Can sparkling gouramis live with clown loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Sparkling gouramis and clown loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 8 inches a clown loach can swallow a small sparkling gourami. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Sparkling gourami72–82°F · pH 6–7.5

Clown loach77–86°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 8 inches a clown loach can swallow a small sparkling gourami. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outClown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for sparkling gouramis.

What works

Both are fine at 77–82°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: sparkling gouramis the top, clown 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

	Sparkling gourami	Clown loach
Temperature	72–82 °F	77–86 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	8.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Bottom
Group	Groups of 4+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore