TankBud

Spined loach

Cobitis taenia

Also known as European spined loach, Spotted spined loach, Cobitis taenia taenia

FreshwaterFish

Spined loach (Cobitis taenia)
Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
39–68°F
4–20°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
32 gal
120 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cobitidae
Origin
Native to rivers, lakes and streams across much of Europe and into western Asia, resting on sandy and silty bottoms in cool, temperate water.

Overview

The spined loach is a slim, peaceful coldwater loach for an unheated tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The spined loach buries itself in sand and passes the grains through its gills to strain out food.

Caring for the spined loach

Give spined loaches a deep, soft sand bed, which is essential because they bury themselves in it. A group needs an unheated tank of at least 32 gal (120 L). They are true coldwater fish and can even live in a garden pond.

Keep the water clean, cool and well oxygenated, at 39 to 68°F (4 to 20°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Spined loaches do not want tropical warmth. They sift the sand for tiny invertebrates and detritus, so feed sinking foods, frozen bloodworm and daphnia.

Keep them in a group of at least six. They are peaceful and quiet, and they suit a temperate, coldwater setup rather than a tropical community. White cloud mountain minnows or native pond species make good company. Breeding them in the aquarium is hard.

Good to know

The spined loach is named for a small, forked, erectile spine tucked below each eye. It belongs to the family Cobitidae and to a well-studied complex of closely related forms. Some of those forms reproduce through all-female clonal lineages, which makes the spined loach a favorite subject for genetics research.

In the wild

The spined loach is native to rivers, lakes and streams across much of Europe and into western Asia. It rests on sandy and silty bottoms in cool, temperate water. By day it lies buried in the sand with only its head showing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The spined 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 spined loach need?

A spined loach needs at least 32 gal (120 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a spined loach need?

A spined loach is comfortable at 39–68°F (4–20°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a spined loach eat?

A spined loach sifts the sand for tiny invertebrates and detritus. In the tank, feed it sinking foods, frozen bloodworm and daphnia.

How big does a spined loach get?

An adult spined loach reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

Related species