Tank mates for forktail blue-eyes

We checked forktail blue-eyes against all 149 other species in our database for water temperature, pH, size, fin nipping, predation and aggression.

Good tank mates for forktail blue-eyes include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and assassin snail. Avoid common goldfish, fancy goldfish and oscar: they need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).

Forktail blue-eyes: 24–27°C (75–81°F), pH 7–8, adult size 5 cm (2 in), minimum tank 20 gallons (76 L). Full forktail blue-eye care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (80)

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

Caution Possible, with care (43)

These can work in the right setup, but there is a real risk. Read the reason first.

  • Angelfish · 29+ gal
    • Angelfish may eat forktail blue-eyes, especially young or small ones.
    • Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Betta fish defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.
  • Dwarf gourami · 15+ gal
    • Dwarf gourami defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.
  • Neon tetra · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Panda corydoras · 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 forktail blue-eyes.
  • Zebra danio · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Blood parrot cichlid · 55+ gal
    • Blood parrot cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
  • Boesemani rainbowfish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 26–27°C).
  • Celestial pearl danio · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Clown loach grows much larger than forktail blue-eyes and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Denison barb · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Firemouth cichlid · 29+ gal
    • Firemouth cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
  • German blue ram · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 27–27°C).
  • Hillstream loach · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Peppered corydoras · 20+ 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 forktail blue-eyes.
  • Red-tail shark · 75+ gal
    • Red-tail shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
  • Rosy barb · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
    • Three spot gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
    • Three spot gourami defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.
  • African butterfly fish · 29+ gal
    • African butterfly fish may eat forktail blue-eyes, especially young or small ones.
    • African butterfly fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
    • African butterfly fish defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.
  • Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like forktail blue-eyes.
  • Crystal red shrimp · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (7–8 vs 6–6.8).
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Gardneri killifish · 10+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Giant danio · 55+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Gold barb · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Golden wonder killifish · 20+ gal
    • Golden wonder killifish may eat forktail blue-eyes, especially young or small ones.
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.
    • Kissing gourami grows much larger than forktail blue-eyes and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Odessa barb · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Panda garra · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Paradise fish · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
    • Paradise fish defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.
  • Rubber lip pleco · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Scissortail rasbora · 55+ 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 forktail blue-eyes.
  • Turquoise rainbowfish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Zebra pleco · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 26–27°C).
  • Checkerboard barb · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Dwarf rasbora · 10+ gal
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (7–8 vs 5–6.5).
  • Glowlight danio · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–24°C).
  • Green neon tetra · 10+ gal
    • Their preferred pH ranges don't quite overlap (7–8 vs 5–6.5).
  • Pearl danio · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
  • Variatus platy · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 24–25°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.

Avoid Bad tank mates (26)

  • Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
  • Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
  • Oscar: Oscar can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bala shark: Bala shark can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes.
  • Discus: They need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
  • Dojo loach: They need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), dojo loach 18–23°C (64–73°F).
  • Electric blue acara: Electric blue acara can eat forktail blue-eyes: 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes. 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Pictus catfish: Pictus catfish can eat forktail blue-eyes: 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 forktail blue-eyes. 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • White cloud mountain minnow: They need different temperatures: Forktail blue-eye 24–27°C (75–81°F), white cloud mountain minnow 16–22°C (61–72°F).
  • Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat forktail blue-eyes: 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 forktail blue-eyes. 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: Frontosa can eat forktail blue-eyes: 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Green terror: Green terror can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful forktail blue-eyes.
  • Ropefish: Ropefish can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Severum: Severum can eat forktail blue-eyes: 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. Forktail blue-eyes don't belong in that setup.
  • Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat forktail blue-eyes: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with forktail blue-eyes?

Good tank mates for forktail blue-eyes include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, bristlenose pleco, bronze corydoras and assassin snail. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat forktail blue-eyes.

Can forktail blue-eyes live with angelfish?

Sometimes, with care. Angelfish may eat forktail blue-eyes, especially young or small ones. Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller forktail blue-eyes.

Can forktail blue-eyes live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Betta fish defends its patch of the tank and may chase forktail blue-eyes, which use the same area.

Can forktail blue-eyes live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (24–26°C (75–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can forktail blue-eyes live with bronze corydoras?

Yes. They share similar water needs (24–26°C (75–79°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.