9 Best Silvertip Tetra Tank Mates To Pick From

Silvertip Tetra Tank Mates

Who doesn’t want to own an aquarium with all the colorful fish together and making surrounding more delightful? And if you already have shoaling fish like Silvertip tetra in the tank, you are halfway there. Ask questions if you really want to have a community tank along with Silvertip tetra. Which fish breeds will be the best tank mates for Silvertip Tetra? Likewise, which of the fish breed will act as a sworn enemy making itself the worst tank mate?

First and foremost, silvertip tetras are shoaling fish and will do well with their species in a small shoal. Apart from that, the best tank mates for silvertip tetra will be some other tetras from a similar region, smaller cichlids, dwarf gourami, including danios, rasboras, Corydoras, etc.

Silvertip Tetra might be peaceful and shoaling fish, but they also bear the reputation of fin nippers. So, you need to avoid fish with long fins. Also, these Silvertips are sometimes aggressive and might bully smaller fish like neon tetras.

This is just a little summary of what you will be reading and learning in this article. Let’s get started with the journey of Silvertip tetra tank mates.

Silvertip Tetra: An Overview

Before knowing anything about the tank mates you need to take a quick revision about the fish you already have.

There is a very fine line between the best and worst when it comes to keeping two fish together. Although there are a high probability and possibility of you knowing all the things I am going to state now, I will still recommend you to read it.

With no further ado, let me give you the table about silvertip tetras requirement, temperament, and so on.

Temperature 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26°C)
pH 5.5 to 8.5
Temperament Peaceful
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan 5 to 8 years
Size 2 inches
Hardness 2 to 15 dGH

Learn More About Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania nana): A Complete Care Sheet. This guide will help you know more about these tetras and guide you through the very beginning.

What Are The Factors That Decides The Best Tank Mates Of Silvertip Tetra?

When you have an idea about silvertip tetras, you know what to look for most of the time. But let me help you here as it might be difficult to pinpoint what exactly to look at.

These factors that I have listed below will help you determine what type of fish will be ideal for your Silvertips.

Temperament Of Tank Mates

You see, you cannot live with someone who always stays angry or bully you. The same thing happens with the fish in the aquarium.

Keeping these silvertip tetras with aggressive fish isn’t ideal and will never be. Even if you keep the whole shoal of Silvertips in the tank with aggressive fish, it won’t work.

Aggression and bullying will stress your Silvertips making them sick and unhealthy. That’s why you have to look for fish with peaceful or semi-aggressive temperament.

Similarly, these tetras are slightly incline towards the aggressive side contrary to most tetras.

So, the school can play a vital role in minimizing and keeping the aggression within the school circle.

Learn more about ‘Are Tetras Fin Nippers? Are They Aggressive?’ here. Check it out!

Size Of Tank Mates

As I already said, these Silvertips are aggressive than most of the other tetra species making it harder to find tank mates.

When you keep them with fish of similar size or smaller than them, there is a high chance of bullying.

These tetras will bully and nip the fin of the smaller and slow-moving fish. So, it is quite important to keep fish breeds that are slightly larger than these silvertip tetras.

Water Parameters Compatibility Between Fish

Silvertip tetras are hardy fish that can adjust to a huge range of water conditions. However, they belong to the warm water environment, hence you can’t keep with the fish that prefer cold water.

Similarly, they will adjust to a wide range between 5.5 to 8.5 making it easier for you to choose warm-water fish that adjust within this pH range.

You might like to read more about Water Parameters for Tetra Fish: Stable Water Condition.

Territory/Dominance Hierarchies

Well, silvertip tetras are not territorial, they cannot adjust with fish that might get territorial and aggressive.

These fish will live well with the fish larger than them and sometimes even if the ones that will not let them enter in a certain place.

When there is enough room in the tank, territorial fish will not bother these tetras and vice versa.

