Yangtze golden loach

Care at a glance

Overview

The Yangtze golden loach is a cool water loach for the bottom of a tank with current. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Caring for the Yangtze golden loach

Yangtze golden loaches need a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L) with real current. Give them a floor of stone and sand, with strong flow and plenty of oxygen.

Keep the water cool, at 61 to 75°F (16 to 24°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. An unheated tank suits them. Summer heat is their main enemy indoors, so keep the water from climbing past 75°F (24°C).

Feed sinking meaty foods. They do best in groups and are mostly peaceful, but choose tank mates with caution. Pair them with other temperate Chinese stream fish rather than tropical stock. There is no record of them breeding in the aquarium.

Good to know

The Yangtze golden loach, Sinibotia superciliaris, is a botiid loach in the family Botiidae. It is a temperate river fish first and an aquarium fish second, and it is still rare in the trade.

In the wild

This loach comes from the upper Yangtze basin in Sichuan and Guizhou, China. The water there is temperate, with real seasons.

Common questions

Related species

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