Can hatchetfish live with dojo loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Hatchetfish and dojo loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown dojo loach may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

Hatchetfish75–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5

Dojo loach59–77°F · pH 6.5–8

What to watch

Watch outA grown dojo loach may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 75–77°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: hatchetfish the top, dojo 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

	Hatchetfish	Dojo loach
Temperature	75–81 °F	59–77 °F
pH	5.5–7.5	6.5–8
Adult size	1.5 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 3+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for hatchetfish

All hatchetfish tank mates

Better tank mates for dojo loaches

All dojo loach tank mates

Questions

Can hatchetfish live with dojo loaches?

Yes, with care. Hatchetfish and dojo loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown dojo loach may treat small hatchetfish as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both hatchetfish and dojo loaches?

75–77 °F. Hatchetfish need 75–81 °F, dojo loaches need 59–77 °F.

What size tank do hatchetfish and dojo loaches need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the dojo loach. Add space for each extra fish.