Sumatran neon loach

Pangio bitaimac

Also known as Neon kuhli loach, Two-spot kuhli

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 5.0–7.0
Adult size: 3.7 in (9.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Blackwater streams of Sumatra, Indonesia
Family: Cobitidae

Overview

A slender, active kuhli that lives near the bottom and settles best in a group of six or more, feeding after dark like the rest of its family. It threads through leaf litter and roots by day and comes out to hunt small prey at night, so give it a floor of soft sand and plenty of cover. It is peaceful and safe with small tankmates, though it grows longer and more eel-like than the little banded kuhlis it is sold beside, so allow it room. Feed small sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, and live blackworm. Start a group in at least 54 liters, and give more length as they grow.

In the wild

The Sumatran neon loach comes from the Batang Hari drainage in Sumatra, in soft, peat-stained blackwater streams over sand and litter. Recreate that with a fine sand bed, driftwood, botanicals, and tannin-darkened water. Keep it warm at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and soft and acidic, with pH from 5.0 to 7.0. Dim light and a mature, quiet tank suit this secretive fish.

Good to know

Pangio bitaimac is an eel-loach of the family Cobitidae, described in 2009. It belongs to the elongate anguillaris group of kuhlis and reaches roughly 9 to 10 centimeters, longer and more worm-like than the familiar banded species. Breeding it in aquaria is difficult and rarely, if ever, achieved. Despite the trade name neon, its colours are subtle: a dark stripe over purplish skin with a reddish tail.

Did you know

Its odd name comes from bee tai mak, a short, thick rice noodle eaten across Southeast Asia, chosen for the fish's plump, slippery, noodle-like body rather than for any colour or marking.