Community · 120 L
Best fish, plants & shrimp for a 120 litre tank
What actually fits a 120 litre aquarium: the best fish, shrimp and plants scaled to the space, matched from the catalogue so you can stock it without overcrowding.
By Mike Elmira
TL;DR, stocking a 120 litre tank
A 120 litre tank suits a couple of shoaling groups plus a feature fish. That's plenty of room to build a layered community. From the catalogue, 75 fish fit a tank this size, and the best of them are below alongside shrimp and plants scaled to the space. Everything here stays inside what 120 litres can handle for swimming room and bioload, so you can mix picks without tipping into overstocked. Run the exact combination through the planner before you buy.
Best fish
75 fit this size- Sailfin MollyPoecilia latipinnafrom 120 L
- Bleeding Heart TetraHyphessobrycon erythrostigmafrom 110 L
- Black MollyPoecilia sphenopsfrom 100 L
- Bristlenose PlecoAncistrus cf. cirrhosusfrom 100 L
- Diamond TetraMoenkhausia pittierifrom 100 L
- Glass CatfishKryptopterus vitreolusfrom 100 L
- Green SwordtailXiphophorus helleriifrom 100 L
- Rosy BarbPethia conchoniusfrom 100 L
- Clown PlecoPanaqolus maccusfrom 90 L
- Penguin TetraThayeria boehlkeifrom 90 L
- Black Skirt TetraGymnocorymbus ternetzifrom 80 L
- Bronze CorydorasCorydoras aeneusfrom 80 L
Shrimp
- Amano ShrimpCaridina multidentataalgae 5/5
- Black Rose ShrimpNeocaridina davidi 'Black Rose'algae 4/5
- Blue Dream ShrimpNeocaridina davidi 'Blue Dream'algae 4/5
- Green Jade ShrimpNeocaridina davidi 'Green Jade'algae 4/5
- Red Cherry ShrimpNeocaridina davidialgae 4/5
- Snowball ShrimpNeocaridina palmata var.algae 4/5
Plants
- Java FernMicrosorum pteropusto 35 cm
- Dwarf SagittariaSagittaria subulatato 30 cm
- Java Fern 'Windelov'Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'to 25 cm
- Java Fern 'Trident'Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'to 30 cm
- Narrow Leaf Java FernMicrosorum pteropus 'Narrow Leaf'to 35 cm
- Bacopa MonnieriBacopa monnierito 30 cm
- Ludwigia ArcuataLudwigia arcuatato 35 cm
- Purple BacopaBacopa salzmanniito 35 cm
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions search engines and AI assistants surface most often about this species.
How many fish can you keep in a 120 litre tank?
As a rough guide, aim for around 120 cm of adult fish across the whole tank for a comfortable load, less if the fish are chunky. In practice that's a couple of shoaling groups plus a feature fish. The planner adds up the real bioload for any mix so you don't have to guess.
What are the best fish for a 120 litre tank?
Peaceful species that fit the space. Good starting points from the catalogue are Sailfin Molly, Bleeding Heart Tetra, Black Molly, with the full ranked list above. Pick one schooling group as the backbone, then build around it.
Can you keep shrimp in a 120 litre tank?
Yes. Dwarf shrimp thrive at this size and add a clean-up crew without much bioload. The shrimp picks above all suit a 120 litre tank, and they get along with the peaceful fish listed here.
What plants suit a 120 litre tank?
Java Fern and Dwarf Sagittaria are easy, well-scaled choices for 120 litres. The list above leans to species that won't outgrow the tank or need constant trimming.