TankBud

Malayan lizard loach

Homaloptera parclitella

Also known as Orange lizard loach, Red lizard hillstream loach

FreshwaterFish

Malayan lizard loach (Homaloptera parclitella)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Balitoridae
Origin
Malay Peninsula

Overview

The Malayan lizard loach is one of the larger lizard loaches and needs a roomy hillstream tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Malayan lizard loach's species name, parclitella, points to the two saddles on its back. Counting saddles is the quick way to tell it from the three-saddle saddle-back loach it often arrives mixed with. For hillstream keepers, it is a small rite of passage.

Caring for the Malayan lizard loach

Give Malayan lizard loaches a roomy hillstream tank of at least 29 gal (110 L). They need space to move between the stones and wood they perch on. Strong flow, high oxygen, smooth stones and driftwood recreate their home streams. Good light encourages the surface film they graze.

Keep the water at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They work the bottom, grazing the film on the rocks. They also take meaty sinking foods, so offer sinking pellets and frozen bloodworm or daphnia.

Keep several together, since they are social and peaceful. A Malayan lizard loach leaves other fish alone entirely. Share the tank only with fish that also want strong, cool, oxygenated water. Aquarium breeding has not been recorded.

Good to know

The Malayan lizard loach, Homaloptera parclitella, is a boldly marked river loach in the family Balitoridae. It is patterned with leopard-like spots and two dark saddles across the back. Its close look-alike is the saddle-back loach, Homaloptera orthogoniata. It is also sold as the orange lizard loach or red lizard hillstream loach.

In the wild

The Malayan lizard loach lives in clear, forested mountain streams of the Malay Peninsula, including parts of southern Thailand. It clings to rock there in steady current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Malayan 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 Malayan lizard loach need?

A Malayan lizard loach needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Malayan lizard loach need?

A Malayan lizard loach is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Malayan lizard loach eat?

A Malayan lizard loach grazes the film on rock and takes meaty sinking foods. Feed it sinking pellets and frozen bloodworm or daphnia as well.

How big does a Malayan lizard loach get?

An adult Malayan lizard loach reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

Related species