TankBud

Charcoal loach

Schistura carbonaria

Also known as Carbon stone loach, Pasta loach

FreshwaterFish

Charcoal loach (Schistura carbonaria)

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.4 in
8.6 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nemacheilidae
Origin
Coastal drainages of central Vietnam

Overview

The charcoal loach is a mostly peaceful stone loach for a rocky tank with strong current. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The charcoal loach's home rivers are strikingly short, dropping from Vietnam's coastal mountains to the sea in barely a hundred kilometers. That helps isolate populations, and it is part of why the region has so many stone loaches found nowhere else.

Caring for the charcoal loach

Keep the charcoal loach in a small group, in a tank of at least 24 gal (90 L). Lay a rocky floor of rounded stones and gravel, and scape with plenty of stones, caves and sightline breaks. Like most Schistura, each fish claims a patch of rockwork and defends it. Give each one its own broken-up territory and squabbles stay minor, but in a bare or crowded tank they spar more.

Keep the water at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and keep oxygen levels high. Bright, clean, moving water matters more than any particular decor, so put good filtration and strong flow first.

Feed sinking granules, frozen bloodworm and other meaty foods. It mixes well with active, current-loving midwater fish such as danios and hillstream barbs. It has not been bred in the aquarium, as far as records show.

Good to know

Schistura carbonaria takes its name from the Latin for coal, a reference to its dark, soot-toned barring. It belongs to the large stone loach genus Schistura, whose members are built for life in fast water. It is also known as the carbon stone loach or pasta loach.

In the wild

The charcoal loach comes from fast coastal rivers of central Vietnam, including the Thu Bon system. Clear water there runs quickly over rock and gravel. It is one of several Schistura confined to that narrow coastal strip.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The charcoal 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 charcoal loach need?

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

What temperature and pH does a charcoal loach need?

A charcoal loach is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a charcoal loach eat?

A charcoal loach eats sinking granules, frozen bloodworm and other meaty foods.

How big does a charcoal loach get?

An adult charcoal loach reaches about 3.4 in (8.6 cm).

Related species