With the popularity of GloFish increasing exponentially in both North America and Europe, we have noticed more and more people reaching out to ask various questions on how they are able to best care for their pet Glofish.
These questions range from solving common problems to keeping GloFish mentally stimulated but one of the more common questions that we have noticed people asking time and time again is based on what fish can live with GloFish.
We totally understand why we see so many people reaching out and asking about this as adding some GloFish tank mates to your aquarium can help to complete the look as well as add some diversity to the fish you keep.
Aggression can be common between various fish types, especially when in captivity so we have decided to publish this article going over the better GloFish tank mates in an attempt to help our readers better understand the various other fish that can go well in their GloFish aquarium.
Please keep in mind that you really should be having an aquarium of at least 10 gallons minimum when looking to keep some of these fish with GloFish and that is minimum.
Some of the fish species on this list will require aquariums of 20 or even 30 gallons to ensure that there is plenty of space for everyone to feel safe and not result in aggression between your fish.
What Fish Can Live With GloFish?
There are a wide range of fish that can go well with GloFish with Barbs, Danios, and Rainbow Fish usually being considered the best.
This is due to these three of these fish usually going very well with the GloFish variants of Tetras, Danios, Tiger Barb, and Rainbow Sharks with aggression not being common when added to an aquarium large enough for the fish.
Please note that GloFish have also recently released their GloFish bettas and we will be excluding them from the sections of our article below due to Betta fish usually being hard to match even in larger tanks.
If you are set on getting a GloFish betta then checking out our article on the best algae eaters for betta fish may be worth checking out as we have a few fish species that can go well with the temperament of Betta fish in there.
All of the fish species listed below are specifically recommended for the Tetra, Danio, Tiger Barb, and Rainbow Shark GloFish variants and have a proven history of being able to live with them without issue.
Due to these four GloFish species each having their own individual temperaments, we will be offering specific advice on how each of our GloFish tank mates can interact with each of them as we work our way through our article.
The Best GloFish Tank Mate!
The best GloFish tank mate is probably barbs due to aggression between barbs and the Tetra, Danio, Tiger Barb, and Rainbow Shark GloFish being very rare.
As barbs can work well with all four of the main types of GloFish, they have to be our default recommendation for the best GloFish tank mates.
With barbs being so popular all around the world, there are plenty of breeders keeping stocks of barbs high so you are able to purchase barbs online for much cheaper than most people think.
Barbs can have a nice and unique look to them too while also often looking good under the GloFish lighting units helping them fit right in within a GloFish tank.
We know that some people will prefer other fish for their GloFish tank so we would put danios and rainbow fish as a close second and third just behind barbs.
They tend to go well with the four main species of GloFish with there usually being no aggression in the aquarium but as we touched on earlier in the article, you really do need a 10 gallon aquarium for barbs and danios with rainbow fish usually needing 40 gallon aquarium, especially when having GloFish in there too.
Keeping Danio And GloFish Together
You can keep danios and GloFish in the same tank without any major problems with aggression between the two.
Danios are a common tank mate for GloFish due to having the reputation of not showing aggression to the four main GloFish species when housed in the same tank.
Similar to barbs, danios are very popular so you are able to find them online for cheaper than the majority of people initially think.
If you are trying to put normal danios into a tank with GloFish danios to breed them then keep in mind that the sale of GloFish by anyone other than the GloFish company is illegal and they have taken people to court before and managed to set some hefty fines.
That said though, if your normal danios and your GloFish danios do breed then you are able to keep the offspring yourself in your own tanks without issue. Both regular and GloFish danios tend to go well with GloFish tetras, barbs and rainbow sharks though making them a solid tank mate.
Housing Rainbowfish With GloFish
Rainbow fish can be a great tank mate for GloFish as they usually go well with the four main GloFish species without aggression between the fish in the tank.
Rainbow fish can require a much larger tank than some of the other suitable GloFish tank mates though and this does put some people off from keeping rainbow fish with their GloFish.
Depending on the specific type of rainbow fish you want, you can often get them cheap but some of the rarer colors and patterns can go for $50 or more per fish.
With GloFish usually being a unique looking fish, many people who keep them will often want to keep unique looking rainbow fish as tank mates so will pay this premium too.
As we mentioned back at the start of the article though, you really should be keeping your rainbow fish in an aquarium that holds at least 40 gallons of water minimum.
If you keep them in anything smaller than 30 gallons then stress starts to kick in and the rainbow fish can start to act erratically any the chances of aggression to other fish increases drastically but this can still occur on a rare bases in tanks of 30 to 40 gallons too.
This is why we recommend a 40 gallon tank minimum if you are wanting to keep rainbow fish with your GloFish.
Can You Keep GloFish And Betta Together
Regular betta fish and GloFish betta fish will usually fish if they are put in the same aquarium but both regular and GloFish bettas can be kept with tetra and danio GloFish variants with minimal issues.
We would not recommend that you keep betta fish with barb or rainbow GloFish though as aggression can be common, especially with barbs.
If you do only keep tetra and danio GloFish in your Aquarium then regular and GloFish bettas can be a popular option due to their beautiful tails and unique colors making them fit right in.
