Banded tiger loach

Care at a glance

Overview

The banded tiger loach is a large, active botiid loach for the bottom of a big freshwater tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Caring for the banded tiger loach

Keep banded tiger loaches in a group of at least five or six, which spreads out their energy and keeps squabbling to a minimum. They are big fish, so a group needs a long tank of 75 gal (285 L) or more. Give them a soft sand bed with plenty of smooth rocks and driftwood arranged into caves and gaps. Dim lighting and a few shaded retreats help them settle and forage in the open.

Hold the water at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with steady flow and good oxygen. Feed a varied menu of sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and the occasional vegetable, and make sure enough reaches the floor. They poke through sand and rockwork for anything edible and will crunch pest snails.

The banded tiger loach is mostly peaceful but boisterous. Pair it with sturdy midwater fish rather than shy or slow tank mates. Its eye spines can catch in a net, so handle it with care. It is an egg-scattering species, but there is no record of it spawning in home aquariums.

Good to know

Syncrossus helodes belongs to Botiidae, the true botiid loaches, and is one of the larger members of the family. Its pale body is crossed by many dark vertical bars that fade with age. Like other botiids, it carries a sharp, erectile spine beneath each eye that flicks out for defense. The fish on sale are wild caught or produced on commercial farms.

In the wild

The banded tiger loach lives in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It moves between flowing river channels and seasonally flooded areas.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Redfin tiger loach

  Syncrossus berdmorei

  9.4 in (24 cm) · 50 gal (190 L)

  9.4 in (24 cm)50 gal (190 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Green tiger loach

  Syncrossus hymenophysa

  8.3 in (21 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)

  8.3 in (21 cm)40 gal (150 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Chameleon loach

  Syncrossus beauforti

  9.8 in (25 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  9.8 in (25 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Clown loach

  Chromobotia macracanthus

  11.8 in (30 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)

  11.8 in (30 cm)75 gal (285 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)

• 

  Redtail loach

  Yasuhikotakia modesta

  9.8 in (25 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)

  9.8 in (25 cm)75 gal (285 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Honeycomb loach

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  9.1 in (23 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)

  9.1 in (23 cm)106 gal (400 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)