Zebra Loach Tank Mates

Zebra Loach is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 206 freshwater species that pair well with a zebra loach — plus the 59 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Zebra Loach care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a zebra loach

  • Ember Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Neon Green Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Ramshorn Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Dawn Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Trinidad Guppy ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Pygmy Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Blue Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Emperor Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Flame Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Golden Dwarf Barb ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Red Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
With caution

Zebra Loach tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    pH preferences only just meet (Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5 vs Afra Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Altifrons Geophagus may hunt Zebra Loach, fry or shrimplets — safest in a heavily planted tank.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Adult Amano Shrimp might survive with Zebra Loach, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
  • Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Angelicus Synodontis ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Watch for Angelicus Synodontis picking off any zebra loach small enough to fit in its mouth.
  • Arrowhead Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 12 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Auratus Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Aggressive · 11 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.6–8.8); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Bamboo Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    Adult Bamboo Shrimp might survive with Zebra Loach, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.

+ 67 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a zebra loach

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Size gap is too large (300 vs 9 cm): Wels Catfish will treat Zebra Loach as food.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Size gap is too large (120 vs 9 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Zebra Loach as food.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Clown Knifefish (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.

+ 51 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a zebra loach

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a zebra loach, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Zebra Loach?

We compare each fish against your zebra loach on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • African Butterfly Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Bearded Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
    • Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brilliant Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Burmese Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Clown Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Clown Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Clown Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Convict Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Giant Danio✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 20–27 °C (68–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Giant Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Golden Wonder Killifish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Keyhole Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Kribensis✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Leopard Frog Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Mexican Tetra✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Easy care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–25 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Mexican Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Molly✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Paradise Fish✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 16–26 °C (61–79 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Porthole Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Rosy Barb✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Rosy Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Silver Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Silver Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Thick-lipped Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Topaz Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Upside-down Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Zebra Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Hard care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Afra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5 vs Afra Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Amazon Puffer⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Auratus Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.6–8.8); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Auratus Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bamboo Shrimp⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Adult Bamboo Shrimp might survive with Zebra Loach, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
  • Bandit Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Bandit Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brichardi Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5 vs Brichardi Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Congo Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Congo Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Demasoni Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Hard care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5 vs Demasoni Cichlid 7.8–8.6) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Demasoni Cichlid in a shoal of 12+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Electric Yellow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Zebra Loach 6.5–7.5 vs Electric Yellow Cichlid 7.8–8.9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Golden Vampire Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Johanni Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Johanni Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Lifalili Jewel Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Rio Negro Checkerboard Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • One likes softer water and the other harder (5–12 vs 0–4 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
  • Rusty Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Tanganyikan Butterfly Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Clown Knifefish (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Zebra Loach is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (120 vs 9 cm): Redtail Catfish will treat Zebra Loach as food.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (300 vs 9 cm): Wels Catfish will treat Zebra Loach as food.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 9 cm Zebra Loach whole.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up a zebra loach community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 115 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose

How to choose the right tank mates for a zebra loach

As a peaceful species, zebra loach is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It mostly occupies the bottom of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Zebra Loach grows to about 9 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 5 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 23–26 °C (73–79 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and 5–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Zebra Loach is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 5+ of its own kind first, then build compatible tank mates around them. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a zebra loach live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 206 compatible freshwater species for zebra loach. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for a zebra loach?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Ember Tetra, Neon Green Rasbora, Ramshorn Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a zebra loach?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do zebra loach tank mates need?

Start from Zebra Loach's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 115 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Zebra Loach care guide