15 Best Severum Tank Mates – FishLab

A freshwater fish that calls the waters of South America home, severum – sometimes called banded cichlids – are a super popular pet for folks looking to start their own freshwater aquarium.

Beloved for their vibrant colors, their playful and peaceful temperament, and how easy they are to take care of these fish are a fantastic choice for beginners and advanced aquarium enthusiasts alike.

At the same time, you’ll want to be sure that you know exactly what you are getting into when keeping severum in your aquarium. Especially if you’re going to keep them with other fish.

That’s where this detailed guide comes into play.

Below we dig a little bit deeper into the best severum tank mates you could choose, top options that work well with these fish. You won’t just be able to keep the peace with these tank mates – your severum (and other fish in the tank) will really thrive!

The good news is that these fish are super easy to find in the aquarium world. Dial in the tank parameters correctly and you’ll have no trouble whatsoever keeping your severum happy, healthy, and getting along well with all the other fish in your tank.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

What You Need to Know

As we mentioned a moment ago, severum are super popular freshwater fish for home aquarium enthusiasts.

A decently sized member of the cichlid family, these fish can grow to anywhere between eight and 10 inches, have a beautiful and striking appearance, and are about as peaceful and nonaggressive a fish as you are going to find.

All that said, there are a couple of things you really need to consider before you pull the trigger on these kind of fish and add them into your aquarium.

We get down into the nitty-gritty of (almost) everything you need to keep these fish healthy – especially if you’re adding other tank mate species into the mix – below.

Temperament:

As far as overall temperament is concerned, it’s difficult to imagine there being a friendlier or more peaceful fish on the market today than this one. Especially when you consider how large they can grow!

Very compatible with all kinds of other fish species (especially those that are also nonaggressive), the gentle and relaxed disposition of these fish make them ideal tank mates.

All that said, though, you’ll want to make sure that your severum have lots of room to swim around in. Things can go a little bit sideways when these fish start to feel penned in (especially during breeding season). That’s when they are most apt to get territorial and even just a little bit aggressive.

Average Size:

While not the biggest fish in the home aquarium space, severum are a pretty decently sized species in the cichlid family. It’s not at all uncommon for these fish to grow to an adult length of anywhere between eight and 10 inches. Sometimes they’ll get even longer than that!

Those nervous about keeping such big fish in their aquarium can relax a little bit.

A notoriously slow growing fish, it can take up to 24 months for severum to reach their full mature length. That’ll give you plenty of time to dial in your tank size and conditions to keep them happy and relaxed.

Competition:

Like we mentioned a couple of times already, severum are as peaceful a species of fish as you are going to find on the market today.

These fish are well regarded for their ability to get along with pretty much any other species of nonaggressive fish, particularly if they have enough tank space to sort of break apart from one another when things get heated.

You do have to keep a bit of an eye on your severum during breeding season, though. Especially if you have male and female severum in the tank at the same time.

This is probably the only time these fish are going to get a little hot under the collar. Luckily, though, things cool down pretty quickly at the conclusion of the breeding season.

Water Parameters ; Tank Setup:

One of the reasons that newbie home aquarium owners love this species of fish so much is because of its hardiness.

Severum do well in tanks with water temperatures that are kept somewhere between 70°F and 84°F (or between 24°C and 29°C). Water pH is best kept in a range of between 6.5 and 7.5, too.

Because these fish can grow to be so large you’ll want an aquarium that’s a little bit on the bigger side of things. We are talking about at least 75 gallons, with an extra 10 gallons of water for every other fish you are going to add into the mix as well.

On top of all of that, your severum will be happiest if they have lots of places to hide and play. Mix in caves, some driftwood, underwater plants, and a relatively soft and sandy substrate and you’ll be good to go.

Like most other fish you keep at home, these fish will benefit big time from a quality filtration and oxygen pump system. Outside of that, though, you don’t have to go crazy with your water prep or maintenance.

