TankBud

Ajime loach

Niwaella delicata

Also known as Cobitis delicata, Delicate loach, Monitor lizard loach

FreshwaterFish

Ajime loach (Niwaella delicata)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
50–72°F
10–22°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.7 in
9.5 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cobitidae
Origin
Central Honshu, Japan

Overview

The Ajime loach is a peaceful bottom grazer for a cool, fast-flowing river tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

In Japan, the Ajime loach is prized enough to be eaten as a mountain delicacy. Aquarists there keep it in chilled river tanks that copy the streams outside.

Caring for the Ajime loach

Treat the Ajime loach like a hillstream fish, not a tropical loach. Set it up as a river tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more, with strong flow and plenty of oxygen. Lay a floor of smooth stones and gravel, and let algae grow on the stone surfaces.

Keep the water genuinely cool, at 50 to 72°F (10 to 22°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. In summer, run a chiller to hold the water that cool. The Ajime loach fails quietly in warm, still tanks, so commit to the cool setup or choose another fish.

It grazes algae and biofilm from the stones. Supplement that grazing with gel foods and small frozen foods. It is peaceful and safe with community tank mates that share its cool water. It does fine alone or in a group.

Good to know

The Ajime loach, Niwaella delicata, is a cobitid, and its grazing diet is unusual in that family. It was long sold under its old name, Cobitis delicata, but it has been placed in Niwaella for decades.

In the wild

The Ajime loach is a coldwater fish from Japan. It lives in clear, fast mountain rivers in central Honshu.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Ajime loach is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Ajime loach need?

An Ajime loach needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Ajime loach need?

An Ajime loach is comfortable at 50–72°F (10–22°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does an Ajime loach eat?

An Ajime loach grazes algae and biofilm from stones. Supplement its grazing with gel foods and small frozen foods.

How big does an Ajime loach get?

An adult Ajime loach reaches about 3.7 in (9.5 cm).

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