Although you can technically keep a single betta in a tank as small as 3 gallons, it is not recommended but if you are housing them with other fish you really do need a 10 gallon tank or larger.
When it comes to the price ranges for betta fish, they start at around $20 per fish but can easily skyrocket to over $100 for some of the rarer colors and rarer fins shapes.
The longer the tail of the betta and the brighter its color the higher the price tag will usually be too and the rarer combinations are definitely a seller’s market so the breeders can ask for a high price and often have multiple buyers offering it.
Keeping Angelfish With GloFish
Angelfish can be great tank mates for tetra and danio GloFish with there being minimal issues between them in tanks of at least 30 gallons with larger tanks usually being better.
The unique look of angelfish can also help keep to the “pretty” look of most GloFish aquariums too with most angelfish colors and patterns looking right at home in a GloFish aquarium.
Angelfish do tend to be cheaper than most people expect with the often being one of the cheaper options on our list, even if you want a unique color or pattern on them too.
Checking online for rarer colors is usually the best option to take unless you know a breeder locally who will be able to supply you with the rare colors and patterns of angelfish.
Although angelfish can also be used as tank mates for barb and rainbow GolFish, they are usually best when kept with tetra or danio GloFish.
Although still minimal, there is a higher chance of there being aggression if you keep your angelfish in tanks with the barb and rainbow GloFish, even if you use a lager tank.
Cory And GloFish In The Same Aquarium
Cory catfish can be a great tank mate for a GloFish due to cory not being aggressive at all. They will do well with tetra, danilo, and barb GlowFish but some rainbow GloFish can be aggressive towards cory cats but this is minimal but worth noting.
Cory cats will usually need a tank of at least 20 gallons but ideally, a tank of 30 gallons or larger will be better if you have a large number of GloFish.
The majority of cory catfish are cheap if you get them online with them often not being too much more in your local pet store either.
They can be beneficial additions to your tank with them being great bottom feeders that will eat a large amount of the discarded food from your GloFish too.
This in turn can help to keep your water clean and reduce the amount of tank maintenance that is required on your part.
The appearance of cory catfish does put some GloFish owners off them as they don’t fit the pretty and colorful vibe of most GloFish tanks.
That said though, in our opinion, this can easily be overlooked due to the advantages that cory catfish offer when it comes to helping to keep your tank clean due to eating discarded food from the bottom of the tank.
Can Glofish Live With Discus
Although discus can be used as tank mates for GloFish, they usually need huge tanks compared to what most GloFish owners have so we usually don’t recommend them.
Depending on the specific type of Discus that you have, they may grow to a size that requires a tank of over 70 gallons with the average GloFish tank being around 15 gallons.
This is why we tend to recommend any other tank mate from our list for your GloFish but if you are deadset on adding discus fish to your tank you will need a larger tank.
If you like the pre-made, official GloFish tanks then you will not be able to use them with your Discus fish as they don’t some in large enough sizes for them either.
We know that there are a number of people who keep GloFish in their own tanks that they put together themselves with some of these being absolutely huge.
If you do have a custom tank that is large enough to add discus fish to then they an be a great option for most GloFish but will rarely have issues with rainbow GloFish.
Keeping GloFish And Guppies
Guppies are one of the best GloFish tank mates for tetra and barb GloFish but should usually not be kept with danio or rainbow GloFish.
Guppies tend to do well in smaller tanks of between ten and twenty gallons making them a good tank mate for the smaller, entry-level GloFish aquariums that many of our readers will be using.
You are able to get guppies for cheap from your local pet store but there are some beautiful looking guppies with rare color patterns available online.
You can check the current online listing for guppies and see a wide range of different colors from all gold guppies to purple mosaics to black lace guppies letting you really complete the look of your tank with some unique looking fish.
Considering how pretty some of these rare guppie colors and patterns actually are, they really aren’t as expensive as some of the other recommendations on our list either.
An all gold guppie can go for as little as $25 online these days with most of the other rare colors and patterns being less than $30 too.
Putting Mollies With GloFish
Mollies are a good tank mate for most types of GloFish other than rainbow GloFish with there being a low chance of aggression between the two even if mollies are added to larger tanks with rainbow fish.
Mollies tend to get on well with tetra, danio, and barb Glofish though making them great tank mate options in most cases.
Mollies can come in a wide range of colors and patterns making it easy to find one to fit the theme of your GloFish aquarium but the rarer colors and patterns tend to be a little more expensive.
Unfortunately, the colors that tend to go better in a GloFish aquarium do tend to be the ones that fetch the higher price tags but even then, they tend to only be around $30 for a gold dust mollie.
You are able to check the current listings online for normal and rare mollie colors and patterns. Normal mollies usually cost around the same online as they would in your local pet store but the rarer mollies will often only be available online from specialist breeders.
In recent years, a number of rare mollie colors and patterns have been produced that can go very well in your GloFish tank with their prices usually ranging from $15 to $30 per fish.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over what fish can live with GloFish to an end. We hope that you have found it helpful and that we have been able to help you better understand what tank mates tend to do well with the different types of GloFish on the market as well as the different tank sizes that they require. There are a large number of different fish species that go well with GloFish without you having any problems in your aquarium so you really can get creative and add a little variety to your tanks.