Species/Origin Of The Fish

You can’t keep a freshwater fish with the fish that prefers saltwater. The salinity tolerance level of these silvertip tetras is pretty low and might get sick when kept in the saltwater tank.

Can you keep a camel in the polar region? Or a polar bear in the Sahara Desert? Come on, does it even sound logical?

No, right! So, how can you keep a fish that belongs to tropical climate with the fish that is from elsewhere?

Thus, look for the fish breed that is from the tropical climate as well. It is even better if the origin of the other fish is similar to Silvertip tetras.

Decorations And Plants

In the wild, silvertip tetras prefer to live in a well-planted with the huge availability of food.

If you can maintain the same environment as their natural habitat, your silvertip tetras will thrive even in captivity.

They prefer rocks, Driftwoods, etc. in the tank, so you have to look for fish that will be okay with this interior.

There are so many options when it comes to finding fish that prefers a well-planted tank. You will know it once we get to know more about tank mates.

9 Best Silvertip Tetra Tank Mates

If you are new to fish keeping and have silvertip tetra in the tank, you are bound to make mistakes.

And it’s okay, most beginners make simple mistakes, and choosing tank mates is one of them.

Let me help you while choosing the tank mates for silvertip tetra. It will be easier for you to have a broad choice and pick one of them from the list.

Black Skirt Tetra

Temperature 60° to 90°F
pH 6.8 to 7.0
Life span 4 to 5 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 2.5 inches

Wow, I know you won’t be surprised to see tetra in the very first in the list of best tank mates for silvertip tetra.

Similar species with the same origin often are compatible with each other and there are even some instances of different tetras schooling in the same group.

Now, coming to black skirt tetra, the first one in this list is of course one of the best tetras you will house in the community tank.

Alike silvertip tetras, black skirt tetras are also fin-nippers and are slightly towards the aggressive side. That’s why they will be ideal for each other.

Fast-moving, active fish that will probably prefer to stay with a school is ideal for Silvertips tetra, and the same thing is what black skirt tetra asks.

Both of these tetras tick all the check-list of being each other tank mates. These two are meant to be together in the tank and trust me your tank will look pretty with these colorful tetras together.

But you need to keep them in the tank with more than 50 gallons capacity.

Blind Cave Tetra

Temperature 68 to 77°F (20°C to 25°C)
pH 6.5 to 8.0
Life span 3 to 4 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 4.7 inches

The second one is the list is also tetra species namely Blind Cave tetra. Don’t get scared with the blind in its name, they might be blind but are not helpless.

These blind cave tetras are not demanding or high-maintenance, you will be able to keep them even if you are a novice or a beginner.

They tend to get aggressive with age but that won’t be a problem with Silvertips. These tetras prefer cave-like structures even in the tank and the décor that are artificial and are not easily nibble.

So, make sure to keep many decorations and gravel that will be appropriate for these blind cave tetras. These tetras will swim in the bottom mostly without disturbing silvertip tetras.

Buenos Aires Tetra

Temperature 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C)
pH 5.8 to 8.5
Life span 5 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 2.75 inches

The third one in the list also of course another tetra. What better than tetra when most of them are compatible with each other.

I am a huge fan of tetras and I always find myself searching for compatible tetras to keep together in the tank.

Talking about Buenos Aires Tetra, these tetras are peaceful fish that minds their own business when kept in the tank along with its school.

However, these tetras devour vegetation present in the tank, so be careful with what types of plants you keep.

Both of these are fin-nippers, hence two negatives make positive, so you can keep them together without worrying about war.

However, you need to have a tank big enough, more than 50 gallons, to hold schools of both tetra fish.

They will stay with their own school making your tank full yet beautiful and vibrant.

Danios

Temperature 70° to 78° F
pH 7.0 to 7.8
Life span 5 years
Care level Intermediate
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 2 to 5 inches

While talking about the tank mates for tetra species, how can we leave danios behind? Hence the fourth one in the list of tank mates for silvertip tetra is taken by Danios.

