, they’ll accept all foods including frozen, live, pellet foods, flakes, and vegetables.
Of all the fish in this guide, Kribensis are probably the least compatible with Angelfish.
Lemon Tetras
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 2 inches
Also, native to the Amazon River area, Lemon Tetras make good companions for Angelfish if you keep these Tetras in schools of 6 or more.
Any less than that, and they might exhibit bad behaviors like nipping at the fins of your Angelfish.
Other than this, they have a peaceful nature and a good temperament, which makes them a good choice for a community tank, provided that you keep them with fish that won’t try to eat them.
They’re not demanding fish, so they’re easy to look after.
In the wild, Lemon Tetras eat small invertebrates, algae and crustaceans. In captivity, a varied diet will make them happiest, so make sure to give them a varied menu that includes live foods as well.
Rummy Nose Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 2 inches
Before I get into the particularities of this species, a word of advice: Don’t add Rummy Nose Tetras to an Angelfish tank before they reach adulthood (or they’re fully grown), because they might end up as a delicious snack to your Angelfish.
The distinctive red marking on their head earned them the name “Rummy Nose”. Other physical characteristics include the black and white stripes on their fluke and their silvery body.
To make sure they’re happy in their environment, keep them in schools of 6 or more.
They’re not particularly hard to care for, but they do take issue with ammonia levels and nitrate levels in the tank, so it’s important to keep a close eye on water purity and water parameters.
If notice that your Rummy Nose Tetra loses its bright red marking, you can be sure it has something to do with the water quality.
For these reasons, I don’t recommend them for beginners, they’re better suited for experienced aquarists.
As for their diet, they eat all types of foods – live, frozen, and flakes.
Black Skirt Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 2.5 inches
Black Skirt Tetras, known for their striking black stripes and skirt-like fins, are an adaptable and hardy addition to many freshwater aquariums. Best kept in schools of 6 or more, these fish thrive in stable environments with proper water parameters.
Suitable for both novice and experienced aquarists, they accept a variety of live, frozen, and flake foods. Exercise caution when introducing them to tanks with slow-moving, long-finned tank mates due to occasional nippiness.
Rosy Tetras
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 2 inches
Rosy tetras are another great choice when it comes to angelfish tank mates. They are beautiful, very active and peaceful fish. They will accept similar food as angelfish and they need similar water parameters.
Rosy tetras do best if are kept in groups of at least 6, but you can add more if you aquarium is big enough.
Rosy tetras grow to about 1.5 inches (4 cm) long and can live about 5-6 years.
A group of 6 rosy tetras require at least a 20 gallon tank.
Neon Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 1.5 inches
Although some aquarists do not recommend keeping neon tetras with angelfish, I had no problem keeping these two fish species together.
Neon tetras give a vibrant look to any community tank and are really easy fish to keep. They don’t need much space. Neon tetras will also do well in a 10 gallon aquarium.
Angelfish and neon tetras have very similar requirements in terms of water parameters and feeding requirements.
One thing to keep in consideration when keeping neon tetras and angelfish together is to add the neon tetras when they reach their adult size (about 1.2-1.4 inches / 3.5 cm) – otherwise they might get eaten by the angelfish.
Also, just like with other tetras, keep your neons in a school of 6 or more.
Zebra Danios
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, flakes, pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 2 inches
Zebra danios are another great choice for community tanks and they are compatible with angelfish as well. Although, zebra fish can support lower temperatures, they do well in tropical temperature tanks.
Zebra fish should be kept in schools of at least 5-6, to feel comfortable. They don’t require much space, therefore can be kept in a 10 gallon tank.
These fish are really fast and peaceful. They will never attack the angelfish and angelfish won’t be able to catch the zebras.
When feeding you fish, make sure that your angels also get their portion, because zebra fish tend to eat all the available food superfast.
Discus Fish
- Compatibility: 2/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons
- Care Level: Difficult
- Diet & Feeding: Carnivore, high-quality pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 8 inches
Discus fish are simply beautiful and they are a great choice for any community aquarium. Discus fish are very sensitive and require special water parameters.
These fish thrive in soft water with hardness of 0-3 dH and with pH between 6-6.5. They prefer warmer water than most tropical fish. Discus fish need water temperature between 82-90 °F (27-32 °C).
A really good filtration system, big enough tank, and frequent water changes are necessary to keep the discus fish healthy.
Discus fish feel safe in a group of at least 6, so you need to consider a tank of at least 55 gallon for these fish. Depending on the number of fish, I would recommend keeping discus fish and angelfish together in at least an 80-gallon tank.
If you can provide these conditions, you can put discus and angelfish together, however make sure, that your angelfish will not harass their mates. Discus fish can get sick quickly due to stress.
Kuhli Loach
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, sinking pellets, live/frozen food
- Maximum Size: 4 inches
Kuhli or Coolie Loach are intriguing little characters that prefer the bottom part of the tank, where they burrow in the sand and explore hiding places.
Notice I wrote sand and not gravel, and that’s because the Kuhli Loach have soft bellies that can be hurt by a gravel substrate.
They have a distinctive eel-shaped body with stripes or bands that fully or partially encircle their body.
