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Last update: November 30, 2022

15 Best Crayfish Tank Mates

Who doesn’t enjoy watching a crayfish scuttle around inside their tank? However, if you’ve seen a certain undersea Pixar film, you may want even more fish! You may wonder: What fish make the 15 best crayfish tank mates?

The best crayfish tank mates are fish that can survive in the same water conditions as the crayfish without being large enough to bully or steal the food of the crayfish. They also must be fast enough to avoid the crayfish’s territorial nature.

In this article, we’ll cover the 15 best crayfish tankmates as well as a few FAQs!

Crayfish Tank Mates – What You Need to Know

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If you are going to have the perfect balance of peace in your tank with your crayfish, you will need to know the most important considerations when picking out a tankmate!

Temperament

The first thing you need to understand about your crayfish is it’s temperament. Just like you wouldn’t want a roommate whose needs and personality clashed with your own, your crayfish needs a companion who will not be aggressive in any way. 

Crayfish are, themselves, usually pretty aggressive. This does not mean that they cannot have any tankmates; it just means that any tankmates you give them need to be speedy and fully capable of staying out of the slower crayfish’s way!

Size

Generally, with tankmates, you should find fish that are not large enough to eat one another. However, most crayfish are too hardy for a regular fish to eat once they reach maturity. That being said, larger fish and eels will commonly try to eat freshwater crayfish when they are still adolescents, so keep that in mind!

Competition

When you are keeping a tank full of critters, one thing is paramount to remember: they all gotta eat! If you select fish that are fast and large enough to eat more than their share and keep your crayfish from getting the nutrients it needs, it could spell trouble for your tank community.

Try selecting fish that do not have high chances of overeating or going for the same foods your crayfish needs.

Parameters ; Tank Setup

Parameters refer to the conditions your crayfish will be comfortable in and what conditions they need to live healthy and happy. 

Pick out companions for your crayfish that can handle a similar level of water hardness, water flow, temperature, and, of course, actual size of your tank!

Crayfish Tank Mates

Below we’ll take a look at the 15 fish who make the best of the best tank mates for your crawling crayfish according to the need-to-know qualifications you see above!

  1. Brown Pencilfish
  2. Golden Wonder Killifish
  3. Furcata Rainbowfish
  4. Wrestling Halfbeak
  5. Neon Tetras
  6. Dwarf Mosquitofish
  7. Tiger Barbs
  8. Bala Sharks
  9. Silver Dollars
  10. Giant Danios
  11. White Cloud Mountain Minnows
  12. Zebra Danios
  13. Hatchetfish
  14. Red Tail Shark
  15. African Butterflyfish

Let’s take an even closer look at the fish you see on this list so you understand everything you need to to make the most pleasing choice for yourself, your tank, and your crayfish!

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1. Brown Pencilfish

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  • Scientific Name: Noannostomus Eques
  • Adult Size: 16 millimeters
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 77-80 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallon Aquarium.
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: South America

This fish will spend most of its time floating around the highest point of your aquarium. It will enjoy flake foods, making it unique among killifish, but will also snack on live types of feed, too, like daphnia and tubifex. 

The high-nosed little fish features an attractive silver-and-brown striping look and will be far out of reach from your aggressive crayfish just by remaining at the top of the water!

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Will not steal crayfish food.
  • Lives in the same water temperature as crayfish.
  • Will stay out of reach of crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Is small enough to be killed by crayfish if sickness causes it to slow and swim lower.

2. Golden Wonder Killifish

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  • Scientific Name: Aplocheilus Lineatus
  • Adult Size: 10 cm
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 72 to 77 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Sri Lanka, India

The golden wonder or golden panchax is attractive and, like the brown pencilfish, will not bother your crayfish or be bothered by your crayfish thanks to sticking to the top of the aquarium. This is where the golden wonder will also eat both live food and some plants.

If your crayfish does want to get to the golden wonder, it may be able to do so by climbing any long-trailing plants in your aquarium that reach the surface, since the golden wonder does like to be near plant life. 

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Top-dweller, meaning it won’t get caught by the aggressive crayfish.
  • Eats a different diet than most crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can be caught if crayfish climb long plant life within a tank.