There are so many types of danios you can choose from. Most of them are peaceful and ideal choices to keep in the community tank.

As these are active fish, always on the move, danios will be an appropriate choice for the Silvertips as these fish are the true nemesis of slow-moving fish.

You need to keep danios in the school of 6 same as Silvertips. Hence, these fish will not bother each other and stay within their school.

Pearl Danios, Rosy Danio, Zebra Danio, etc. are the few danios you can choose from. These danios are very easy to care for and hardy enough to adjust and adapt to a wide range of water parameters.

Rasboras

Temperature 75° to 80° F
pH 6.8 to 7.8
Life span 10 to 15 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Micro-predators and Omnivorous
Size 2 inches

To the fifth one on the list, I will like to recommend Rasboras, one of the most compatible breeds you can keep in the community tank.

There are so many types of Rasboras such as harlequin, lambchop, scissortail, lampeye, etc. will be ideal as Silvertips tank mates.

Avoid smaller Rasboras as they might get easily bullied and even get eaten by silvertip tetras.

Rasboras are peaceful and will get along with similar-sized Silvertips with no complaints whatsoever.

You will love your colorful tank once you see silvertip tetras and any Rasboras species in the same environment.

So, keep the school of both fish breeds so that one cannot bully the other, or even stress and scare them.

Likewise, like any other fish in this list, the tank size needs to be larger than 50 gallons. Smaller tanks are a big no when you decide to switch into a community tank.

Corydoras

Temperature 74° and 80° F
pH 7.0 to 8.0
Life span 5 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 1 to 2.5 inches

Now, we are in the sixth one of the list of silvertip tetra tank mates, and Corydoras rightfully take up that position.

These Corydoras fish are quite compatible with every tetra and hence silvertip tetras are no exception.

They will live happily in the tank with Silvertips as these Corydoras fish are scavengers and stay completely out of the way of silvertip tetras.

Corydoras fish are social creatures and prefer to stay in a school of at least six. Keeping two schools of two different fish breeds can crowd the tank.

Go for larger tanks as smaller tanks get crowded faster which will suffocate the fish living in the tank. Don’t give any instances for Silvertips to incline towards the aggressive side of them.

Plecostomus

Temperature 74 to 80°F (23 to 27°C)
pH 6.5 to 7.8
Life span 10 to 15 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 4 to 24 inches

In the list of tank mates for Silvertip tetras, Plecostomus takes of the lucky seven positions. Plecostomus belongs to the Loricariidae family and often known as the armored catfish.

There are some large to small to large plecos out there, however, you need to stay with smaller ones only.

The large ones will eat up the smaller fish that will easily fit in their mouth. Okay, let’s talk about smaller plecos only that will grow up to 4 to 6 inches.

Bristlenose, rubber lip, and clown plecos will be ideal choices as the tank mates of silvertip tetras.

Here is why these fish are bottom feeders and will barely attack any fish let alone mid or top-dwelling Silvertips.

These fish will stay at the bottom and won’t eat any of the fish unless the fish is dead and immobile.

You can go for a 55+ gallons tank and still be fine with it when you are housing Silvertips with smaller 4 to 6 inches sized plecos.

These catfish are known as algae eaters and tank cleaners; hence you will have two in one option when you keep plecos in the community tank.

Dwarf Gourami

Temperature 72 to 82° F
pH 6.0 to 7.5
Life span 4 years
Care level Intermediate
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 2 inches

Now, the second last fish breed in my list of silvertip tetra tank mates is dwarf gourami. No wonder gourami made the list as it is always there as tank mates of every tetra.

As silvertip tetras are not that bright colored and subtle, these dwarf gouramis will not get angry. They will be okay with having Silvertips in the same tank.

And of course, a similar size plays a key role in deciding the compatibility, and Silvertips and dwarf gouramis top the list in this.

But again, keep the tank size more than 50 gallons, or else your tank will be at war due to overcrowding.

