Not all glofish are made the same. While some like glofish tetras and glofish danios are a top choice for most community aquariums, others like glofish sharks are best kept alone. So, there’s no one definitive answer to what fish can live with glofish.
There are several things that come into play – temperament, size, diet, and of course, environmental needs.
So, I assume this article is going to be quite lengthy. But I will try my best to give you accurate answers that won’t jeopardize any of your fish’s lives.
Let’s begin!
What Fish Can Live With Glofish?
Glofish tetras can live with loaches, plecos, and rasboras. Glofish barbs can live with guppies, gouramis, and shrimps. Glofish barbs can live with other barbs, mollies, and platies. Glofish bettas can live with shrimps, loaches, and snails. And lastly, glofish sharks can live with barbs, gouramis, and rasboras.
What Fish Can Live Glofish Tetras?
To be honest, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing tankmates for your glofish tetras. There are too many to choose from. But your best bet would be small, peaceful, and sociable fish with no knack for predation.
Glofish tetras are small fish that barely grow over 2.5 inches long. Therefore, I strongly suggest not adding any fish that can get around 3-4 inches (7.5-10 centimeters).
Adding any fish larger than that is like throwing your glofish tetras under the bus. They will either get eaten or beaten up.
But not all small fish are saints either. You need to steer clear of fish like dwarf mbuna cichlids.
As you already know, glofish tetras are created by genetically modifying black skirt tetras. Hence, they are naturally inclined to move in schools. They feel the most comfortable with their own kind.
Interestingly, if the size of the school is not big enough for their liking, they will become aggressive. They will resort to nipping the fins of their long-finned friends like angelfish and bettas.
Lastly, an important consideration that you should make is that glofish tetras are tropical species. Therefore, their temperature needs fall around 72-76 degrees F (22-24 degrees C). Thus, any tankmate you choose should be able to thrive within this temperature range.
Given that your glofish tetras are kept at least in a group of 5, they can happily cohabitate with the following fish:
| Fish | Temperature | Size | Diet | Care Level | Behavior |
| Cardinal Tetras | 73°- 81°F (23°- 27°C) | 1.25 in (3 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Neon Tetras | 72°- 76°F (22°- 24°C) | 1.5 in (4 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Harlequin Rasboras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Chili Rasboras | 68°- 80°F (20°- 27°C) | 0.75 in (2 cm) | Carnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Zebra Danios | 65°- 80°F (18°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Guppies | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful & active fish |
| Dwarf Gouramis | 72°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Shy but territorial |
| Hatchetfish | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2.5 in (6 cm) | Carnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Zebra Loaches | 73°- 80°F (23°- 27°C) | 4 in (10 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Active bottom feeder |
| Corydoras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2-5 in (5-13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Doesn’t interact with others |
| Clown Pleco | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Herbivore | Easy | Shy and peaceful |
| Cherry Shrimp | 65°- 75°F (18°- 24°C) | 1.5 in (4 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and harmless |
What Fish Can Live With Glofish Danios?
Glofish danios are created by genetically modifying zebra danios. And you may already know that zebra danio are among the easiest fish to raise in a community setup. Therefore, you’ll have absolutely no difficulty finding them tankmates.
As a matter of fact, glofish danios are like that one roommate who picks up after themselves and easily gets along with almost everyone.
Glofish danios are super active fish that love to dart and pace around the aquarium. Thus, they would fare well with other active fish. You could also add docile and peaceful species as their tank mates to bring a sense of calmness to your tank.
Practically, any fish that’s not aggressive, isn’t too large than your glofish danios, and has similar tank requirements would make wonderful tankmates for these fish.
However, note that they’re active fish. They find safety in numbers. If kept alone or in small numbers, they may get stressed and consequently aggressive.
And despite all the endearing qualities glofish danios pose, there are still some fish that don’t make great tankmates for these little ones. Be sure to avoid overly docile, aggressive, and very big fish.
As always, the temperature is an important consideration to make when choosing tankmates. Glofish danios are tropical fish that thrive the best in temperature between 70-78 degrees F (21-25 degrees C).
