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Sichuan hillstream loach

Sinogastromyzon szechuanensis

Also known as Szechuan hillstream loach

FreshwaterFish

Sichuan hillstream loach (Sinogastromyzon szechuanensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
57–72°F
14–22°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Gastromyzontidae
Origin
Upper Yangtze tributaries, Sichuan, China

Overview

The Sichuan hillstream loach is a large hillstream loach for cold, fast water and plenty of stone to graze. Experienced keepers do best with it.

Did you know

The Sichuan hillstream loach's pelvic and pectoral fins join into one broad adhesive skirt. Its grip is strong enough that pulling a settled fish off the glass by hand can injure it.

Caring for the Sichuan hillstream loach

Give Sichuan hillstream loaches a long tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more, to suit their size and a strong current line. Provide torrent-grade flow, enough to blow lesser fish off the glass, and keep oxygen high. Lay broad, smooth boulders for them to graze.

The Sichuan hillstream loach is a genuinely cold-water fish. Keep it at 57 to 72°F (14 to 22°C) all year, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. That is colder than most tropical gear is built for, so a chiller or a cool room may be necessary. Be ready to cool the tank through summer, since warmth is the main thing that kills it.

It grazes biofilm steadily. Also give it algae wafers, sinking pellets and a little meatier sinking food to match its size.

Keep a peaceful group of five or so over the boulders, with calm, cool-water tank mates that do well in fast flow. To move one, slide a card under its disc instead of tugging it free. Its reproduction in captivity has not been documented.

Good to know

Sinogastromyzon szechuanensis is a hillstream loach in the family Gastromyzontidae. Fang described it in 1930. The genus name means Chinese belly-sucker, and the species name marks its home in Sichuan, once romanized as Szechuan.

In the wild

The Sichuan hillstream loach lives in cold, fast tributaries of the upper Yangtze in Sichuan, western China. The water there stays cool even in summer.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Sichuan hillstream loach is a 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 Sichuan hillstream loach need?

A Sichuan hillstream loach needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Sichuan hillstream loach need?

A Sichuan hillstream loach is comfortable at 57–72°F (14–22°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Sichuan hillstream loach eat?

A Sichuan hillstream loach grazes biofilm steadily. Also feed it algae wafers, sinking pellets and a little meatier sinking food to match its size.

How big does a Sichuan hillstream loach get?

An adult Sichuan hillstream loach reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

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