Ram Cichlids

Temperature 78 to 85° F
pH 6.0 to 7.5
Life span 4 years
Care level Easy
Behavior Peaceful
Diet Omnivorous
Size 2.8 inches

Last and least, I’ll be talking about Ram Cichlids, another potential and ideal tank mates for silvertip tetras. They take the 9th position on the best tank mates for Silvertip tetras for all good reason.

Not that they are last on the list, they might be not that good as tank mates. That is not the case.

All the fish breeds I have listed above are equally potential to be ideal in the community tank.

So are Ram Cichlids. Although cichlids belong to the aggressive family, ram cichlid is not even aggressive as per cichlids’ level of aggression.

These cichlids are quite compatible with peaceful fish and are even similar in size to silver tips.

These two won’t fight each other and will live happily in the community tank. Ram cichlids are famous cichlids in the community tank.

They are quite hardy and will adjust and adapt to a wide range of water parameters, so these ram cichlids will be wonderful in the tank with silvertip tetras.

What Are The Types Of Fish You Need To Avoid Keeping With Silvertip Tetra?

Although you feel like silvertip tetras can live with any fish breed, there are certain exceptions. I am not saying silvertip is compatible with every fish around because they are not.

There is always a “but” hidden when you are talking and pointing good things about any fish breed. everyone has their flaws and so does silvertip.

Firstly, you already know these tetras have the reputation of fin nipping. Long and beautiful fins of fish attract this tetra and they can’t help themselves.

Destroying something beautiful might come as a flaw to most living beings, I guess. So, here is the thing, if you know these Silvertips are fin-nippers, you might know they will make the worst tank mates for fish breeds with longer fins rather than the other way around.

Fish like bettas will not be happy and compatible in the tank with Silvertips. However, there is a loophole to this problem as well.

If you keep a shoal of Silvertips in the tank, there is a chance these tetras will leave the fish will longer fin alone.

Another feature that makes silvertip the worst tank mate to other fish is its rare aggression. These tetras will act a bullies to smaller fish like neon tetras.

That’s why it is better to choose larger tetras rather than smaller ones. You might regret it if you go through with the smaller tetras.

Similarly, avoid keeping slow-moving fish in the tank with silvertip tetra. As I already said, these fish will bully any fish with low self-defense potential.

Likewise, you might want to avoid aggressive fish when it comes to choosing tank mates for silvertip tetras.

Aggressive fish like angelfish, larger cichlids, tiger barbs, etc. are the nightmare of this small silvertip tetra as they will hunt your tetra.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about these silvertip tetras that you might like answers to as well.

Are Silvertip Tetras Fin Nippers?

Yes, silvertip tetras are fin nippers. They have the reputation of a bully fish when it comes to smaller fish or fish with longer fins.

That’s why it is often suggested to not keep smaller fish or any other fish with long beautiful fins with Silvertip. They will treat these fins with a game of some sort and leave your longer-finned fish finless.

Are Silvertip Tetras Hardy?

Yes, silvertip tetras are hardy fish that have the capability to adapt and adjust to a wide range of water parameters.

Because of their hardy nature, silvertip tetras are an ideal choice for beginner aquarists and they will make learning fish keeping easier.

Conclusion

Briefly, silvertip tetras are the hardy and peaceful fish with a huge range of ideal tank mates. They will make it easier for you to choose tank mates based on the very few factors. There is nothing complicated or fishy when it comes to selecting an ideal tank mate for silvertip. Simply, learn about these tetras in the first place and then look for the fish breed that has similar features as silvertip. But don’t even think about keeping fish with longer fins with these fin-nippers silvertip tetras. Consequently, you will learn all the dos and don’ts related to the silvertip tetras and its tank mates once you acquire them.

If you still need help or have further questions, feel free to drop it on the comment section. I’ll try to answer them as quickly as I can.

Good luck!

Happy Fish Keeping!!!

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