What fish can live with Glass Catfish?

Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Glass Catfish against your own reading before you buy.

What tank mates should you avoid with Glass Catfish?

Avoid Oscar, Tiger Barb, Jack Dempsey based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do Glass Catfish need for a community?

80L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 98L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

Glass Catfish tank mates

A transparent schooling catfish that needs a group of eight or more to feel safe. Solo or small groups become permanent hiders with visible stress.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: high

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

← Full Glass Catfish profile·Compatibility checker·Tank builder·More catfish

Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Corydoras Catfish Pair check
The Glass Catfish profile lists Corydoras Catfish as both safe and a recommended pairing. Corydoras Catfish schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Corydoras Catfish swims in the bottom zone while Glass Catfish stays in the middle, so the two will not crowd the same water column.
Dwarf Gourami Pair check
The Glass Catfish profile lists Dwarf Gourami as both safe and a recommended pairing. Dwarf Gourami is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 60L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Harlequin Rasbora Pair check
The Glass Catfish profile lists Harlequin Rasbora as both safe and a recommended pairing. Harlequin Rasbora schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.
Neon Tetra Pair check
The Glass Catfish profile lists Neon Tetra as both safe and a recommended pairing. Neon Tetra schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

None on file beyond the safe list.

Fish to avoid with Glass Catfish

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. Glass Catfish at 8cm is prey-sized for it. Oscar needs at least 300L, far above the 80L minimum for Glass Catfish. The tank that houses one stresses the other. Oscar is rated aggressive and Glass Catfish is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
Tiger Barb See why (pair)
Tiger Barb conflicts with Glass Catfish on temperament, predation, or footprint. The juvenile size in a shop tank is not the figure that matters here.
Jack Dempsey See why (pair)
Jack Dempsey reaches 25cm and is flagged predatory. Glass Catfish at 8cm is prey-sized for it. Jack Dempsey needs at least 200L, far above the 80L minimum for Glass Catfish. The tank that houses one stresses the other. Jack Dempsey is rated aggressive and Glass Catfish is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for Glass Catfish: 80L — group minimum 6 (schooling).
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 80L hub.

Easier alternatives to consider

Conservative beginner-peaceful picks from the library — not replacements for reading, but a shorter on-ramp than this species for a first tank.

Plan before you buy

Pair checks for every mix, then multi-species stocking in the builder.

Open compatibility checker Tank builder

Filtration & heating

A 80L minimum tank for Glass Catfish needs a filter rated for at least 320L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 23–28°C.

Filter buying guide →Heater buying guide →Beginner plants guide →