Yoyo loach tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for yoyo loaches are kuhli loaches, blue gouramis and tiger barbs. Each match shares yoyo loaches' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Active, noisy and a snail hunter. Can nip slow fish.

Temperature

75–86°F

pH

6–7.5

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

40 gal

With care

23

Avoid

21

Good tank mates

• Kuhli loach75–86°F
• Blue gourami75–82°F
• Tiger barb75–81°F
• Congo tetra75–82°F
• Severum75–84°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–84°F
• Sparkling gourami75–82°F
• Clown loach77–86°F
• Cherry barb75–81°F
• Kissing gourami75–82°F
• Lemon tetra75–82°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–86°F
• Pencilfish75–82°F
• Cardinal tetra76–84°F
• Silver dollar75–82°F
• Bala shark75–82°F
• Electric blue acara75–82°F
• Black skirt tetra75–80°F
• Hatchetfish75–81°F
• Common pleco75–86°F
• Harlequin rasbora75–80°F
• Black neon tetra75–81°F
• Neon tetra75–79°F
• Paradise fish75–79°F
• Apistogramma75–84°F
• GloFish tetra75–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Corydoras75–79°F
• Zebra pleco79–86°F
• Glowlight tetra75–80°F
• Odessa barb75–79°F
• Bristlenose pleco75–81°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F
• Pictus catfish75–79°F
• Serpae tetra75–79°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Rosy barb75–77°F
• German blue ram80–86°F
• Tinfoil barb75–80°F
• Bolivian ram75–79°F
• Clown pleco75–82°F
• Chinese algae eater75–80°F
• Platy75–80°F
• Upside down catfish75–79°F
• Otocinclus75–79°F
• Swordtail75–79°F
• Zebra loach75–79°F
• Zebra danio75–77°F
• Killifish75–77°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Crayfish75–77°F
• Panda cory75–77°F
• Dojo loach75–77°F

Possible, with care

• Pea puffer At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Honey gourami Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Honey gouramis cannot get away.
• Pearl gourami Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Pearl gouramis cannot get away.
• Ember tetra At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Dwarf gourami Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Discus Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Discus cannot get away.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive. Yoyo loaches hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Chili rasbora At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small chili rasbora. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Elephant nose fish Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Elephant nose fish cannot get away.
• African cichlid Different water: african cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, yoyo loaches want pH 6–7.5.
• Blood parrot Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Blood parrots cannot get away.
• Pygmy cory At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small pygmy cory. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Rainbow shark Rainbow sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Celestial pearl danio At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small celestial pearl danio. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Red tail shark Red tail sharks chase other bottom fish out of their patch.
• Bamboo shrimp Yoyo loaches will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give bamboo shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: yoyo loaches want pH 6–7.5, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Endler's livebearer At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small endler's livebearer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• African dwarf frog Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. African dwarf frogs cannot get away.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: yoyo loaches want pH 6–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.
• Gold barb They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Hillstream loach They only share 75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Avoid

• Betta Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); yoyo loaches need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.
• Angelfish Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of angelfish are an easy target.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Guppy Yoyo loaches nip fins, and the long fins of guppies are an easy target.
• Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive and much bigger than yoyo loaches.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); yoyo loaches need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches yoyo loaches do.
• Cherry shrimp A yoyo loach is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Mystery snail Yoyo loaches hunt snails, so mystery snails will be eaten.
• Amano shrimp A yoyo loach is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Ghost shrimp A yoyo loach is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• Koi Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); yoyo loaches need 75–86°F. They overlap only at 75–77°F, the edge of both ranges.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); yoyo loaches need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); yoyo loaches need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.
• Assassin snail Yoyo loaches hunt snails, so assassin snails will be eaten.
• Ramshorn snail Yoyo loaches hunt snails, so ramshorn snails will be eaten.
• Nerite snail Yoyo loaches hunt snails, so nerite snails will be eaten.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the yoyo loach care sheet.