So, provided that you keep at least 5-6 glofish danios, they can happily share the tank with the following fish:
| Fish | Temperature | Size | Diet | Care Level | Behavior |
| Cardinal Tetras | 73°- 81°F (23°- 27°C) | 1.25 in (3 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Ember Tetras | 73°- 84°F (22°- 29°C) | 0.8 in (2 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful, travels in groupdiet |
| Harlequin Rasboras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Platies | 70°- 82°F (21°- 27°C) | 2-3 in (5-7 cm) | Carnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Swordtails | 72°- 79°F (22°- 26°C) | 5.5 in (13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Hardy, passive and peaceful |
| Guppies | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful & active fish |
| Honey Gouramis | 71°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and gentle |
| Three-Spotted Gourami | 73°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 4-5 in (10-12 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Timid but territorial |
| Kuhli Loaches | 75°- 86°F (24°- 30°C) | 2.5 in (7 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and mellow |
| Corydoras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2-5 in (5-13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Doesn’t interact with others |
| Clown Pleco | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Herbivore | Easy | Shy and peaceful |
| Ghost Shrimp | 65°- 85°F (18°- 29°C) | 1.5-3 in (4-7 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful, shy and harmless |
Recommended Readings!
What Do Glofish Sharks Eat? Can They Smell Blood?
How Big Do Glofish Sharks Get? Are They Even Sharks?
How Big Do Glofish Danios Get? Is Your Danio Stunted?
What Fish Can Live With Glofish Barbs?
Glofish barbs were made from tiger barbs. So, it’s only natural for them to be as feisty as their original counterparts. Glofish barbs are well-known fin nippers.
However, the aggression can be quite drastically cut down if you keep them in groups. From what I have read, the minimum group of 7 is enough for that. Still, they have a proper social hierarchy in place and will fight for dominance within the group.
Glofish barbs can be best described as showy and active fish that like to chase around, bump, and nip at one another.
And since these fish love to nip fins, it makes sense to not pair them with long-finned species like long-fin tetras, goldfish, angelfish, and bettas.
When choosing tankmates for glofish barbs, it’s recommended to choose slightly larger fish so they’d be reluctant to chase and attack. These semi-aggressive fish will push around smaller and vulnerable species.
Don’t forget to consider temperature needs while choosing tankmates. Although modified, glofish barbs are tropical fish at the end of the day. They thrive in a temperature range of 77-82 degrees F (25-28 degrees C).
Assuming that you have kept glofish barbs in a group of 5-7, they will easily cohabitate with the following fish:
| Fish | Temperature | Size | Diet | Care Level | Behavior |
| Zebra Danios | 65°- 80°F (18°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Neon Tetras | 72°- 76°F (22°- 24°C) | 1.5 in (4 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Mollies | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 3-5 in (8-12 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Active, social and peaceful |
| Platies | 70°- 82°F (21°- 27°C) | 2-3 in (5-7 cm) | Carnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Swordtails | 72°- 79°F (22°- 26°C) | 5.5 in (13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Hardy, passive and peaceful |
| Cherry Barbs | 73°- 82°F (23°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful & active |
| Rosy Barbs | 64°- 72°F (18°- 22°C) | 6 in (14 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Peaceful and shy |
| Dwarf Gouramis | 72°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Shy but territorial |
| Tinfoil Barbs | 72°- 77°F (22°- 25°C) | 7 in (20 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and active |
| Corydoras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2-5 in (5-13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Doesn’t interact with others |
| Clown Pleco | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Herbivore | Easy | Shy and peaceful |
| Red-Tailed Sharks | 72°- 79°F (22°- 26°C) | 4-6 in (10-15 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Semi-aggressive |
What Fish Can Live With Glofish Bettas?
Bettas are also known as Siamese fighting fish, but they’re not as mean as they’re made out to be. Actually, the moniker comes from the short-tempered tendency of male bettas who are super territorial.
They will even attack their own reflection.
Therefore, it’s never a good idea to keep more than 1 male betta in a tank, no matter how big it is. Females aren’t too friendly with each other either. Bettas are just grouchy in general.
And although bettas are not usually mean to other species, before you get them any friends, remember that they’re the epitome of unsocial fish and would never get ‘lonely.’
So, even though it’s possible to keep bettas with other fish, it’s not really recommended.
If you still insist on buying them some friends, note that a betta’s long fins are their Achilles heel. Even small fish like neon tetras will constantly nip their fins.
Also, the tank should be big enough to accommodate all the species you plan to add happily. Bettas are pretty territorial to begin with.
As always, don’t forget to double-check the temperature before buying any fish. The water temperature should be around 75-80 degrees F (23-26 degrees C).
Docile and peaceful bottom dwellers are the best match for bettas.