Another distinctive marking on them is a pair of sharp spines just below their eyes, which rise if they feel threatened and which makes it difficult for predators to swallow them.
Their mouths are surrounded by four pairs of barbels and their mouth points downward.
They thrive in groups of half a dozen and they make very good community fish when kept with like-tempered species.
They’re mostly nocturnal, so don’t worry if they don’t seem very active during the day. Make sure your tank has plenty of hiding spaces like rocks, plants, driftwood, and caves.
They prefer live foods the most, but you can feed them flake food, frozen, tablets, freeze-dried and wafers as well.
Siamese Algae Eater
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore, algae, sinking pellets, vegetables
- Maximum Size: 6 inches
An algae eater fish is always a must have in a fish tank. They can keep your tank free of algae without the need of adding chemicals or high tech equipment.
The Siamese Algae Eater fish, is one of the best algae eaters out there. This fish has got so popular in the fresh-water aquarium hobby, because it is the only fish, which will consume black beard algae.
The good news is, that they are also compatible with angelfish. Siamese Algae eaters can become very territorial and some-times aggressive. This will only happen, if only one fish is added to a tank or they don’t have enough food. They like to school, so a minimum of 3-5 fish should be added to avoid aggressive behavior towards angelfish or other tank mates.
Siamese Algae eaters can grow pretty big. They can reach about 6 inches (15 cm) in length.
Also, it is recommended a minimum of 30 gallons aquarium for these fish.
Siamese Algae Eaters are mostly herbivore, and they consume algae. Therefore you have to give them a special diet to keep them healthy. Probably the algae that is available in a fish tank is not enough for them to get all the vitamins and minerals they need.
They will not consume the food you feed your angelfish with. You will need to feed the Siamese Algae eaters algae wafers, vegetable based fish food or co*cked vegetables.
Aquarium Snails
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Detritivore, algae, decaying plant matter
- Maximum Size: Varies (0.5-3 inches)
Snails can be a true asset in tanks planted with live plants that shed edible material that’s good for the snail’s diet.
As scavengers, they’ll eat leftover foods, soft algae growing on hard surfaces, any uneaten food from fish, pellets, wafers, etc.
Some aquarium owners consider them a pest because they breed like crazy, so maybe don’t add too many of them of you don’t want a full-blown colony of them.
They fare well in friendly and calm community tanks, and they’re not bothered by Angelfish.
So, if you’re considering adding something other than fish to your tank, aquarium snails can be a good choice in a tank that also houses Angelfish.
Fish to Avoid Keeping with Angelfish
In my journey as an aquarist, I’ve learned that certain species don’t make the best tank mates for angelfish. To help you avoid mishaps, I’ve compiled a list of fish you should steer clear of:
- Large, Aggressive Cichlids: Species like the Oscar or the Jack Dempsey can be quite belligerent and may injure or outcompete angelfish for resources.
- Small, Nippy Fish: Fish such as tiger barbs and Serpae tetras tend to nip at angelfish’s long, flowing fins, causing undue stress and harm.
- Territorial Species: Avoid bottom-dwelling fish like the Red-Tailed Shark or aggressive Killifish, as they might establish territories and exhibit aggressive behavior towards angelfish.
What are the Best Angelfish Tank Mates for Different Size Aquariums?
I recommend keeping one or two angelfish in at least a 20 gallon fish tank. In smaller tanks, angelfish can become very territorial and aggressive towards their tank mates, so choosing the right size aquarium in crucial.
Here I’ve prepared a list of angelfish tank mates for different size fish tanks with 3 examples:
Angelfish Tank Mates – 20 Gallon
- 1 angelfish, 6 neon tetras
- 1 angelfish, 6 zebra danios
- 1 angelfish, 4 guppies
Angelfish Tank Mates – 30 Gallon
- 2 angelfish, 6 neon tetras
- 2 angelfish, 6 zebra danios
- 2 angelfish, 4 platies
Angelfish Tank Mates – 40 Gallon
- 2 angelfish, 6 rosy tetra
- 2 angelfish, 6 rummy nose tetra
- 4 angelfish, 6 neon tetras
Angelfish Tank Mates – 50 Gallon
- 4 angelfish, 2 rainbow kribs, 4 kuhli loaches
- 4 angelfish, 2 ram cichlids, 6 lemon tetras
- 4 angelfish, 1 bristlenose pleco,6 cory catfish, 4 guppies
Angelfish Tank Mates – 55 Gallon
- 6 angelfish, 4 gouramis, 1 bristlenose pleco
- 4 angelfish, 2 keyhole cichlids, 6 pigmy corydoras
- 4 angelfish, 4 guppies, 4 platies, 4 mollies
Angelfish Tank Mates – 75 Gallon
- 6 angelfish, 6 discus fish, 6 cory catfish, livebearers
- 10 angelfish, 6 corydoras, 10 neon tetras
- 12 angelfish, 12 rummy nose tetras
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the essential factors to consider when choosing the best angelfish tank mates. By taking size, temperament, water parameters, swimming levels, and diet into account, you can create a harmonious environment for your angelfish and their companions to thrive.
Remember, a happy and peaceful tank environment plays a crucial role in the overall health and well-being of your fish. So, choose your angelfish’s tank mates wisely and watch your community flourish!
