Aquascaping Fish Guide: Best Fish and Shrimp for Planted Display Tanks
Fish selection for a planted aquascape is different from fish selection for a general community tank. The plants are the star — the fish are supporting cast. This means choosing species that enhance the visual composition without uprooting plants, shredding leaves, disrupting the substrate, or outgrowing the layout.
What Makes a Fish "Aquascape-Compatible"?
An aquascape-compatible fish:
- Does not uproot plants — rules out most cichlids, goldfish, and large digging species
- Does not eat soft plants — rules out silver dollars, Buenos Aires tetras, and many large herbivores
- Stays appropriately sized for the tank and composition
- Complements the visual aesthetic rather than distracting from it
- Stays in the appropriate water column zone that completes the layered composition
Top Mid-Water Schooling Fish for Aquascapes
Rummy Nose Tetra
The most popular aquascape schooling fish — their disciplined schooling behaviour and vivid red head and striped tail make them a dynamic, living element of the composition. In groups of 20–30 they school tightly through planted layouts with extraordinary visual effect.
Tank size: 100+ litres | School: 20–30 minimum
Cardinal Tetra
The neon-bright cardinal tetra is at its most vivid in planted tanks against dark substrate and lush green backgrounds. Their neon blue-red stripe is a true colour accent in any composition.
Tank size: 80+ litres | School: 15–20 minimum
Chili Rasbora (Boraras brigittae)
For nano aquascapes, chili rasboras are unmatched — deep crimson, 2 cm in size, and comfortable in tanks as small as 15 litres. In groups of 25–40 in a planted nano setup they are spectacular.
Tank size: 20+ litres | School: 20–40
Ember Tetra
Tiny orange fish that drift slowly through planted tanks in loose, glowing clusters. Their non-aggressive, slow-swimming behaviour makes them perfect for intricate planted layouts where fast fish would cause distress.
Tank size: 30+ litres | School: 15–20
Harlequin Rasbora
Warm copper with a distinctive black triangle — a natural complement to the warm tones of driftwood-focused layouts. Hardy, peaceful, and available year-round in Singapore.
Tank size: 60+ litres | School: 12–20
Best Centrepiece Fish for Planted Tanks
German Blue Ram
A small, jewel-like cichlid that patrols the lower midground of a planted tank. Pairs develop strong bonds and claim territory around the layout's base. Completely plant-safe.
Tank size: 60+ litres | Keep as: Mated pair
Apistogramma
Dwarf cichlids that explore the substrate, hardscape, and lower plants of a planted tank with constant curiosity. Males are brilliantly coloured; females display interesting breeding behaviour. Plant-safe.
Tank size: 60+ litres | Keep as: Pair or harem
Pearl Gourami
An elegant, plant-safe labyrinth fish that cruises through the upper midground. Its pearl-spotted silver-orange body complements most planted tank colour palettes.
Tank size: 80+ litres | Keep as: 1 male + 1–2 females
Best Bottom-Dwellers for Planted Layouts
Corydoras Sterbai
The preferred cory for high-temperature planted tanks (26–30°C). Completely plant-safe; forages the substrate without disturbing roots significantly. Keep 6 or more.
Tank size: 60+ litres
Otocinclus Catfish
The planted tank's most valuable algae cleaner — small enough to cling to plant leaves, completely plant-safe, and essential for managing early green spot algae on glass and large leaves.
Tank size: 40+ litres | Keep as: Group of 6+
Shrimp for Planted Aquascapes
Amano Shrimp
The gold standard for aquascape algae control. Amano shrimp eat almost every type of algae including hair algae, green dust algae, and thread algae. They are large enough not to be eaten by most fish and completely plant-safe.
Tank size: 40+ litres | Number: 1 per 5 litres for active algae control
Red Cherry Shrimp
In a shrimp-focus planted tank or nano aquascape, a colony of cherry shrimp provides constant visual activity among the plants. Their red colour is a vivid accent against green plants and dark substrate.
Tank size: 10+ litres (shrimp-only setup)
Fish to Avoid in Planted Aquascapes
| Fish | Problem |
|---|---|
| Goldfish | Eat plants aggressively |
| Cichlids (large) | Uproot plants, dig substrate |
| Silver dollar | Eats all soft-leaved plants |
| Koi | Far too large; eat and damage everything |
| Most barbs | Fin-nip and plant-nip; exception: cherry barbs |
Browse our planted tank-compatible livestock — all species listed available in Singapore.