Helpful Compatibiliy Chart for Beginners

[Coldfins]

Maybe this can help some new fish owners in selecting fish for their tanks.

http://www.funfishtank.com/wp-content/freshwater-fish-compatibility-chart-for-you.jpg

[tai95]

That is a really bad chart. I'm not sure who made it, but it's way to general and full of mistakes. Gold fish are compatible with plants? If the plants are used for food maybe.
Angelfish and tetras? maybe some tetras but neons would be lunch for the angels. Angel fish are not compatible with south american cichlids? I wonder where angel fish come from. Using this chart is just asking for trouble.

[fballguy]

Apparantly South American cichlids are not compatible with plants. Guppies are compatible with african cichlids? Yea as feeders. Also South american cichlids are not compatible with plants? I better get my plants away from my Ram then... Oh and it says Angelfish are compatible with barbs... yea right.

The chart is a good idea but the person who made it should have done some research.

[Coldfins]

Guppies are compatible with african cichlids?

Um it didn't say that it said NON-compatible.

Its a general guide line...and just because your fish may have faired well together doesn't mean they were supposed to.

A little less sarcasm please.
I showed it to a friend of mine who is a biologist and has a degree in science dealing with fish and etc.....he says it's about on the mark.....for any beginner.

[fballguy]

OK I messed up on the guppies, but the rest I was right about, and I am not being sarcastic. Sorry but I would NOT show that chart to any beginner. Like I said before, it is a good idea, but many things are wrong. I am not just speaking from personal experience, I am going on what I have researched and what has been said by people on this forum. If a beginner saw this chart it would give them the wrong idea about some things because they would not be educated enough to know about some things.

1. The chart is too general. It leads people to assume angelfish are great with all tetras, which we all know is not entirely true.

2. Also there are some obvious mistakes. Like saying plants are not good for South American Cichlids. Entirely untrue. The Amazon River is full of plants and fish.

The chart is crap IMO. Please don't take this personally, I am not directing any of this to you, but rather the person who created the chart.

[Humanblob]

yeh it night be too general but then again it is a general overall chart. Most people will probily research it farther to find out the more fine details about there choice.

[Coldfins]

Hmmm if you say so.... :p:

Ok then thats why you are here....to educate us newbs...haha.

Although.....I by now am an old lady to fish...I still agree with what fish I know on the chart.

[fballguy]

Yea some of it is good. And hopefully people would research the fish they want further than the chart, but the average beginner will not(I was guitly once). What still bugs me is how they say South American cichlids are not good with plants. :confused:

[Coldfins]

LOL.....hmmm dunno.
I wont force you to follow it....but watch ceaseless reruns of the COLTS!!
GO COLTS!!
:P:

[NeonJulie]

There's a neat one from liveaquaria.com; Freshwater: http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

I'm surprised that it also says the Tetras are compatible with Angelfish... must just be when in closed quarters? etc.

Nice avatar... >>

[Dangerdoll]

I do like the second chart better but it's still got it's problems. That's the precise reason these charts are so hard to come up with. And the sad part is some newbies that do come across this kind of thing, will stop here and use it as their bible, not understanding why 2 fish cannot get along or coexist comfortably in the same tank/pond.

[daniel364]

the first one says that danios can go with bettas, im my experience danios are fin nippers and bettas have alot of finnage usually. It says it on the second one too, hmm maybe i am wrong...

I know this is off topic but i like the new outfit your avatar has DD, very christmasy!

[NeonJulie]

The fact of the matter is, as pointed out in other threads, things like these really aren't exact sciences. Neither is how long a fish will really grow/min. size tank. Ask, and you'll typically get different answers. (Liveaquaria.com says Otos should be in a 30g minimum, yet many others say they do fine in smaller tanks.)

Also, fish do have their own personalities. The Betta we had with 3 Gouramis never seemed to even notice them. Some people succeed with a Neon Tetra/Betta/Shrimp combo, some Bettas eat the shrimp/Tetras, some Tetras nip the Betta's fins. If anything, charts like that should be a rough guideline...

The charts also don't tend to take into consideration the size of the tank/territory and room, and genders of the species.

It's probably best to gather as many real tank scenarios as possible, but in the end, you may still end up with a different result... /shrug

But yeah, charts and things like that are definitely guidelines and not hard and fast rules. (Then again, they are highly educated/degreed veterinarians, so IMO they have a slight leg up.)

[tai95]

There's a neat one from liveaquaria.com; Freshwater: http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm


This one is a little bit better (because of the crosshairs :joke: ) but it still is off. They have a section for MISC fish, what is a misc fish? I really want some.

[fballguy]

LOL.....hmmm dunno.
I wont force you to follow it....but watch ceaseless reruns of the COLTS!!
GO COLTS!!
:P:

Hmmm who beat the Colts last year??? Who went to the SUPERBOWL last year??? LOL :)

I'll admit you got me beat this year. But hopefully that will change starting this week. We finally get our QB back from a knee sprain

[KeithL]

Hmmm who beat the Colts last year??? Who went to the SUPERBOWL last year??? LOL :)

I'll admit you got me beat this year. But hopefully that will change starting this week. We finally get our QB back from a knee sprain


Sure, jsut in time to play my poor Packers...

[fballguy]

You might be in luck. There may be snow during the game. Normally I would love it but Favre is the king of football in the snow.

[jm1212]

back on topic :D lol


i think that the first chart is not very reliable at all, but the second is a little better

[albyoscar]

the nfc bwahahaha sorry

[Cityfish]

Perhaps some of the more experienced members should put together a chart of compatible fish species. I think actual compatibility and coexistence may be a bit subjective. I have 2- angels & 9 cardinal tetras in the same tank for over a year and the only fish the angels pick on are each other… I am not sure the angels even notice the tets.

[jeffs99dime]

that first chart is horrible!

[KeithL]

Perhaps some of the more experienced members should put together a chart of compatible fish species. I think actual compatibility and coexistence may be a bit subjective. I have 2- angels & 9 cardinal tetras in the same tank for over a year and the only fish the angels pick on are each other… I am not sure the angels even notice the tets.


If 5 aquarists develop lists, you will wind up with 10 different lists. If you read any aquarium board for a while you will see the differences of opinion that must drive newbies crazy. Much of it caused by individual behavior of the fish being kept and differences in the environment in different tanks. So the experiences of all are valid, even though different. If you can find a mentor that may work the best. And read all you can, internet and otherwise.

[Aussie_hippie_2]

I hate to say it but well guided experimentation is really the key to knowing this stuff. That's why a chart will never be fully acurate.

[CaitxSith]

i seriously think that's weird... and i found this chart from liveaquaria.com (i kinda like this place). still too general, IMO. and it says the you can keep angels with barbs WITH CAUTION :eek:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

of course i don't want to sound like competing with you or "advertising" or something... :D

[sumthin fishy]

That one says bettas can live with bettas, and that brackish fish are ok with brackish fish. So general that I can have bumblebee gobies with my 3 puffers! lol. It definatly is good to have a guide, but too many people will take this as a verbatim thing. Not everyone will do the research to find the exceptions. And as was said, making a list would be subject to personal experience and oppinions. Best to take in as much info for yourself in as many different places as posible, compair the results, then try it for yourself.

[CaitxSith]

i think it means females... or fry...

but still, i 100% agree with you!