Cross loach

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a shoal of at least 8 to 10 in a tank of 54 litres or more, at 20 to 25 C and pH 6.0 to 7.5, with gentle flow and plenty of plants. It is a micropredator that wants small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp and microworm, plus fine dry foods. Peaceful and small, it belongs with other nano fish like small rasboras, pygmy corydoras and shrimp.

In the wild

A tiny stone loach of about 4 cm that behaves unlike most of its family. Rather than hugging the bottom it hovers and swims in open water in a loose shoal, which is where the hovering loach name comes from. It likes gently flowing, well-planted water with clean conditions and does best in a nano or planted community. Soft to moderately hard water suits it well.

Good to know

It has passed through the genera Nemacheilus and Yunnanilus before settling in Micronemacheilus. It is one of the few loaches that spends much of its time suspended in midwater rather than resting on the substrate.

Did you know

It is one of the more willing loaches to spawn at home, scattering eggs into fine-leaved plants and moss when kept in a settled group.

Related species

• Rosy loach

  Petruichthys sp. 'rosy'

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

• 

  Zodiac loach

  Mesonoemacheilus triangularis

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

• 

  Barred loach

  Nemacheilus fasciatus

  3.1 in (8 cm)24 gal (90 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
• Sumo loach

  Schistura balteata

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

  Paracanthocobitis botia

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

• 

  January tetra

  Hemigrammus hyanuary

  1.6 in (4 cm)17 gal (65 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)