3. Wrestling Halfbeak

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  • Scientific Name: Dermogenys Pusilla
  • Adult Size: 2 to 3 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 32 to 95 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Southeast Asia

This livebearer fish is a little strange to look at, but also interesting! Because it tends to hang out on the top of the tank, it is not likely to be snatched by a territorial crayfish. Not only that, but they are fun to watch when in mating season and will repopulate the tank in case your crayfish does manage to take out a companion or two.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Can repopulate a tank after crayfish casualties.
  • Stays out of reach of crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • None!

4. Neon Tetras

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  • Scientific Name: Paracheirodon Innesi
  • Adult Size: 1.5 Inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 68 to 82 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 10 to 20 Gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: South America

One of the absolutely most popular fish in collecting circles is the neon tetra. Neon tetras are beautiful and easy to find. Though they are prone to some disease, they are easy to purchase and school at a high speed. 

Though this means you can get a lot of these fish to test out the hostility of your particular crayfish, it is not a sure-thing that neon tetras won’t be eaten by crayfish as they do tend to explore the bottom of the tank. Still, they are easily replaced!

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Easily replaced if eaten.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can be eaten because they explore all regions of the tank.

5. Dwarf Mosquitofish

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  • Scientific Name: Heterandria Formosa
  • Adult Size: 1.5 to 3 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 50 to 84 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: North Carolina, Louisiana, USA.

Another Killifish on our list is the dwarf mosquitofish! It is one more top-of-the-tank dweller you can appreciate in a tank that includes territorial crayfish. Like their name suggests, they like to eat the larvae of mosquitoes, but their live diet makes them a bit more of a pain to feed.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Stays Away from the bottom of the tank, out of crayfish clutches.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Requires more attention to feed.

6. Tiger Barbs

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  • Scientific Name: Puntigrus Tetrazona
  • Adult Size: 2.8 to 3.9 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 77 to 82
  • Minimum Tank Size: 30 to 55 gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Bornio, Thailand, Malasia, United States, Columbia, Singapore, Australia

Tiger barbs will add a wild, tropical look to your aquarium and have been known to survive in whole schools when housed with crayfish. However, sometimes there have been reports of tiger barbs falling asleep and getting surprised by hungry crayfish! The best way to avoid this is to make sure both parties are well fed.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Can brighten up a tank including blue crayfish.
  • Can survive without being eaten by crayfish when all are well fed.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can be hunted by hungry crayfish when left unfed.

7. Bala Sharks

 Bala Sharks
  • Scientific Name: Balantiocheilos Melanopterus
  • Adult Size: 14 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 72 to 82 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 120 gallons
  • Care Level: Difficult
  • Origin: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo

Bala sharks can get very large, showing off their beautiful coloration and high levels of energy. Unfortunately, they are expensive to house and feed, making their care level difficult. However, they can swim very quickly and avoid crayfish until they are large enough to have nothing to fear from the bottom-dweller!

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Adults cannot be bullied by crayfish.
  • Adolescents can easily outpace crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Large tanks and difficult care levels are necessary.

8. Silver Dollars

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  • Scientific Name: Metynnis Argenteus
  • Adult Size: 6 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 75 to 82 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
  • Care Level: Difficult
  • Origin: South America

This large fish can add a pleasing variant in shape and size to your aquarium overall, and it is this size that keeps it safe when in a tank with even the most aggressive crayfish.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Large enough to fear nothing from crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • They Require a large tank size.

9. Giant Danios

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  • Scientific Name: Devario aequipinnatus
  • Adult Size: 4 to 6 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 72 to 81 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Nepal, Sri Lanka, India

This slightly rarer option is speedy, able to easily avoid the claws of a hungry crayfish. They are larger than others of their species, and this makes them much less vulnerable around crayfish.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Large enough to fear nothing from crayfish.
  • Fast enough to avoid crayfish, even as adolescents!

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • None!

10. White Cloud Mountain Minnows

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  • Scientific Name: Tanichthys Albonubes
  • Adult Size: 1.5 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 64 to 72 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 10 to 20 Gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: China

A very popular fish, and adaptable to cold and warm temperatures, these speedy little iridescent fish make a lovely addition to an aquarium that houses slower crayfish. They are even cheap, so if an accident does happen, they can be replaced.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Fast enough to avoid Crayfish.
  • Cheap enough to replace if a crayfish does get one!

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Does not dwell exclusively at the top of the tank, so a crayfish may get a sick one.

