TankBud

Dwarf lizard loach

Neohomaloptera johorensis

Also known as Johor lizard loach, Red mini marble loach

FreshwaterFish

Dwarf lizard loach (Neohomaloptera johorensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Balitoridae
Origin
Malay Peninsula and Sumatra

Overview

The dwarf lizard loach is a tiny, peaceful loach for a mature nano tank, and the odd one out in its family. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

Almost every relative of the dwarf lizard loach clings to rock in fast, cool torrents, yet this one lives in warm, tea-colored, acidic swamp water. It is a hillstream loach the size of a fingernail that behaves like a blackwater fish.

Caring for the dwarf lizard loach

Keep a group of dwarf lizard loaches in a well-established nano tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more. A mature tank rich in microfauna suits them, with gentle flow rather than a roaring river setup. Lay leaf litter over sand. They stay on the bottom and perch on leaves, wood and plants as much as on stone.

Give them soft, acidic water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. They graze biofilm and hunt tiny invertebrates. Feed the smallest sinking foods and crushed flake, along with micro frozen foods such as cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

Dwarf lizard loaches are peaceful and very small, so keep them with calm nano companions. Small rasboras and licorice gouramis suit them, since they like the same soft, acidic water. Breeding has not been recorded in aquariums.

Good to know

The dwarf lizard loach, Neohomaloptera johorensis, is the only species in its genus and the miniature of the river-loach family Balitoridae. Herre described it from Johor in Malaysia in 1944. It is also sold as the Johor lizard loach or red mini marble loach. Fish from the darkest blackwater tend to show more orange in the body.

In the wild

The dwarf lizard loach comes from peat swamp forests and slow blackwater streams of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Its home water is soft and stained with tannins, far from the fast hill streams most of its relatives prefer.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The dwarf lizard loach is a 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 dwarf lizard loach need?

A dwarf lizard loach needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a dwarf lizard loach need?

A dwarf lizard loach is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a dwarf lizard loach eat?

A dwarf lizard loach grazes biofilm and hunts tiny invertebrates. Feed it the smallest sinking foods, crushed flake and micro frozen foods such as cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a dwarf lizard loach get?

An adult dwarf lizard loach reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Related species