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  3. /Moonlight Gourami and Reticulated Hillstream Loach Compatibility

Compatibility Report

Can Moonlight Gourami Live With Reticulated Hillstream Loach?

GuideMyTank compatibility analysis for Moonlight Gourami and Reticulated Hillstream Loach.

Planning verdict

incompatible

Not recommended

Do not plan a shared aquarium for this pair. Choose a different tank mate or maintain separate aquariums.

Data confidence
high
Assessment source
Structured data model
Data completeness
100%

Blocking risks

  • Temperature requirements conflict.

Conditions and cautions

  • One species should be maintained in a proper school or group.
  • Tank size requirements differ slightly.
  • A species needing stable water has only a narrow pH, GH, or KH overlap.
  • Water flow preferences conflict.
  • Specialist tank style requirements need careful matching.

Supporting factors

  • pH requirements overlap well.
  • Species have similar temperament.
  • No predation risk detected.
Moonlight Gourami profileReticulated Hillstream Loach profileMethodology and limitations

Why This Pair Received Its Verdict

Moonlight Gourami and Reticulated Hillstream Loach receive a not recommended verdict from the current structured assessment. Moonlight Gourami is recorded as peaceful with an aggression level of 2/10; Reticulated Hillstream Loach is recorded as peaceful with an aggression level of 2/10. The recommendation is based on the combined water, space, behavior, grouping, and predation checks below rather than on species names alone.

  • Temperature requirements conflict.
  • pH requirements overlap well.
  • Species have similar temperament.
  • One species should be maintained in a proper school or group.

Helpful Links

Use the Compatibility CheckerRead the Compatibility Disclaimer

Water Parameter Overlap

Moonlight Gourami has a recorded temperature range of 77–86°F and pH range of 6–7.5. Reticulated Hillstream Loach is recorded at 68–76°F and pH 6.5–7.5. Their shared planning window is no complete overlap in the recorded ranges for temperature and 6.5–7.5 for pH. A shared aquarium must stay inside the overlap rather than merely touching each species’ outer tolerance.

Aquarium Space and Adult Size

Moonlight Gourami sets the larger listed base aquarium requirement at 30 gallons; the other listed minimum is 20 gallons. Moonlight Gourami is the larger adult by the recorded maximum, reaching 6 inches, compared with 3 inches. These figures are starting constraints, not a stocking-capacity calculation, because the complete group sizes and bioload still matter.

Behavior and Social Requirements

Moonlight Gourami is a calm species associated with the top zone and low flow. Reticulated Hillstream Loach is moderate, uses the bottom zone, and has a high flow preference. Moonlight Gourami does not have a recorded minimum school larger than one, while reticulated hillstream loach should be planned as a group of at least 3. The aquarium must support both social structures without forcing either species into insufficient space.

Husbandry Fit

Moonlight Gourami is recorded as a omnivore with easy care, while Reticulated Hillstream Loach is a herbivore with advanced care. Their listed preferred tank styles are planted and stream. Feeding access, cover, open swimming room, filtration, and observation should be planned around the more demanding requirement rather than averaged between the two species.

What Would Change the Decision?

Use these pair-specific boundaries before treating the verdict as an acceptable stocking plan.

  • Do not proceed unless one stable temperature and pH range can be maintained for both Moonlight Gourami and Reticulated Hillstream Loach; acclimation does not correct an incompatible long-term range.
  • Treat size, predation, and fin-damage warnings as stop conditions. Extra plants cannot reliably make an unsafe predator-to-prey or fin-target pairing safe.
  • Use broken sight lines and multiple retreats, then separate the pair if either species shows persistent chasing, hiding, clamped fins, or loss of feeding access.
  • Recalculate space using the full adult group sizes—not one specimen of each species—and reject the plan if either species must be understocked socially to fit.
  • A different tank mate is the preferred decision for this pair. Attempting the combination transfers the identified risk to the animals rather than resolving it.

Aquarium Planning Checklist

  • Keep temperature within no complete overlap in the recorded ranges.
  • Keep pH within 6.5–7.5.
  • Use at least the larger 30-gallon base requirement before accounting for the complete stocking plan.
  • Moonlight Gourami does not have a recorded minimum school larger than one; reticulated hillstream loach should be planned as a group of at least 3.
  • Choose separate aquariums or a different tank mate instead of attempting to manage a known blocking risk.

Final Recommendation

Do not plan a shared aquarium for this pair. Choose a different tank mate or maintain separate aquariums.

Sources and Data Provenance

These references support the underlying species records used by this assessment. They do not necessarily evaluate this exact pair together.

  • dcceew.gov.aucare · medium confidence
  • fishbase.secare · medium confidence
  • en.wikipedia.orgtaxonomy · medium confidence
  • en.wikipedia.orgtaxonomy · medium confidence
  • en.wikipedia.orgtaxonomy · medium confidence
Read the full methodology and limitations
Report quality
supported
Analysis version
2026.09.1
Species data updated
Jul 2, 2026
Review status
Structured automated assessment

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