15 Best Severum Tank Mates

Check out these other related posts:

• Platy Tank Mates 
• Pearl Gourami Tank Mates
• Arowana Tank Mates
• Seahorse Tank Mates

1. Angelfish

• Scientific Name: Pterophyllum scalare
• Average adult size: 6 inches (15 cm)
• Level of care required: Moderate
• Place of origin: Amazon River Basin

The most often recommended companion fish for severum, angelfish are right around the same size as severum and have the exact same kind of temperament. On top of that, these fish love the same sort of aquarium conditions and eat the same diet, too.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Easy to care for, enjoy same water conditions

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Severum might nip at angelfish fins

2. Rainbowfish

• Scientific Name: Melanotaenia spp.
• Average adult size: 2-6 inches (5-15 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy to Moderate
• Place of origin: Australia, New Guinea, and some Pacific Islands

Sometimes a little more active than severum, these fish are smaller than full-grown severum but still make wonderful tank mates. It doesn’t hurt that they come in a rainbow of colors, are super peaceful, and have a playful personality that meshes well with your gentle giants.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Colorful and attractive, peaceful

Cons of keeping with severum

•   Jump out of tanks, stressed if they don’t school

3. Bristlenose Pleco

• Scientific Name: Ancistrus spp.
• Average adult size: 4-6 inches (10-15 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: South America

If you want to pick a companion fish for your severum that will do double duty as “tank cleaners” this is the way to go. These fish are beautiful, relaxed, and pair nicely with severum but also scrub your water as a natural filter.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Keep tanks clean, eat a similar diet to severum

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Can grow quite large, sometimes territorial

4. Swordtails

• Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii
• Average adult size: 4 inches (10 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize

Slightly smaller than severum even at full maturity, swordtails have a lot of life and a lot of energy but are still super peaceful fish. They will swim around with your severum, pecking and playing with them, but won’t ever cross the line.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Peaceful, like similar water conditions

Cons of keeping with severum

•   Sometimes aggressive, can breed and overpopulate a tank quickly

5. Corydoras Catfish

• Scientific Name: Corydoras spp.
• Average adult size: 2-3 inches (5-8 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy to Moderate
• Place of origin: South America

A bottom dwelling fish that loves to live in the lower water column, these catfish aren’t going to mess with the vibes of your severum – but also work hard to keep your tank clean and filtered, too.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Easy to care for, keep tanks clean

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Can become aggressive when conditions aren’t maintained

6. Tetras

• Scientific Name: Hyphessobrycon spp.
• Average adult size: 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: South America

One of the coolest things about adding different kinds of tetra into your aquarium with severum is the amount of color they can add to the underwater environment. These tiny fish will flash a rainbow of shades that play nicely with the larger blobs of color that your severum brings to the equation.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Similar diet to Severum

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Can nip at Severum fins

7. Cherry Barbs

• Scientific Name: Puntius titteya
• Average adult size: 2 inches (5 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: Sri Lanka

Very peaceful and relaxed fish, these wonderful little underwater creatures are super easy to care for and like the same kind of water conditions that severum enjoy.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Easy to are for, docile

Cons of keeping with severum

 Sometimes too small to be reliable tank mates for severum

8. Gouramis

• Scientific Name: Trichogaster spp.
• Average adult size: 2-4 inches (5-10 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy to Moderate
• Place of origin: Southeast Asia

The best thing about these fish as tank mates for your severum is that they live in unique water columns. Though your fish might not mingle all that much, they won’t get into any fights or trouble, either.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Friendly and peaceful, eat a similar diet

Cons of keeping with severum

•   Can become aggressive with one another, stressing other fish out

9. Rasboras

• Scientific Name: Rasbora spp.
• Average adult size: 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: Southeast Asia

Very active but also friendly and pretty peaceful, these are a wonderful addition to your severum tank thanks to their small size.

