Tank mates for denison barbs

We checked denison barbs against all 149 other species in our database for water temperature, pH, size, fin nipping, predation and aggression.

Good tank mates for denison barbs include nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and zebra danio. Avoid cherry shrimp, boesemani rainbowfish and chinese algae eater: denison barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.

Denison barbs: 20–25°C (68–77°F), pH 6.5–7.8, adult size 13 cm (5.1 in), minimum tank 75 gallons (284 L). Full denison barb care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (77)

Shared water conditions and no known conflict. Still add fish slowly and watch them.

Caution Possible, with care (54)

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).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.
  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
  • Common goldfish · 75+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Dwarf gourami · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of dwarf gouramis are an easy target.
  • Fancy goldfish · 20+ gal
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of fancy goldfish are an easy target.
  • Guppy · 10+ gal
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of guppies are an easy target.
  • Oscar · 75+ gal
    • Oscar may eat denison barbs, especially young or small ones.
    • Oscar is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller denison barbs.
    • Oscar defends its patch of the tank and may chase denison barbs, which use the same area.
  • Amano shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Denison barb hunts shrimp. Larger amano shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Blood parrot cichlid · 55+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Blood parrot cichlid defends its patch of the tank and may chase denison barbs, which use the same area.
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
  • Firemouth cichlid · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Ghost shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Denison barb hunts shrimp. Larger ghost shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Glowlight tetra · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Honey gourami · 10+ gal
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of honey gouramis are an easy target.
  • 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).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of pearl gouramis are an easy target.
  • Rummy-nose tetra · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Senegal bichir · 90+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Senegal bichir is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller denison barbs.
  • 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).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of three spot gouramis are an easy target.
  • 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).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of african butterfly fish are an easy target.
  • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–25°C).
  • Bamboo shrimp · 20+ gal
    • Denison barb hunts shrimp. Larger bamboo shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • Black ghost knifefish · 125+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Bolivian ram · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • 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).
  • Congo tetra · 40+ gal
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of Congo tetras are an easy target.
  • 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).
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • Denison barb may attack small crustaceans like dwarf orange crayfish, especially after they molt.
  • 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).
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • 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).
  • Ropefish · 75+ 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).
  • Severum · 55+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Severum defends its patch of the tank and may chase denison barbs, which use the same area.
  • Sparkling gourami · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Thai micro crab · 5+ gal
    • Denison barb may attack small crustaceans like Thai micro crabs, especially after they molt.
  • Threadfin rainbowfish · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of threadfin rainbowfish are an easy target.
  • 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).
    • Denison barb hunts shrimp. Larger vampire shrimp sometimes survive, but expect losses.
  • 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).
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of moonlight gouramis are an easy target.
  • Thick-lipped gourami · 20+ gal
    • Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of thick-lipped gouramis are an easy target.

Avoid Bad tank mates (18)

  • Cherry shrimp: Denison barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
  • Boesemani rainbowfish: They need different temperatures: Denison 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 denison barbs.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison barbs.
  • Discus: They need different temperatures: Denison barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
  • 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • German blue ram: They need different temperatures: Denison barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), german blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F).
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison barbs.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Crystal red shrimp: Denison barb eats small shrimp like crystal red shrimp.
  • Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Green terror: Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison barbs.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful denison barbs.
  • 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. Denison barbs don't belong in that setup.
  • Zebra pleco: They need different temperatures: Denison barb 20–25°C (68–77°F), zebra pleco 26–30°C (79–86°F).

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with denison barbs?

Good tank mates for denison barbs include nerite snail, neon tetra, panda corydoras, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and zebra danio. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat denison barbs.

Can denison barbs live with angelfish?

Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C). Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.

Can denison barbs live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C). Denison barb sometimes nips fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Can denison barbs live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–25°C (72–77°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can denison 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.