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Savona loach

Schistura savona

Also known as Half-banded Himalayan loach, Half banded loach

FreshwaterFish

Savona loach (Schistura savona)

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–77°F
18–25°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Nemacheilidae
Origin
Himalayan foothills, Tista drainage, India

Overview

The Savona loach is a small, active stone loach for the bottom of a cool, flowing tank. It is moderately demanding, a step past beginner fish.

Did you know

The Savona loach's scientific name is not descriptive at all. Savona is simply a latinized version of savon khorka, the Bengali name local people gave the fish. Francis Hamilton carried it straight into the record in 1822.

Caring for the Savona loach

A small group of Savona loaches settles well in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. Lay a varied floor of gravel, sand and stone, with rounded rocks to break up sightlines. Each fish can then hold a little territory, and the group stays busy and settled.

Keep the water cool, at 64 to 77°F (18 to 25°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Give it moderate to strong flow and good oxygen. Clean, lively, well-oxygenated water suits it, so favor current and filtration over a warm, planted look.

The Savona loach works the bottom for food. Feed fine sinking items, frozen daphnia and small bloodworm.

It is mostly peaceful and reasonable by the standards of its genus. Pair it with cool-water company such as hill-stream barbs and danios rather than warmwater tropicals. Its aquarium breeding is not on record.

Good to know

Schistura savona wears a row of narrow bars only across the upper half of its body. That half-banded look helps pick it out of mixed loach imports. It belongs to the family Nemacheilidae.

In the wild

The Savona loach lives in fast foothill streams of the eastern Himalaya, over beds of gravel and stone. Its range takes in the Tista drainage around Darjeeling and runs on through Nepal.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Savona 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 Savona loach need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Savona loach need?

A Savona loach is comfortable at 64–77°F (18–25°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Savona loach eat?

A Savona loach works the bottom for fine sinking items, frozen daphnia and small bloodworm.

How big does a Savona loach get?

An adult Savona loach reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

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