Yellow lab tank mates

Yellow lab: semi-aggressive, 3.2 in, kept in groups of 3 or more, swims in the bottom and middle of the tank and needs about 64 gallons. The list below checks every species in our catalog against it.

Each species is checked against yellow labs both ways: mouth size, fin nipping, temperament, territory, water overlap and keeper reports.

Good tank mates

Panda corydoras
Corydoras panda
Fits
Friendly armoured catfish that sift the sand in groups; need soft substrate and a group of six or more.
1.6 in · 17+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.2
Otocinclus
Otocinclus vittatus
Fits
Tiny algae grazers for mature planted tanks; keep six or more and supplement with vegetables.
1.4 in · 17+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.2
Betta
Betta splendens
Fits
The Siamese fighting fish: one male per tank, warm still water, and no long-finned or nippy tank mates.
2.8 in · 11+ gal · 72–86°F · pH 6–7.5
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
Fits
Tall, graceful cichlids for tall tanks of 30 gallons and up; adults eat neon tetras and shrimp, so stock around them.
3.5 in · 32+ gal · 77–84°F · pH 6–7
Black widow tetra
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Fits
A hardy, deep-bodied tetra with black 'skirt' fins; easy for beginners, but a small group nips the fins of its tank mates.
2.4 in · 22+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 6–7
Blood parrot cichlid
hybrid
Fits
A man-made hybrid cichlid with a round body and a beak-like mouth that barely closes; usually gentle and rarely able to swallow tank mates.
7.9 in · 36+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6.5–8
Common pleco
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Fits
The classic store 'algae eater' that grows to nearly two feet, fouls the water and eats less algae with age; a fish for very large tanks only.
22.8 in · 203+ gal · 77–82°F · pH 7–7.5
Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus (species complex)
Fits
The 'king of the aquarium': a disc-shaped Amazon cichlid in countless bred colours that needs warm, soft, very clean water.
5.5 in · 80+ gal · 79–86°F · pH 5–7
Dwarf gourami
Trichogaster lalius
Fits
A bright little gourami popular with beginners; one male per tank, no bettas, and buy carefully, as imported fish often carry an incurable iridovirus.
3 in · 18+ gal · 72–81°F · pH 6–7.5
Honey gourami
Trichogaster chuna
Fits
A small, very gentle honey-coloured gourami for calm tanks of 15 gallons with peaceful tank mates.
2.2 in · 17+ gal · 72–81°F · pH 6–7.5
Kuhli loach
Pangio semicincta
Fits
A banded, eel-like loach of about 4 inches that burrows by day and explores the bottom as a group in the evening; needs soft sand.
3.9 in · 17+ gal · 70–79°F · pH 3.5–7
Leopard sailfin pleco
Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps
Fits
A tall-finned pleco with a brocade pattern that is sold at 2 inches and grows to about 20, needing a very large tank and heavy filtration.
19.7 in · 187+ gal · 77–86°F · pH 5–7
Pearl gourami
Trichopodus leerii
Fits
One of the calmest and most beautiful gouramis, covered in pearly spots; ideal for a quiet planted tank with floating plants.
4.7 in · 26+ gal · 75–86°F · pH 5.5–8
African dwarf frog
Hymenochirus boettgeri
Fits
A small, fully aquatic frog of up to 2 inches that can share a tank with peaceful fish, as long as it is target-fed.
2 in · 7+ gal · 75–77°F · pH 6.6–7.8
Assassin snail
Anentome helena
Fits
A yellow-and-brown striped predatory snail kept to control bladder, ramshorn and trumpet snails; it breeds slowly and never becomes a pest.
1 in · 3+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7.2–8
Mystery snail
Pomacea diffusa
Fits
The most popular large aquarium snail; it leaves healthy plants alone and lays its eggs above the waterline, so numbers are easy to control.
2.2 in · 7+ gal · 68–82°F · pH 7–8
Red swamp crayfish
Procambarus clarkii
Fits
A hardy but aggressive American crayfish that digs burrows, wrecks plants and eats snails and fish; invasive in many countries and banned in the EU.
3.9 in · 25+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 7–8.5
Bamboo shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
Fits
A large, fully peaceful shrimp that catches floating food with fans on its front legs; it needs strong flow and a mature tank or it starves.
3.1 in · 17+ gal · 73–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5
Black phantom tetra
Hyphessobrycon megalopterus
Fits
A calm, deep-bodied tetra with a black shoulder patch; males with tall dorsal fins put on harmless sparring displays.
1.4 in · 23+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6–7
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Melanotaenia boesemani
Fits
A two-tone rainbowfish, blue-violet in front and orange behind; needs warm, hard, alkaline water and a long tank.
3.5 in · 34+ gal · 81–86°F · pH 7–8
Elephantnose fish
Gnathonemus petersii
Fits
An African fish that finds food with a weak electric field and a long trunk-like chin; nocturnal, very sensitive and in need of sand.
8.9 in · 76+ gal · 73–82°F · pH 6–7.5
Figure eight puffer
Dichotomyctere ocellatus
Fits
A small puffer with a figure-eight pattern for fresh or slightly brackish water; it loves snails and nips slow tank mates.
3.1 in · 22+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6.5–7.5
Kissing gourami
Helostoma temminckii
Fits
The famous kissing fish grows to about 10 inches and can live over 20 years; its kisses are really contests for dominance.
9.8 in · 95+ gal · 72–86°F · pH 6–8
Marbled hatchetfish
Carnegiella strigata
Fits
A tiny, deep-chested hatchetfish that lives right under the surface; shy and an expert jumper, so a tight lid is a must.
1.4 in · 22+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 5–7

And 7 more in the species catalog.

Risky

And 72 more in the species catalog.

Avoid

And 22 more in the species catalog.

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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