TankmateChecker

Can bettas live with yoyo loaches?

Verdict

No

No. Bettas and yoyo loaches should not share a tank. Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Betta

Betta76–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Yoyo loach

Yoyo loach75–86°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerYoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
Watch outYoyo loaches are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.

What works

Both are fine at 76–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bettas the top, yoyo loaches the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Betta	Yoyo loach
Temperature	76–82 °F	75–86 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	2.5 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	40 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Top	Bottom
Group	One per tank	Groups of 5+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bettas

All betta tank mates

Better tank mates for yoyo loaches

All yoyo loach tank mates

Questions

Can bettas live with yoyo loaches?

No. Bettas and yoyo loaches should not share a tank. Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

What temperature suits both bettas and yoyo loaches?

76–82 °F. Bettas need 76–82 °F, yoyo loaches need 75–86 °F.

What size tank do bettas and yoyo loaches need together?

At least 40 gal, set by the yoyo loach. Add space for each extra fish.