Pros of keeping with severum

• Same kind of diet as Severum, relaxed and easy going

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Sometimes nip fins when playing

10. Kuhli Loach

• Scientific Name: Pangio kuhlii
• Average adult size: 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm)
• Level of care required: Moderate
• Place of origin: Southeast Asia

Another bottom dwelling fish, these creatures have a really unique look that is quite a bit of visual interest to the underwater aquarium world you’re putting together.

Pros of keeping with severum

• Keeps tank clean, enjoy the same water conditions

Cons of keeping with severum

• Sensitive to water changes

11. Siamese Algae Eaters

• Scientific Name: Crossocheilus spp.
• Average adult size: 4 inches (10 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy to Moderate
• Place of origin: Southeast Asia

Keeping algae under control is a full-time job when you have a home aquarium, but these wonderful little fish keep things nice and clean without you having to do a lot of heavy lifting. They get along great with severum, too.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Easy going and able to cohabitate with most fish

Cons of keeping with severum

• Can become aggressive with other algae eaters, causing fights

12. Silver Dollar

• Scientific Name: Metynnis spp.
• Average adult size: 5-6 inches (12.5-15 cm)
• Level of care required: Moderate
• Place of origin: South America

Enjoying almost identical water conditions to severum, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect match as far as water parameters are concerned.

Pros of keeping with severum 

•  Fun to look at, friendly, playful

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Can tug at fins during playtime and bother severum

13. Congo Tetra

• Scientific Name: Phenacogrammus interruptus
• Average adult size: 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm)
• Level of care required: Moderate
• Place of origin: Central Africa

Very hardy, these beautiful and fast little fish are going to add punches of color to your tank while spending all their time playing with the larger severum.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Compatible with Severum water conditions

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Become stressed out if not kept in large enough schools

14. Electric Blue Jack Dempsey

• Scientific Name: Nandopsis octofasciatum
• Average adult size: 8-10 inches (20-25 cm)
• Level of care required: Moderate to Hard
• Place of origin: Central America

Somewhat more challenging to take care of (from a water parameters standpoint, anyway), these fish are members of the cichlid family just like severum and fit in nicely with them.

Pros of keeping with severum

•  Eat the same food as severum

Cons of keeping with severum

• Can sometimes become aggressive out of nowhere, will compete for Severum food

15. Pearl Gourami

• Scientific Name: Trichogaster leeri
• Average adult size: 4-5 inches (10-12.5 cm)
• Level of care required: Easy
• Place of origin: Southeast Asia

It’s difficult not to fall in love with these beautifully iridescent fish. Slightly smaller, but just as peaceful, they are really easy to care for, too.

Pros of keeping with severum

• Same kind of diet and eating habits as severum

Cons of keeping with severum

•  Territorial at times

Summary

So there you go, our list of the top 15 tank mates for severum and why they match up so well with one another!

Take your time picking and choosing the right tank mates for your fish and you won’t have anything to worry about. On top of that, it’s nice to know that severum are so relaxed and peaceful and can adapt pretty much any nonaggressive fish that gets added to their underwater world.

Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Severum suitable for beginner aquarists?

There aren’t all that many other fish out there on the market today that would be a better pick for beginner aquarists. Easy to care for, peaceful and relaxed, and capable of getting along with all different kinds of fish, a severum is a great first choice.

Can Severum be kept in a community aquarium?

You bet they can! These fish have a high level of compatibility with nonaggressive fish species and with fish around their same size or smaller. They only get a little prickly around the breeding season.

What should I feed my Severum?

You may have to do a little bit of experimenting to find the right food for your severum, but it’s tough to go wrong with high-quality pellets, flakes, and even frozen food. Live food options like brine shrimp and bloodworms can be a nice addition to a severum diet, too.

How often should I perform water changes for my Severum?

As a general rule of thumb you’ll want to swap out anywhere between 25% and 30% of your aquarium water on a weekly basis to keep the environment clean for your severum.

How can I tell if my Severum is male or female?

Figuring out the sex of your severum can be a little bit of a tall task. Male severum, though, usually have more pointed dorsal and anal fins compared to the females.