11 Best Yoyo Loach Tank Mates (With Pictures)
Aaron Boyd
The Yoyo Loach is a lively and active type of fish from the rivers of India and Pakistan, with a silver body and black markings.
Yoyo Loaches are social and therefore will need company, as they do not like to be on their own in their tank. It is best to have at least three to five other fish in the tank.
However, at the same time, Yoyo Loaches do tend to sometimes be aggressive with fish of the same species as them.
They do well with other kinds of fish, especially ones that are equally social, docile, and faster moving.
Fish that are slow and extremely large won’t make the most suitable companions. Additionally, aggressive fish might get in a fight with Yoyo Loach.
So when planning on getting some companions for them, which fish are the best Yoyo Loach Tank Mates?
Table of Contents
Glass Catfish
The first fish I am going to talk about is the Glass Catfish. The Glass Catfish is 4 to 6 inch fish with a unique see-through body.
They like to have at least 30 gallons of water in their tank to swim around, and they like to socialize with other fish.
They make the best Yoyo Loach tank mates due to their activity, sociability, and their peaceful and timid nature.
These fish are not aggressive or harmful to their own kind, or toward other species. They will never want to start a fight.
Keeping them with a very large or aggressive species is not advisable, as they can be injured or eaten.
Instead, they make very friendly and gentle companions for the Yoyo Loach because of their peaceful nature.
Congo Tetras
The Congo Tetra is a beautiful multi colored fish which comes from South America. These fish are meant to live in schools, at least in a group of six other Congo Tetras.
They do well with both their own species, and in company of other kinds of fish in the same tank.
Congo Tetras are very peaceful fish, and so as a result will be great tank mates for the Yoyo Loach.
However, ensure that none of your Yoyo Loaches like to nip fins of other fish. Nipping could damage the fragile fins of the Congo Tetra.
Congo Tetra fish will swim around with the Yoyo Loach, and they will be very tolerant of them.
They will never bicker with other fish. In fact, if they get scared, they would much rather hide.
Bristlenose Pleco
The Bristlenose Pleco is a small type of nocturnal catfish which likes to eat algae for the most part of its diet.
They adapt well to a variety of different tank environments.
Their body colors most often come in brown, green, or gray. They are covered in spots, or even sometimes blotches, which are white or yellow.
In spite of their hardy appearance, Bristlenose Plecos are very peace-loving fish, so they will make be one of the best Yoyo Loach tank mates.
They are relaxed and very friendly fish, which do not like to start fights and remain calm. They are also sociable with other fish, and will like to socialize with Yoyo Loaches.
Mollies
Mollies are common freshwater fish that come in all sorts of different colors, shapes, and sizes. There are about 40 different species of mollies.
These fish are active and sociable, and they are school fish, so they are one of the best Yoyo Loach tank mates.
As well as that, they are easy to care for, and are peaceful in temperament. However, ensure your tank is big enough for them.
This is because overcrowding can cause some species of Mollies to become aggressive.
Corydoras
The Corydoras is a type of freshwater catfish that has as much as over 160 species.
The Corydoras is one of the best Yoyo Loach Tank mates, because they are extremely peaceful and calm. They get along well with all sorts of fish, including Yoyo Loaches.
These fish are very easy to keep, very active, and very sociable.
This makes them ideal companions for Yoyo Loaches, because they will swim and interact with Yoyos.
Rainbowfish
There are currently over 50 species of Rainbowfish – a beautiful multi colored type of fish which are extremely peaceful.
Most species of the Rainbowfish are small, but some do get very large. They are active fish, so they can keep up with the Yoyo Loach.
They can be kept with any other species of fish because of their non-aggressive, docile demeanor and sociability.
Additionally, they are happy fish and easy to care for.
Clown Loaches
Clown Loaches are active, black striped fish with a yellow or orange body and red fins.
These fish will make great tank mates for the Yoyo Loach because they are extremely easy-going and social.
These fish are also very peaceful and playful, so will chase around with Yoyos around the tank in a manner of playing.
They have a friendly demeanor, and will not get in a fight with other Loaches, like for instance the Yoyo Loach.
If they are shy or feel that they are threatened, they would much rather hide.
Kribensis
Kribensis are colorful fish that are very easy to care for and very peaceful and social. They are friendly and highly active fish.
They will be best tank mates for fish such as Yoyo Loaches because both species are active and move at a similar pace.
Slow moving fish don’t do too well in the same tank as the Kribensis.
This is due to the fact that the Kribensis might be prone to nipping at their fins.
Angelfish
Angelfish come in many variants, colors, markings, and stripes, They are fish which are easily recognizable by their round body, and leaf or wing like fins.
Angelfish are slow moving and therefore like slow moving currents. They are semi-aggressive toward some species of fish.
