Optimal water conditions include temperatures between 73 and 79☏, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, and hardness of 83 to 300 ppm. These are great community fish, though if kept in groups under 3, they can become slightly aggressive towards tankmates. Scavenging on plant matter and invertebrates in the wild, these loaches can be fed omnivore pellets, live and frozen fare, algae or spirulina wafers, and will gulp down debris and algae from tank bottoms. Strong filters, or canister filters should be used to mimic their natural habitat, though aquarists should perform 30% water changes weekly. Endemic to well oxygenated and fast flowing streams of Vietnam, these zebra loaches do best in river-tank setups with sandy substrate, water-worn rocks and sporadic vegetation.

Also known as the “Red Tail Zebra Loach”, these fish rock a zebra print with red forked tails. mahnerti is the Shania Twain of freshwater tanks. Looking for a bit of uniform flare from your loaches? S. Temperature / pH73 to 79☏ / 6.0 to 7.0 pH Tank waters should be maintained with temperatures between 68 and 77☏, with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0, and hardness of 36 to 215 ppm. Thus, they can be used as indicator species for hypoxia. Loaches also have a tendency to make their ways into tank filters, so make sure to keep them tightly fit! Particularly resilient to low oxygen levels, panther loaches have specialized lungs in their intestines that allow them to gulp and utilize atmospheric oxygen. Tanks should be equipped with soft, sandy substrate, rocks, driftwood, and plentiful hiding places to take refuge during the day. In captivity, they can be fed a variety of sinking pellets, supplemented by regular meals of bloodworm, daphnia, and brine. This loach is a resilient, omnivorous bottom feeder that will adapt to any captive diet, and enjoys tank remnants like algae, crustaceans, and other microinvertebrates by gulping substrate and filtering the refuse through gill slits. Coloration of this species varies slightly between geographic origins, though most have largely black coloration with remnants of leopard-like spots on their caudal and ventral regions. guntea. More commonly known as the “Panther Loach”, this species exhibits similar color patterning to black panther morphs of leopards and jaguars. Slithering along shallow bottoms of slow moving streams and backwater habitats throughout the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems is L.

Temperature / pH68 to 77☏ / 6.0 to 8.0 pH Some of our favorites include Lepidocephalichthys guntea, Schistura mahnerti, and Schistura savona. Along with being amazing vacuum cleaners, many loaches are quite beautiful in color and patterning. Scouring tank bottoms under concealment of night, these fish exhibit peaceful dispositions and are suitable for nearly any community tank so long as they are kept in with 6 or more conspecifics. Loaches are known for their eel-like, flexible and maneuverable bodies, and heightened senses that make them incredible scavengers. The best agents for this purpose are scavenging species like catfish, snails, shrimp, and most notably, loaches. Sometimes the best way to handle this is with bio-control. How Loach Can You Go? How Loach Can You Go?Įvery aquarist has struggled at some point with keeping a tank clean.

Good zebra loach