Compact · 45 L
Best fish, plants & shrimp for a 45 litre tank
What actually fits a 45 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 45 litre tank
A 45 litre tank suits one schooling group plus a small clean-up crew. That's enough room for a proper little community if you don't overdo the numbers. From the catalogue, 18 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 45 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
18 fit this size- GuppyPoecilia reticulatafrom 45 L
- Lambchop RasboraTrigonostigma espeifrom 45 L
- Salt and Pepper CoryCorydoras habrosusfrom 45 L
- Celestial Pearl DanioDanio margaritatusfrom 40 L
- Ember TetraHyphessobrycon amandaefrom 40 L
- Endler's LivebearerPoecilia wingeifrom 40 L
- Pygmy CorydorasCorydoras pygmaeusfrom 40 L
- Sparkling GouramiTrichopsis pumilafrom 40 L
- Spotted Blue-eyePseudomugil gertrudaefrom 40 L
- White Cloud Mountain MinnowTanichthys albonubesfrom 40 L
- Chili RasboraBoraras brigittaefrom 30 L
- Clown KillifishEpiplatys annulatusfrom 30 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
- Needle HairgrassEleocharis acicularisto 20 cm
- Anubias Barteri NanaAnubias barteri var. nanato 15 cm
- Anubias Barteri 'Petite'Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite'to 7 cm
- Bucephalandra (mixed)Bucephalandra sp.to 20 cm
- Dwarf HairgrassEleocharis parvulato 10 cm
- Four-Leaf CloverMarsilea hirsutato 20 cm
- Hydrocotyle Tripartita 'Japan'Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan'to 10 cm
- Staurogyne RepensStaurogyne repensto 10 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 45 litre tank?
As a rough guide, aim for around 45 cm of adult fish across the whole tank for a comfortable load, less if the fish are chunky. In practice that's one schooling group plus a small clean-up crew. The planner adds up the real bioload for any mix so you don't have to guess.
What are the best fish for a 45 litre tank?
Peaceful species that fit the space. Good starting points from the catalogue are Guppy, Lambchop Rasbora, Salt and Pepper Cory, with the full ranked list above. Pick one schooling group as the backbone, then build around it.
Can you keep shrimp in a 45 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 45 litre tank, and they get along with the peaceful fish listed here.
What plants suit a 45 litre tank?
Needle Hairgrass and Anubias Barteri Nana are easy, well-scaled choices for 45 litres. The list above leans to species that won't outgrow the tank or need constant trimming.