Chinese tiger loach

Care at a glance

Overview

The Chinese tiger loach is a big, active bottom loach for a cool, roomy tank. It is a good fish for a keeper past the beginner stage.

Caring for the Chinese tiger loach

Keep Chinese tiger loaches in a group of four or more, and give them real floor space in 53 gal (200 L) or larger. Lay a floor of sand and cobble, with stones to hide among. They are mostly peaceful and handle themselves fine with medium-sized, active fish, but choose their tank mates with care.

Cooler-than-tropical water keeps them at their best, at 64 to 79°F (18 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Keep the water flowing and well oxygenated. Match the filtration to their appetite.

Good to know

Sinibotia robusta is the big one of its genus, and it is also sold as the Kansu loach or Botia robusta. It wears broad tiger barring in gold and brown. The name robusta means exactly what it looks like: a thickset, muscular botiid built for current.

In the wild

The Chinese tiger loach ranges through the flowing river systems of southern China into northern Vietnam.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Yangtze golden loach

  Sinibotia superciliaris

  6.5 in (16.4 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  6.5 in (16.4 cm)53 gal (200 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Sichuan golden loach

  Sinibotia reevesae

  4.3 in (11 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)

  4.3 in (11 cm)37 gal (140 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)

• 

  Chinese golden zebra loach

  Sinibotia pulchra

  3.9 in (10 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)

  3.9 in (10 cm)37 gal (140 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)

• 

  Chinese emperor loach

  Parabotia maculosus

  7.9 in (20 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)

  7.9 in (20 cm)70 gal (265 L)64–79°F (18–26°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)

• 

  Polka-dot loach

  Botia kubotai

  5.9 in (15 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  5.9 in (15 cm)42 gal (160 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)