Barred loach

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a group in a tank of 90 litres or more with sand and rockwork, at 20 to 25 C and pH 6.0 to 7.5. It is an omnivore and bottom sifter that eats sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp. Generally peaceful but mildly territorial, it suits cool community tanks with danios, barbs and other stream fish.

In the wild

A slender stream loach growing to around 8 cm, patterned with a row of dark vertical bars along a pale body. It comes from cool, quiet, clear mountain streams and wants clean, oxygen-rich water with some flow and a soft sand bed for sifting. It spends its day working the substrate for small food items.

Good to know

It sits in the stone loach family Nemacheilidae and was first described as Cobitis fasciata in 1846. Studies of its oxygen use show it is sensitive to warm, low-oxygen water, in keeping with its cool upland home.

Did you know

It sifts mouthfuls of sand for food and passes the grains out through its gills, so a soft sand bed keeps it busy and healthy.

Related species

• Zipper loach

  Paracanthocobitis botia

  3.9 in (10 cm)29 gal (110 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)

• 

  Zodiac loach

  Mesonoemacheilus triangularis

  2.4 in (6 cm)24 gal (90 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Sumo loach

  Schistura balteata

  3.1 in (8 cm)24 gal (90 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Cross loach

  Micronemacheilus cruciatus

  1.6 in (4 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
• Rosy loach

  Petruichthys sp. 'rosy'

  1.2 in (3 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Striped kribensis

  Pelvicachromis taeniatus

  3.1 in (8 cm)19 gal (71 L)75–79°F (24–26°C)