11. Zebra Danios

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  • Scientific Name: Danio Rerio
  • Adult Size: 1.6 to 2 inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish 
  • Water Temperature: 61 to 93 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: South Asia

These red and black fish are beautiful and their striped patterns add visual interest to an aquarium. They not only remain up at the top of the aquarium most often, but are fast enough to avoid a crayfish if need be. 

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Does not eat the same diet, so is unlikely to steal crayfish food.
  • Fast enough to avoid crayfish. 
  • Mostly stays on the top of the tank, away from aggressive crayfish.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can sometimes venture to the bottom of the tank if it is cooler down there, near crayfish.

12. Hatchetfish

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  • Scientific Name: Gasteropelecidae Family
  • Adult Size: 2-3 Inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 71 to 81 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: South America

The hatchetfish is one of the best tank mates for a crayfish you could hope to find. It stays right at the surface of the water where crayfish cannot reach, and it’s asymmetrical body type will make it a cool variant to your aquarium. 

The only high-maintenance thing about a hatchetfish which makes their care a little more tricky is the fact that they are picky: specifically, they will not eat food that gets lower than the surface of the aquarium. This is good news when a crayfish is waiting below, but bad news if you pick an easily-sinkable food to offer them.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Never goes near the bottom of the tank.
  • Will not eat crayfish’s food.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can be difficult to feed without long-floating food choices.

13. African Butterflyfish

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  • Scientific Name: Pantodon Bucholzi
  • Adult Size: 6 Inches
  • Compatible With: All Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 73 to 86 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: West Africa

One of the prettiest fish and most interesting to observe, the african butterfly fish tends to camouflage itself by pretending to be a fallen leaf or bit of flotsam near the surface. This usually means they are out of reach of crayfish. As long as they are old enough, their size will also keep them safe even if a crayfish climbs aquarium plants to try and reach their zone.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Too large to be eaten by crayfish when adults.
  • Stays near the top of the tank, avoiding crayfish zones.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can be caught, rarely, by crayfish when young and in a tank full of climbable plant life.

14. Furcata Rainbowfish

  • Scientific Name: Pseuomugil furcatus
  • Adult Size: 2 inches
  • Compatible With: Mexican Dwarf Crayfish
  • Water Temperature: 75 to 79 F
  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: Papua New Guinea

Another attractive addition to any aquarium, this fish not only inhabits the top of the tank but also the middle sections. Unfortunately, they have been known to approach the floors of tanks, where an aggressive crayfish may surprise them, so although they can be kept as companion fish they are not necessarily 100% safe. 

As long as you keep this fish with a less-aggressive crayfish like the Mexican Dwarf, everything should be fine!

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Peaceful fish
  • Upper and middle-dwelling fish

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Can sometimes explore the area of a more aggressive crayfish.

Pros of keeping with Crayfish:

  • Big enough to be left alone by smaller crayfish.
  • Won’t bully crayfish if they have a place of their own.

Cons of keeping with Crayfish :

  • Will attack crayfish that stray toward their den.
  • Will attack crayfish if they are not provided with their own space.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, the 15 best crayfish tank mates include species of fish that are surface-dwelling and too fast to be hurt by aggressive crayfish, like brown pencilfish or golden wonder killifish. Other great options include fish that are too big or tough to be bullied by crayfish, like the silver dollar or red tail shark. 

Altogether, if you were wondering what the 15 best crayfish tank mates were, all you need to do is remember that crayfish, though aggressive, are slow and rarely leave the bottom of the tank.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good tankmates for crayfish?

Good tankmates for crayfish include nimble surface-dwellers, or fish that are large but non-territorial even if they do stray toward the bottom of the tank where a crayfish dwells. You definitely do not want any shrimp or fish large enough to try and eat your crayfish in the same tank!

What can live with a blue crayfish?

The key to having tankmates for a blue crayfish is speed: try quick fish like Rasboras or fish from the danios group.

Can crayfish go in a community tank?

Yes, crayfish are perfectly fine to go in a community tank with livebearers or tetras. They are capable of defending themselves if worse comes to worse, and they have their own designated zone that weaker fish can avoid if necessary.

Ian Sterling

Ian Sterling, founder of Fishlab.com, began his aquarium journey over 30 years ago, driven by a deep fascination for fish and their diverse personalities. His website, Fishlab.com, is dedicated to making fishkeeping accessible and enjoyable, offering beginner-friendly guidance, expert insights, and a community for aquarists to connect and share experiences.

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