Tank mates for rosy loaches

We checked rosy loaches against all 149 other species in our database for water temperature, pH, size, fin nipping, predation and aggression.

Good tank mates for rosy loaches include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, dwarf gourami, neon tetra and panda corydoras. Avoid angelfish, common goldfish and fancy goldfish: angelfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Rosy loaches: 22–26°C (72–79°F), pH 6.5–7.8, adult size 2.5 cm (1 in), minimum tank 15 gallons (57 L). Full rosy loach care guide.

Check a full stocking plan

Good Compatible tank mates (88)

Shared water conditions and no known conflict. Still add fish slowly and watch them.

Caution Possible, with care (25)

These can work in the right setup, but there is a real risk. Read the reason first.

  • Betta fish · 5+ gal
    • Betta fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Tiger barb · 29+ gal
    • Tiger barb nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like rosy loaches.
    • Tiger barb is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Boesemani rainbowfish · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 26–26°C).
  • Clown loach · 180+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–26°C).
    • Clown loach grows much larger than rosy loaches and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Dojo loach · 75+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–23°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
    • Dojo loach grows much larger than rosy loaches and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Hillstream loach · 20+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Kribensis · 29+ gal
    • Kribensis is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Rainbow shark · 75+ gal
    • Rainbow shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
    • Rainbow shark grows much larger than rosy loaches and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Red-tail shark · 75+ gal
    • Red-tail shark is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Rosy barb · 29+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Siamese algae eater · 55+ gal
    • Siamese algae eater grows much larger than rosy loaches and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Three spot gourami · 29+ gal
    • Three spot gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • White cloud mountain minnow · 15+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 22–22°C).
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–26°C).
    • Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Buenos Aires tetra · 29+ gal
    • Buenos Aires tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like rosy loaches.
    • Buenos Aires tetra is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Cockatoo cichlid · 20+ gal
    • Cockatoo cichlid is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Dwarf orange crayfish · 10+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Gardneri killifish · 10+ gal
    • Gardneri killifish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
  • Gold barb · 29+ gal
    • One is a cold-water species and the other is tropical, so neither will be at its best.
  • Kissing gourami · 75+ gal
    • Kissing gourami is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.
    • Kissing gourami grows much larger than rosy loaches and may swallow them as it grows.
  • Rabbit snail · 29+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 25–26°C).
  • Scissortail rasbora · 55+ gal
    • Scissortail rasbora may eat rosy loaches, especially young or small ones.
  • Serpae tetra · 20+ gal
    • Serpae tetra nips fins and can stress slow, peaceful fish like rosy loaches.
  • Zebra pleco · 20+ gal
    • Their temperature ranges barely overlap (only around 26–26°C).
  • Keyhole cichlid · 29+ gal
    • Keyhole cichlid may eat rosy loaches, especially young or small ones.

Avoid Bad tank mates (36)

  • Angelfish: Angelfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Common goldfish: Common goldfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Fancy goldfish: Fancy goldfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Oscar: Oscar can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bala shark: Bala shark can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Blood parrot cichlid: Blood parrot cichlid can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches.
  • Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches.
  • Discus: They need different temperatures: Rosy loach 22–26°C (72–79°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
  • Electric blue acara: Electric blue acara can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Electric yellow cichlid: Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Firemouth cichlid: Firemouth cichlid can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • German blue ram: They need different temperatures: Rosy loach 22–26°C (72–79°F), german blue ram 27–30°C (81–86°F).
  • Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches.
  • Pea puffer: Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches. Pea puffer is best kept in a species-only tank.
  • Peacock cichlid: Peacock cichlid can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Peacock cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Pictus catfish: Pictus catfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches. Red zebra cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Senegal bichir: Senegal bichir can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Silver dollar: Silver dollar can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • African butterfly fish: African butterfly fish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Black ghost knifefish: Black ghost knifefish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Bumblebee catfish: Bumblebee catfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches. Demasoni cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Frontosa: Frontosa can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Frontosa is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 8–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Giant danio: Giant danio can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Golden wonder killifish: Golden wonder killifish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Green terror: Green terror can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Green terror is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches.
  • Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlid can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Jewel cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful rosy loaches.
  • Paradise fish: Paradise fish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Ropefish: Ropefish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Severum: Severum can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Shell dweller cichlid: Shell dweller cichlid is a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. It needs a Lake Tanganyika tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–9), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Rosy loaches don't belong in that setup.
  • Tinfoil barb: Tinfoil barb can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Upside-down catfish: Upside-down catfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
  • Moonlight gourami: Moonlight gourami can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can live with rosy loaches?

Good tank mates for rosy loaches include cherry shrimp, nerite snail, guppy, dwarf gourami, neon tetra and panda corydoras. They need similar water and won't fight with or eat rosy loaches.

Can rosy loaches live with angelfish?

No. Angelfish can eat rosy loaches: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown. Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.

Can rosy loaches live with bettas?

Sometimes, with care. Betta fish is semi-aggressive and may bully much smaller rosy loaches.

Can rosy loaches live with bristlenose plecos?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–26°C (72–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

Can rosy loaches live with bronze corydoras?

Yes. They share similar water needs (22–26°C (72–79°F)) and peaceful temperaments.

How we decide: we compare each pair's comfortable temperature, pH and hardness ranges, adult sizes, mouth size (who can eat whom), fin nipping, aggression and territory. Read the full method. Data last reviewed 2026-10-13.