TankBud

Panda loach

Yaoshania pachychilus

Also known as Chinese panda loach, Protomyzon pachychilus, Yaoshania pachychilos

FreshwaterFish

Panda loach (Yaoshania pachychilus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Gastromyzontidae
Origin
Endemic to fast, cool, clear hill streams in the Dayao Mountains of Guangxi in southern China, clinging to rocks in strong current.

Overview

The panda loach is a small hillstream loach for a cool, fast-flowing river tank. It is a difficult fish, best suited to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The panda loach's bold markings are a juvenile trait. The crisp black and white fish in the shop tank slowly turns spotted and olive-gray as it ages.

Caring for the panda loach

Keep panda loaches in a mature tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more, with smooth rocks to graze biofilm from. Use a river manifold or a powerhead for strong flow.

They must have cool, highly oxygenated water, ideally with a turnover of 10 to 15 times the tank volume per hour. Hold it at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) all year, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Warm, still or dirty water kills them quickly, and that is the usual reason they fail in home tanks.

Their diet is mostly algae and biofilm. Supplement it with vegetable-based sinking foods and the occasional frozen morsel. A high-protein diet can harm them.

Keep them in a group. Good tank mates are other cool-water, high-flow species such as white cloud mountain minnows or other hillstream loaches.

Good to know

The panda loach is a hillstream loach in the family Gastromyzontidae. It was first described in the genus Protomyzon in 1980 and later moved to its own genus, Yaoshania. The genus is named after the Dayaoshan range, where the fish was found. Its common name comes from the bold black and white panda pattern.

In the wild

The panda loach is found only in the Dayao Mountains of Guangxi, in southern China. It clings to rocks in fast, cool, clear hill streams with strong current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The panda 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 panda loach need?

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

What temperature and pH does a panda loach need?

A panda loach is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a panda loach eat?

A panda loach eats mostly algae and biofilm. Supplement it with vegetable-based sinking foods and the occasional frozen morsel, and avoid a high-protein diet, which can harm it.

How big does a panda loach get?

An adult panda loach reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

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