Tank mates for checkerboard barbs
We checked checkerboard barbs against all 149 other species in our database for water temperature, pH, size, fin nipping, predation and aggression.
Good tank mates for checkerboard barbs include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras and bristlenose pleco. Avoid oscar, bala shark and boesemani rainbowfish: oscar can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
Checkerboard barbs: 20–25°C (68–77°F), pH 6–7.5, adult size 5 cm (2 in), minimum tank 20 gallons (76 L). Full checkerboard barb care guide.
Good Compatible tank mates (79)
Shared water conditions and no known conflict. Still add fish slowly and watch them.
Bristlenose pleco
12 cm (4.7 in) · 20+ gal
Bronze corydoras
7 cm (2.8 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Cherry shrimp
3 cm (1.2 in) · 5+ gal · groups of 10+
Checkerboard barb will pick off baby cherry shrimp, so the colony grows slowly. Dense plants help.
Common pleco
40 cm (15.7 in) · 150+ gal
Fancy goldfish
15 cm (5.9 in) · 20+ gal
Guppy
5 cm (2 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 3+
Neon tetra
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Nerite snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 5+ gal
Panda corydoras
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 6+
Zebra danio
5 cm (2 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
African dwarf frog
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 2+
Amano shrimp
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 3+
Checkerboard barb will pick off baby amano shrimp, so the colony grows slowly. Dense plants help.
Assassin snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 5+ gal
Black skirt tetra
6 cm (2.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 8+
Cardinal tetra
4 cm (1.6 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Celestial pearl danio
2.5 cm (1 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 8+
Cherry barb
5 cm (2 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 6+
Chili rasbora
2 cm (0.8 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 10+
Denison barb
13 cm (5.1 in) · 75+ gal · groups of 6+
Dojo loach
15 cm (5.9 in) · 75+ gal · groups of 3+
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
6 cm (2.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Ember tetra
2 cm (0.8 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 8+
Ghost shrimp
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 3+
Checkerboard barb will pick off baby ghost shrimp, so the colony grows slowly. Dense plants help.
Harlequin rasbora
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Hillstream loach
6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 3+
Honey gourami
5 cm (2 in) · 10+ gal
Julii corydoras
5.5 cm (2.2 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Malaysian trumpet snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 10+ gal
Mystery snail
5 cm (2 in) · 10+ gal
Otocinclus
4 cm (1.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Peppered corydoras
6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Platy
6 cm (2.4 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 3+
Pygmy corydoras
2.5 cm (1 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 10+
Ramshorn snail
2 cm (0.8 in) · 5+ gal
Rosy barb
9 cm (3.5 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 6+
Siamese algae eater
15 cm (5.9 in) · 55+ gal
Sterbai corydoras
6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Bamboo shrimp
8 cm (3.1 in) · 20+ gal
Checkerboard barb will pick off baby bamboo shrimp, so the colony grows slowly. Dense plants help.
Black neon tetra
4 cm (1.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 8+
Black phantom tetra
4 cm (1.6 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Bleeding heart tetra
6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 8+
Bloodfin tetra
5 cm (2 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Bumblebee catfish
7.5 cm (3 in) · 20+ gal
Clown killifish
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 6+
Congo tetra
8 cm (3.1 in) · 40+ gal · groups of 6+
Crystal red shrimp
3 cm (1.2 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 10+
Checkerboard barb will pick off baby crystal red shrimp, so the colony grows slowly. Dense plants help.
Dwarf orange crayfish
4 cm (1.6 in) · 10+ gal
Emerald green corydoras
8 cm (3.1 in) · 55+ gal · groups of 6+
Emperor tetra
5 cm (2 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Gardneri killifish
6 cm (2.4 in) · 10+ gal
Giant danio
10 cm (3.9 in) · 55+ gal · groups of 6+
Glass catfish
7 cm (2.8 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 6+
Gold barb
7 cm (2.8 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 6+
Head and tail light tetra
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Kubotai rasbora
2 cm (0.8 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 10+
Lambchop rasbora
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Lemon tetra
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 8+
Odessa barb
6 cm (2.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Panda garra
8.5 cm (3.3 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 3+
Paradise fish
8 cm (3.1 in) · 20+ gal
Peacock gudgeon
6 cm (2.4 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 2+
Penguin tetra
5 cm (2 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Rosy loach
2.5 cm (1 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Rubber lip pleco
14 cm (5.5 in) · 29+ gal
Scarlet badis
2 cm (0.8 in) · 10+ gal
Scissortail rasbora
12 cm (4.7 in) · 55+ gal · groups of 6+
Swordtail
12 cm (4.7 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 4+
Thai micro crab
1 cm (0.4 in) · 5+ gal · groups of 5+
Turquoise rainbowfish
11 cm (4.3 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 6+
Zebra loach
9 cm (3.5 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 5+
Black ruby barb
6 cm (2.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Flame tetra
3 cm (1.2 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 8+
Glowlight danio
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Keyhole cichlid
10 cm (3.9 in) · 29+ gal · groups of 2+
Least killifish
2.5 cm (1 in) · 10+ gal · groups of 6+
Pearl danio
6 cm (2.4 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 6+
Silvertip tetra
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 20+ gal · groups of 8+
Thick-lipped gourami
9 cm (3.5 in) · 20+ gal
Variatus platy
6 cm (2.4 in) · 15+ gal · groups of 3+
Caution Possible, with care (45)
These can work in the right setup, but there is a real risk. Read the reason first.
