Can Finger Fish and Red Striped Eartheater Live Together?

Finger Fish is a moderately assertive species (5/10), while Red Striped Eartheater is generally mild-mannered (4/10). This modest difference means Finger Fish may occasionally assert dominance over Red Striped Eartheater.

Finger Fish and Red Striped Eartheater both frequent the Middle (Open Water) region of the setup. This overlap can increase competition for space, so providing ample room and cover is important to keep both species comfortable.

The safe temperature window for both species falls between 24°C and 28°C. Aim for the midpoint of this range (around 26.0°C) for optimal comfort.

Both fish can tolerate a pH between 7.5 and 7.5. Maintaining a stable value within this band is more important than hitting an exact number.

Hardness requirements are incompatible: Finger Fish needs 12–30 dGH while Red Striped Eartheater requires 2–10 dGH.

Crucially, these species require different water types — one needs freshwater while the other requires brackish conditions. This is a hard barrier to keeping them together.

To house Finger Fish and Red Striped Eartheater together, plan for an aquarium of at least 486 litres with a minimum length of 150 cm. This recommendation combines the stricter species minimums with a community-load allowance so the pairing has realistic long-term space and filtration headroom.

Providing a mix of open swimming space and sheltered areas with rocks, driftwood, or plants will keep both species comfortable and allow natural behaviour.

Specific environmental needs for this combination include: Smooth Gravel (Sensitive Barbels), Sand (Sifters), Leaf Litter/Blackwater. Meeting these requirements will help both species thrive.

Both species do well with moderate (standard) water movement, so a standard filtration setup rated for the tank volume should suffice.

Finger Fish and Red Striped Eartheater are the kind of pair that can look acceptable in a shop but become a maintenance problem at home. The main risk is not a single number in the chart; it is the way incompatible behavior, water needs, or pressure on space compounds over time once both fish are established in the same tank.