TankBud

Chinese flower loach

Traccatichthys pulcher

Also known as Flower loach, Rainbow loach

FreshwaterFish

Chinese flower loach (Traccatichthys pulcher)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
61–75°F
16–24°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nemacheilidae
Origin
Guangdong and Hainan, China

Overview

The Chinese flower loach is a colorful, constantly busy bottom loach for a cool river tank with strong flow. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Chinese keepers prize the Chinese flower loach as a native ornamental. Its species name, pulcher, is simply the Latin word for beautiful. The name was given for the pink and blue wash the fish develops on its fins in good condition.

Caring for the Chinese flower loach

Give a small group of Chinese flower loaches a tank of at least 29 gal (110 L), with open swimming space and rockwork. Lay a gravel and cobble bed, with rounded rocks to graze and shelter among. Run brisk flow and keep the water well oxygenated.

Keep the water cool, at 61 to 75°F (16 to 24°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. As with other hill-stream loaches, clean, moving, oxygen-rich water matters more than warmth. Feed sinking meaty foods generously, since a well-fed adult develops far richer color than a hungry one.

Keep two or more together. They are sociable, and with room and cover they mostly get along while patrolling their patches. Match them with other subtropical, current-loving fish rather than delicate warmwater species. The Chinese flower loach has not been reliably bred in aquariums.

Good to know

Traccatichthys pulcher is the showpiece of its small genus in the stone loach family. It has an olive body, vivid lateral striping and a sharply dark-edged dorsal fin. In good, cool, well-fed condition, it carries more color than most tropical loaches. It is also known as the flower loach or rainbow loach.

In the wild

The Chinese flower loach lives in subtropical streams of Guangdong and Hainan in southern China. The water there runs cool and quick over gravel and stone.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Chinese flower 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 Chinese flower loach need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Chinese flower loach need?

A Chinese flower loach is comfortable at 61–75°F (16–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Chinese flower loach eat?

A Chinese flower loach eats sinking meaty foods. Feed it generously, since a well-fed adult develops far richer color than a hungry one.

How big does a Chinese flower loach get?

An adult Chinese flower loach reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

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