Can hillstream loaches live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Hillstream loach68–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown tinfoil barb may treat small hillstream loaches as food, especially at night.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for hillstream loaches.

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, tinfoil barbs 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	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	68–75 °F	72–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	2.5 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for hillstream loaches

All hillstream loach tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can hillstream loaches live with tinfoil barbs?

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

What temperature suits both hillstream loaches and tinfoil barbs?

72–75 °F. Hillstream loaches need 68–75 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do hillstream loaches and tinfoil barbs need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the tinfoil barb. Add space for each extra fish.