TankBud

Redtail loach

Yasuhikotakia modesta

Also known as Red tail loach

FreshwaterFish

Redtail loach (Yasuhikotakia modesta)
Lerdsuwa · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
75 gal
285 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer
Rarity
Rare
Family
Botiidae
Origin
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam

Overview

The redtail loach is a large botiid that spends its time on the bottom in a busy group. It is an intermediate fish.

Did you know

Unlike most loaches, the adult redtail loach wears almost no pattern. It relies on a smooth, plain body from steel blue to bronze and bright red-orange fins for its looks. Juveniles can show faint bars that fade away as the fish matures.

Caring for the redtail loach

Keep redtail loaches in a group of five or more to spread out their bold, boisterous nature. This big, energetic loach needs a long tank of at least 75 gal (285 L), with plenty of caves and open floor.

Use a soft sand bed, with smooth rocks and driftwood built into caves and tunnels. Shaded hideouts and clean, stable water help it settle and forage confidently rather than skulking out of sight.

Hold the water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 and moderate to strong, well-oxygenated flow. Feed a varied diet of sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, snails and the occasional vegetable. It readily crunches pest snails as it digs through sand and combs rockwork for food.

The redtail loach is mostly peaceful but assertive, and it can bully smaller or slower fish. Pick robust, active tank mates that hold their own. In the wild it is an egg-scattering, migratory spawner, and there is no reliable record of it breeding in home aquaria. Trade fish are wild caught or farmed.

Good to know

Yasuhikotakia modesta is a member of the family Botiidae, and its name is also written red tail loach. As with other botiine loaches it carries a sharp, erectile spine below each eye, used in defense and easily caught in a net.

In the wild

Yasuhikotakia modesta ranges through the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It moves between main river channels and flooded areas with the seasons, in warm water that is slightly acidic to neutral.

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Tank mates

The redtail loach is a mostly peaceful, shoaling 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 redtail loach need?

A redtail loach needs at least 75 gal (285 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a redtail loach need?

A redtail loach is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a redtail loach eat?

A redtail loach eats a varied diet of sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, snails and the occasional vegetable. It readily crunches pest snails.

How big does a redtail loach get?

An adult redtail loach reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

Does a redtail loach need a group?

Yes. A redtail loach is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a redtail loach breed?

The redtail loach is an egg-scattering, migratory spawner in the wild. It has no reliable record of breeding in a home aquarium, so trade fish are wild caught or farmed.

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