- Angelfish · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Angelfish may eat checkerboard barbs, especially young or small ones.
- Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Betta fish · 5+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Common goldfish · 75+ gal
- One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
- Common goldfish may eat checkerboard barbs, especially young or small ones.
- Dwarf gourami · 15+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Tiger barb · 29+ gal
- Tiger barb nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like checkerboard barbs.
- Blood parrot cichlid · 55+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Blood parrot cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Blood parrot cichlid defends its patch of the tank and may chase checkerboard barbs, which use the same area.
- Clown loach · 180+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
- Clown loach grows much larger than checkerboard barbs and may swallow them as it grows.
- Firemouth cichlid · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Firemouth cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Glowlight tetra · 15+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Kribensis · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Kuhli loach · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Molly · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Pearl gourami · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Rainbow shark · 75+ gal
- Rainbow shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Red-tail shark · 75+ gal
- Red-tail shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Rummy-nose tetra · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Silver dollar · 75+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Three spot gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- White cloud mountain minnow · 15+ gal
- One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
- X-ray tetra · 15+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Yoyo loach · 75+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- African butterfly fish · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- African butterfly fish may eat checkerboard barbs, especially young or small ones.
- African butterfly fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
- Bolivian ram · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
- Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like checkerboard barbs.
- Clown pleco · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Cockatoo cichlid · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Diamond tetra · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Dwarf chain loach · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Endler's livebearer · 10+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Forktail blue-eye · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Golden wonder killifish · 20+ gal
- Golden wonder killifish may eat checkerboard barbs, especially young or small ones.
- Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller checkerboard barbs.
- Kissing gourami grows much larger than checkerboard barbs and may swallow them as it grows.
- Marbled hatchetfish · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Rabbit snail · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
- Red rainbowfish · 40+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Rosy tetra · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Serpae tetra · 20+ gal
- Serpae tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like checkerboard barbs.
- Sparkling gourami · 10+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Threadfin rainbowfish · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Upside-down catfish · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Vampire shrimp · 20+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Dwarf rasbora · 10+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Green neon tetra · 10+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
- Moonlight gourami · 29+ gal
- Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
Avoid Bad tank mates (25)
- Oscar: Oscar can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Bala shark: Bala shark can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Boesemani rainbowfish: They need different temperatures: Checkerboard barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), boesemani rainbowfish 26–29°C (79–84°F).
- Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs.
- Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs.
- Discus: They need different temperatures: Checkerboard barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
- Electric blue acara: Electric blue acara can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Electric yellow cichlid: Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- German blue ram: They need different temperatures: Checkerboard barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), german blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F).
- Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs.
- Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs. Pea puffer is best kept in a species-only tank.
- Peacock cichlid: Peacock cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- Pictus catfish: Pictus catfish can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs. Red zebra cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs. Demasoni cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- Frontosa: Frontosa can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Frontosa is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 8–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- Green terror: Green terror can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs.
- Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful checkerboard barbs.
- Ropefish: Ropefish can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Severum: Severum can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Shell dweller cichlid: Shell dweller cichlid is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Checkerboard barbs don't belong in that setup.
- Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat checkerboard barbs: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Zebra pleco: They need different temperatures: Checkerboard barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), zebra pleco 26–30°C (79–86°F).
Frequently asked questions
What fish can live with checkerboard barbs?
Good tank mates for checkerboard barbs include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, neon tetra, panda corydoras and bristlenose pleco. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat checkerboard barbs.
Can checkerboard barbs live with angelfish?
Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C). Angelfish may eat checkerboard barbs, especially young or small ones.
Can checkerboard barbs live with bettas?
Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
Can checkerboard barbs live with bristlenose plecos?
Yes. They share similar water needs (22–25°C (72–77°F)) and peaceful temperaments.
Can checkerboard barbs live with bronze corydoras?
Yes. They share similar water needs (21–25°C (70–77°F)) and peaceful temperaments.
How we decide: we compare each pair's comfortable temperature, pH and hardness ranges, adult sizes, mouth size (who can eat whom), fin nipping, aggression and territory. Read the full method. Data last reviewed 2026-10-13.