Sichuan golden loach

Care at a glance

Overview

The Sichuan golden loach is a cool-water botiid from China that lives on the bottom of the tank with a few of its own kind. It is best for a keeper who already knows the basics.

Caring for the Sichuan golden loach

Keep several Sichuan golden loaches together in 37 gal (140 L) or larger. Give them a floor of stone and sand, with strong oxygenation.

A subtropical tank, not a tropical one, is the difference between surviving and settling in. Keep the water at 64 to 77°F (18 to 25°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. This is a loach for keepers who see room temperature as a feature, not a compromise.

Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and snails. The Sichuan golden loach is mostly peaceful. Keep it with cool-water company scaled to its size, such as white clouds or hillstream loaches.

Good to know

Sinibotia reevesae is a Chinese botiid, also sold as Reeves' golden loach or the Chinese reevesae loach. Its barring runs gold over dark olive and is bolder in juveniles.

In the wild

The Sichuan golden loach is known from the Tuo River system in Sichuan, China, where it lives in temperate, flowing water.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Chinese golden zebra loach

  Sinibotia pulchra

  3.9 in (10 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)

  3.9 in (10 cm)37 gal (140 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)

• 

  Yangtze golden loach

  Sinibotia superciliaris

  6.5 in (16.4 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  6.5 in (16.4 cm)53 gal (200 L)61–75°F (16–24°C)

• 

  Chinese tiger loach

  Sinibotia robusta

  7.1 in (18 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  7.1 in (18 cm)53 gal (200 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)

• 

  Spottail loach

  Yasuhikotakia caudipunctata

  4.3 in (11 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)

  4.3 in (11 cm)37 gal (140 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Gangetic loach

  Botia rostrata

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)66–81°F (19–27°C)

• 

  Splendid loach

  Yasuhikotakia splendida

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)