Can clown loaches live with black skirt tetras?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Clown loaches and black skirt tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. Clown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.

Clown loach77–86°F · pH 6–7.5

Black skirt tetra70–80°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outClown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.

What works

Both are fine at 77–80°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: clown loaches the bottom, black skirt tetras the mid.

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

	Clown loach	Black skirt tetra
Temperature	77–86 °F	70–80 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	8.0 in	2.5 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 5+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for clown loaches

All clown loach tank mates

Better tank mates for black skirt tetras

All black skirt tetra tank mates

Questions

Can clown loaches live with black skirt tetras?

Yes, with care. Clown loaches and black skirt tetras can share a tank, but watch one thing. Clown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.

What temperature suits both clown loaches and black skirt tetras?

77–80 °F. Clown loaches need 77–86 °F, black skirt tetras need 70–80 °F.

What size tank do clown loaches and black skirt tetras need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the clown loach. Add space for each extra fish.