Here’s a list of compatible tankmates:
| Fish | Temperature | Size | Diet | Care Level | Behavior |
| Corydoras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2-5 in (5-13 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Doesn’t interact with others |
| Clown Pleco | 75°- 82°F (24°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Herbivore | Easy | Shy and peaceful |
| Ghost Shrimp | 65°- 85°F (18°- 29°C) | 1.5-3 in (4-7 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful, shy and harmless |
| Cherry Shrimp | 65°- 75°F (18°- 24°C) | 1.5 in (4 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and harmless |
| Kuhli Loaches | 75°- 86°F (24°- 30°C) | 2.5 in (7 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and mellow |
| Zebra Loaches | 73°- 80°F (23°- 27°C) | 4 in (10 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Active bottom feeder |
| Yoyo Loaches | 75°- 86°F (24°- 30°C) | 2.5 in (7 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and active |
| Mystery Snails | 68°- 82°F (20°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Non-aggressive and docile |
| Harlequin Rasboras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
What Fish Can Live With Glofish Sharks?
Glofish sharks, like their original counterparts (rainbow sharks), are super territorial and aggressive. And they need at least 50 gallons of space each to live comfortably.
Thus, you should think really long and hard before introducing any other fish to their tank.
Glofish sharks prefer swimming at the bottom. Therefore, you don’t want to pair them with bottom-dwelling species like plecos and loaches. If they ever have to share the bottom space with anyone, they will resort to relentless chasing, biting, and head-and-tail butting.
Likewise, keeping them with other shark species will only bring trouble.
And also, note that the rule of thumb is to keep only one rainbow shark in the tank at a time. If you keep any more than that, it will inevitably lead to the death of subdominant fish.
Interestingly, glofish sharks will get along with schooling fish that swim in the middle and top regions of the aquarium.
Here’s a list of fish you can keep with rainbow sharks:
| Fish | Temperature | Size | Diet | Care Level | Behavior |
| Danios | 65°- 80°F (18°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful shoaling fish |
| Cherry Barbs | 73°- 82°F (23°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful & active |
| Tinfoil Barbs | 72°- 77°F (22°- 25°C) | 7 in (20 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and active |
| Rosy Barbs | 64°- 72°F (18°- 22°C) | 6 in (14 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Peaceful and shy |
| Honey Gouramis | 71°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and gentle |
| Dwarf Gouramis | 72°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | Omnivore | Medium | Shy but territorial |
| Rasboras | 75°- 80°F (24°- 27°C) | 2 in (5 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Rainbow Fish | 72°- 82°F (22°- 28°C) | 4.7 in (12 cm) | Omnivore | Easy | Peaceful and active |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Glofish And Goldfish Live Together?
All 5 species of glofish are tropical species that prefer warmer water. On the other hand, goldfish are coldwater fish. Owing to different temperature needs, glofish and goldfish don’t really make ideal tankmates.
Can Angelfish Live With Glofish?
Although the climatic needs for angelfish and glofish overlap, it’s best you don’t house them together. Glofish barbs, tetras, and danios are fin-nippers that’ll definitely have a go at long-finned fish like angelfish.
Likewise, glofish bettas and sharks are aggressive fish that are best not kept with other fish with strong and assertive personalities like angelfish.
Can Glofish Sharks Live With Glofish Tetras?
Glofish sharks have no qualms living with short-finned, mid-water schooling fish like tetras. However, we should still not rule out the chances of your glofish tetras becoming a delicious live meal for glofish sharks.
Can Glofish Live With Other Fish?
Yes, glofish can certainly live with other fish. But you can’t pair them haphazardly with any given fish. It’s essential to understand the needs and innate behavior of all parties involved to ensure a happily ever after for everyone.
Final Words: What Fish Can Live With Glofish?
In the wild, glofish don’t really stand a chance against predation due to their bright disposition. However, in the tank, you can quite easily keep them with different kinds of fish.
The options aren’t really scarce.
Just make sure you don’t pair long-finned species like bettas, goldfish, and angelfish with glofish, who will most likely nip their fins.
While glofish bettas would rather live alone, you can still pair them with peaceful bottom dwellers like corys and loaches.
And for glofish sharks, choose short-finned, mid-water dwelling schooling fish like danios and barbs.
Recommended Readings!
How Many Glofish Tetras In A 10-Gallon Tank? There’s Bad News!