However, they seem to do fine with Yoyo Loaches in the same tank.
They are mostly peaceful fish, apart from spawning time, when they do tend to bicker.
They are social and like to live in groups and interact, so they will socialize and swim with Yoyo Loaches.
Their tank should always be large and spacious to ensure they do not squabble with other fish.
They also do best as tank mates when they are younger, as their temperament is the most docile before full maturity.
Green Swordtail
These small hardy fish from North and Central America come in all sorts of colors, and males of this species has a sword like tail.
They do like living in company of other fish and being social, so will therefore be good tank mates for Yolo Loaches.
However, it is advisable that there are not a lot of males kept in the tank with Green Swordtails, as they will fight over territory.
Apart from that, the Green Swordtail is peaceful and most often friendly.
Clown Pleco
This fish is black with stripes and patterns of a bright color.
Clown Pleco are one of the best Yoyo Loach Tank Mates as a result of their gentle and mellow temperament and good nature.
However, they cannot always be kept with other males, as they do tend to fight over territory.
Clown Plecos are not very social, but can be in company of a few Yoyo Loaches, preferably females.
If you do decide to keep a Clown Pleco with some male Yoyo Loaches, ensure you observe them closely at first.
This will help you determine whether they can get along fine with each other, or if they will bicker.
Nonetheless, you may need other species of fish in addition to Clown Plecos to keep with your Yoyo Loachs.
Clown Plecos prefer to do their own thing a lot of the time.
Do Yoyo Loaches Need To Be In Groups?
Yes, Yoyo Loaches do need to be in groups as they are a social type of fish.
They will stay happy if kept in groups of at least three at the minimum, but five or more is advisable.
Yoyo Loach may at times be prone to display aggression toward their own species, because they are territorial.
This could lead to fighting and bickering breaking out among Yoyo Loaches. Therefore, it is a good idea to ensure there are hiding spaces in the tank.
These fish also need to have plenty of space to swim in, so they need a large aquarium.
A Yoyo Loach will like to have their own piece of the aquarium for themselves, and overcrowding could result in fights.
This is why a large tank with a lot of space to move and swim around in is desirable for the Yoyo Loach and their tank mates.
Young Yoyo Loaches can live in a tank with 20 or 30 gallons of water.
However, as they grow and turn into fully matured adults, your tank will require 40 gallons of water or more.
Yoyo Loaches will become stressed and will go into hiding if not given enough tank mates for company and to interact with.
A Yoyo Loach will always team up with other fish in the tank if it is new to the aquarium, to avoid loneliness.
Are Yoyo Loach Good Community Fish?
Yoyo Loaches are good community fish, as they are generally peaceful, but they can be territorial among their own kind.
If you are planning to get a shoal of Yoyo Loaches, it is important to observe your Yoyo Loaches when first getting them.
You will need to see their behavior, if there are any aggressive fish, and if they get along well.
This will prevent any Yoyo Loach getting bullied by others Yoyo Loaches, chased after, or harmed in any way.
Notice if any one of your Yoyo Loaches are being aggressive toward another fish of their own species.
If you witness this, you can put the problematic Yoyo Loach on their own for a few days. Usually, this will calm them down and they will act more peaceful afterward.
Also, ensure you watch out for other species of fish in the tank that may be aggressive. This could result in constant bickering, squabbling, or fighting.
A very large fish with an aggressive demeanor living in the tank could severely hurt your Yoyo Loach.
Yoyo Loaches are not known to ever kill other fish when in a fight. However, they could potentially nip at times, especially if a fish is small and moves slowly.
This is why caution must be taken if introducing new fish species with delicate or easy to damage fins into the tank.
Yoyo Loaches do best with other species of fish than their own, especially ones of the same size like them, or slightly larger.
They also like robust, active, and sociable fish that like to interact and swim in groups or pairs. Fish much smaller than Yoyo Loaches may in fact become a chasing target for Yoyo Loach.
Yoyo Loaches also need to have tank mates that are peaceful and good natured. This will prevent any possibility of aggression on the part of the other fish.
Conclusion
Yoyo Loaches are fish than need to be kept in a group of at least three other fishes. The ideal number, however, would be five or more, as they are community fish.
If not kept with other fish, Yoyo Loaches will become unhappy and go into hiding. These fish seem to do best with other species.
What makes a good tank mate for your Yoyo Loach? Fish that are active and can swim around with the Yoyo Loach, sociable, and not prone to aggression.
A few of the best Yoyo Loach Tank mates include Glass Catfish, Congo Tetras, Bristlenose Pleco, Mollies, and Corydoras.
These fish are some examples that are peaceful and calm in temperament, so they will not start fights with Yoyo Loach.
They are also gentle, easy-going, and will not be problematic if they are properly cared for. They would much rather hide from dominant or aggressive fish than fight back.
