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Guenther's zipper loach

Nemacheilus guentheri

Also known as Mesonoemacheilus guentheri, Guenther's stone loach, Side spot loach

FreshwaterFish

Guenther's zipper loach (Nemacheilus guentheri)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.6 in
6.7 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nemacheilidae
Origin
Western Ghats, peninsular India

Overview

Guenther's zipper loach is one of the more outgoing Indian loaches, an active fish for the bottom of a South Asian community tank. It is a good fish for a keeper ready to move past the basics.

Did you know

In little more than fifty years, Guenther's zipper loach has been shifted between at least three genus names: Nemacheilus, Noemacheilus and Mesonoemacheilus. It shows how unsettled stone loach classification still is.

Caring for the Guenther's zipper loach

Keep several Guenther's zipper loaches together in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. Give them a mixed floor of gravel, sand and stone, with rounded rocks to perch on. A small group works the floor through the day, hopping between stones rather than hiding away.

Keep the water well oxygenated, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Moderate current and good aeration keep an active group content on the bottom. Lean toward brisk filtration rather than a still, heavily planted layout, since clean, moving water suits it.

Feed fine sinking foods, frozen daphnia and small bloodworm. Guenther's zipper loach is mostly peaceful and sociable, so pair it with calm South Asian community fish such as small barbs and danios. Its aquarium breeding is unrecorded.

Good to know

Francis Day described Guenther's zipper loach in 1867, and it belongs to the family Nemacheilidae. It is dark-bodied, with pale marbling and a bold blotch at the base of the tail.

In the wild

Guenther's zipper loach is endemic to the Western Ghats, a mountain range rich in fish found nowhere else. It lives in clear, flowing streams along the southwest coast of India, in cool, oxygen-rich water over stone and sand.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Guenther's zipper 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 Guenther's zipper loach need?

A Guenther's zipper loach needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Guenther's zipper loach need?

A Guenther's zipper loach is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Guenther's zipper loach eat?

A Guenther's zipper loach eats fine sinking foods, frozen daphnia and small bloodworm.

How big does a Guenther's zipper loach get?

An adult Guenther's zipper loach reaches about 2.6 in (6.7 cm).

Related species