Horseface loach

Care at a glance

Overview

The horseface loach is a long, sand-dwelling loach for a cool-water community tank. It needs a little more care than a beginner fish.

Caring for the horseface loach

Given their size, a group of horseface loaches needs a long tank of 55 gal (210 L) or more. A deep bed of soft, fine sand is the most important feature, so they can bury themselves without injury. Add smooth rocks and driftwood on top, and avoid sharp substrates that would damage their delicate snouts and bellies.

Keep the water cool, clean and well oxygenated, with brisk flow. Hold it at 61 to 75°F (16 to 24°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

The horseface loach spends the day half-buried in soft sand, with only its eyes showing, and becomes more active around dusk. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms and blackworms that settle to the floor.

It is social enough that a group of five or more settles better than a lone fish. It is mostly peaceful and works well with calm, cool-water community fish, though it may see small shrimp as food. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria.

Good to know

The horseface loach, Acantopsis dialuzona, belongs to the family Cobitidae. It is named for its down-curved snout, and its long body is built for burrowing into sand. Like other cobitids, it has a small, erectile spine set below each eye. The name Acantopsis has long been applied to several similar, hard-to-separate loaches. Trade fish under this name may be more than one species, and the fish for sale are wild caught.

In the wild

The horseface loach is widespread through Thailand and the Sunda Islands. It lives in flowing rivers and streams with clean sand and fine gravel beds.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Slender horseface loach

  Acantopsis ioa

  6.3 in (16 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  6.3 in (16 cm)42 gal (160 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Chinese spiny loach

  Cobitis sinensis

  6 in (15.3 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  6 in (15.3 cm)42 gal (160 L)59–75°F (15–24°C)

• 

  Weather loach

  Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

  11 in (28 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)

  11 in (28 cm)55 gal (210 L)50–73°F (10–23°C)

• 

  Gongota loach

  Canthophrys gongota

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)42 gal (160 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)

• 

  Eel kuhli loach

  Pangio anguillaris

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Guntea loach

  Lepidocephalichthys guntea

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)24 gal (90 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)