Loaches

What is a loach?

Loaches are bottom-dwelling fish known for their narrow, elongate bodies and whisker-like barbels. They’re one of the most diverse groups of freshwater fish, with more than 1,200 species known worldwide. A lot of these species are favourites amongst fishkeepers who add them to their aquariums in order to eat up any leftover food that may have got lodged in wood/rocks and to remove stubborn forms of algae, such as green spot algae.

What types of loaches can you keep in an aquarium?

There are many different types of loaches that you can keep in an aquarium, from larger loaches that prefer cooler water, such as weather loach, to smaller loaches that prefer warmer water, such as kuhli loach. Some of the most popular types of loaches in the fishkeeping hobby are hillstream loach. They’re circular in shape, come in several interesting patterns, and are known for their voracious appetites for green spot algae. Yoyo loach are popular too. They don’t grow too large, averaging 8cm in length, and do best when kept in small gregarious groups.

How big do loaches get?

Not all loaches are the same; some, like hillstream loach, stay very small (<8cm) and can be kept in relatively compact fish tanks, while others, such as clown loach, can grow to huge sizes in excess of 30cm and need to be kept in aquariums capable of holding more than 500L of water. As a group, loaches are long-lived and slow growing, so they may take several years to reach their max size. This means that, as juveniles, they can be kept in a small aquarium, but if you have species like clown loach or weather loach, you will need to upgrade to a large aquarium later down the line.