Sun loach
Yasuhikotakia eos
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–82°F
- 23–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 4.3 in
- 11 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Botiidae
- Origin
- Mekong basin (Laos, Cambodia, Thailand) and Dong Nai drainage, southern Vietnam
Overview
The sun loach is an active, aggressive loach for the bottom of a large, mature tank. It is best with a little experience.
Did you know
When the sun loach feels threatened, it can flick out the spines tucked below each eye. The spines readily snag netting, and even the skin of a larger fish that tries to swallow it.
Caring for the sun loach
Sun loaches need a long tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), with a base around 120 by 30 cm. Give them a soft sand bed, plus rocks, driftwood and caves to wedge into. They jump, so fit a tight lid.
Keep the water warm, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They are intolerant of organic waste, so run a mature setup with strong, well oxygenated flow. A turnover of around four to five times the tank volume per hour suits them. They are strictly freshwater fish with no brackish needs.
Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods and the occasional snail. Watch new imports for skinny disease, a wasting condition caused by a Spironucleus flagellate.
Keep them in a group of at least five or six, and ten or more if the tank allows. Sun loaches are active at night and aggressive, and they form complex pecking orders within the group. In small numbers they can turn fiercely nippy, so choose tank mates with caution.
Move them in a cup or bag rather than a net, since their spines can cause tangles and injury. There is no reliable record of sun loaches breeding in the aquarium. Never release aquarium fish into the wild, and check your local rules before keeping or rehoming them.
Good to know
The sun loach, Yasuhikotakia eos, is a botiid loach in the family Botiidae. Like other botiids, it carries sharp spines below the eyes.
In the wild
Sun loaches come from the Mekong basin across Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, plus the Dong Nai drainage in southern Vietnam. They live along the bottom of flowing rivers and streams, working through crevices in rock and wood.
Common questions
What size tank does a sun loach need?
A sun loach needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a sun loach need?
A sun loach is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a sun loach eat?
A sun loach eats sinking pellets and frozen foods. It also takes the occasional snail.
How big does a sun loach get?
An adult sun loach reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).
Related species
5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Leconte's loach
Yasuhikotakia lecontei
5.9 in (15 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)37 gal (140 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Spottail loach
Yasuhikotakia caudipunctata
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4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Splendid loach
Yasuhikotakia splendida
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3.3 in (8.5 cm)37 gal (140 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Skunk loach
Yasuhikotakia morleti
3.3 in (8.5 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)75 gal (285 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Redtail loach
Yasuhikotakia modesta
9.8 in (25 cm) · 75 gal (285 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)37 gal (140 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)Sichuan golden loach
Sinibotia reevesae
4.3 in (11 cm) · 37 gal (140 L)