Can Siamese fighting fish Live With Coolie loach?

Loaches are among the few fish a betta can sometimes live with. Some small cyprinids and loaches from similar environments are considered suitable, though careful research is essential and in most cases the betta is still best kept alone.

Kuhli loaches fit that description. Pangio loaches are peaceful with one another and with other fishes, with no reports of them harming tankmates, and they spend much of their time in the substrate or packed together in a single cave. Buy at least five or six and give them fine sand.

The water overlap is narrower than it looks. The loaches want pH 5.5 to 6.5 at 21 to 26 °C, and the betta manages pH 6 to 8 at 22 to 30 °C. Aim for soft water around pH 6 to 6.5 and 22 to 26 °C. The loaches forage through the sand with the sensory barbels around the mouth, so feed sinking food rather than counting on what the betta leaves.