TankBud

Pako hillstream loach

Sewellia breviventralis

Also known as Short-finned sewellia

FreshwaterFish

Pako hillstream loach (Sewellia breviventralis)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–75°F
20–24°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6.2 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Gastromyzontidae
Origin
Pako River, central Vietnam

Overview

The Pako hillstream loach is a Sewellia, a disc-bodied grazer that spends its life clamped to the brightest, fastest stone in the tank. It is a difficult fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

Many Sewellia are each tied to a single river, much like the Borneo suckers. The Pako hillstream loach is named for the Pako River and is known from almost nowhere else.

Caring for the Pako hillstream loach

Set up Pako hillstream loaches like the tiger hillstream loach they resemble. A group needs a tank of 24 gal (90 L) or more, with strong flow and a broad rock surface. Use smooth grazing stones over a fine substrate, and let the tank mature before they go in.

Keep the water at 68 to 75°F (20 to 24°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, mildly acidic to neutral. The flow should be laminar, with oxygen held high by brisk surface movement.

It grazes biofilm and algae. Supplement that with fine sinking foods, crushed wafers and small frozen foods.

Keep a group of five or six with small, peaceful, current-loving tank mates. Males defend favorite rocks with shimmying displays that seldom escalate. Its own breeding has not been recorded, though Sewellia in general spawn willingly.

Good to know

Sewellia breviventralis is a member of the hillstream loach family Gastromyzontidae. Freyhof and Serov described it in 2000. The name breviventralis means short pelvic fin, a small difference from its congeners in the shape of the suction disc.

In the wild

The Pako hillstream loach is known from the Pako River in central Vietnam. The river is a fast, clear, cool torrent flowing over stone.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Pako hillstream 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 Pako hillstream loach need?

A Pako hillstream loach needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Pako hillstream loach need?

A Pako hillstream loach is comfortable at 68–75°F (20–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Pako hillstream loach eat?

A Pako hillstream loach grazes biofilm and algae. Supplement it with fine sinking foods, crushed wafers and small frozen foods.

How big does a Pako hillstream loach get?

An adult Pako hillstream loach reaches about 2.4 in (6.2 cm).

Related species