TankBud

Broadhead hillstream loach

Pseudogastromyzon laticeps

Also known as Wide-headed butterfly loach, Fire fin Chinese sucker loach

FreshwaterFish

Broadhead hillstream loach (Pseudogastromyzon laticeps)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Gastromyzontidae
Origin
Longjin River drainage, Guangdong, China

Overview

The broadhead hillstream loach is a small, sociable bottom grazer for a cool tank with fast, oxygen-rich flow. It needs a little more care than a beginner fish.

Did you know

Everything science knows of the broadhead hillstream loach comes from one river system in Guangdong. It has never been recorded anywhere else, so a healthy captive group is a real slice of the whole species.

Caring for the broadhead hillstream loach

Give a group of broadhead hillstream loaches a tank of 24 gal (90 L) or more. A tank with a wide footprint suits a group better than a tall one. Lay a floor of flat, algae-covered stones, rounded stones and slab-like rock for grazing, over a fine gravel base.

Keep the water cool, at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C), with vigorous flow and lots of surface agitation for oxygen. Hold the pH mildly acidic to neutral, at 6.5 to 7.5.

It grazes biofilm from dawn to dusk. Supplement that with fine sinking foods, crushed wafers and the odd frozen treat that reaches the bottom. Pair it only with gentle, current-tolerant fish that will not strip the food before it settles.

Keep a group of five or six. The broadhead hillstream loach is mostly peaceful, though males lay claim to feeding rocks and shove rivals off. The disputes are bloodless and settle once there is enough room to go around. So far, no one has recorded it spawning in captivity.

Good to know

Pseudogastromyzon laticeps belongs to the hillstream loach family Gastromyzontidae. Chen and Zheng described it in 1980. The name laticeps means broad-headed, and the front of the fish is notably wide, roughly twice as wide as it is deep.

In the wild

The broadhead hillstream loach lives in the Longjin River drainage of Guangdong, southern China. It is found in clear, fast hill streams, where the water is cool and richly oxygenated.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The broadhead hillstream loach is a mostly 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 a broadhead hillstream loach need?

A broadhead hillstream loach needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a broadhead hillstream loach need?

A broadhead hillstream loach is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a broadhead hillstream loach eat?

A broadhead hillstream loach grazes biofilm from dawn to dusk. Supplement its grazing with fine sinking foods, crushed wafers and the odd frozen treat that reaches the bottom.

How big does a broadhead hillstream loach get?

An adult broadhead hillstream loach reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Related species