Can hillstream loaches live with kissing gouramis?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Hillstream loaches and kissing gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown kissing gourami may treat small hillstream loaches as food, especially at night.

Hillstream loach68–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Kissing gourami72–82°F · pH 6–8

What to watch

Watch outA grown kissing gourami may treat small hillstream loaches as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 72–75°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: hillstream loaches the bottom, kissing gouramis 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

	Hillstream loach	Kissing gourami
Temperature	68–75 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–8
Adult size	2.5 in	10.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for hillstream loaches

All hillstream loach tank mates

Better tank mates for kissing gouramis

All kissing gourami tank mates

Questions

Can hillstream loaches live with kissing gouramis?

Yes, with care. Hillstream loaches and kissing gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown kissing gourami may treat small hillstream loaches as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both hillstream loaches and kissing gouramis?

72–75 °F. Hillstream loaches need 68–75 °F, kissing gouramis need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do hillstream loaches and kissing gouramis need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the kissing gourami. Add space for each extra fish.