Eel Loach

Give Your Fish Friend a Happier Home!

Your fish deserves more than just a bowl! Explore our collection of aquariums designed to create a healthier, more vibrant habitat for your aquatic friends. Easy to maintain, visually stunning, and perfect for every home.

Click image to enlarge

Looking for easy to maintain tropical fish combinations?

Scientific Name

Pangio anguillaris

Min. Tank Size

25 gallons

Personality

Peaceful

Temperature

73-80°F

pH

6.0-7.5/5-12°dGH

Size

4"

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Egglayer

Compatibility

Best kept with at least 4 of its own species; can be kept with Danios, Gouramis, Tetras and other sand-dwelling Loaches.

Eel Loach

This fish was named for its slender, eel-like body which is often brown in coloration. Most specimens exhibit fine, dark spots on the upper half of the body and a faint lateral line running from head to tail. Eel Loaches are native to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and have also been found in Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. These fish tend to inhabit shallow, slow-flowing waters such as streams, swamps and backwaters. In their natural environment, Eel Loaches often conceal themselves in mud or sandy substrate.

Tank Set-Up

In the home aquarium, these loaches prefer soft substrate in which they can dig as well as a few driftwood branches to provide shade. Eel Loaches enjoy dim lighting, gentle filtration and patches of floating vegetation. Though they may eat eggs and fry, these fish are typically very peaceful in nature and are not likely to harm other tank inhabitants. Like many loaches, Eel Loaches thrive best in groups with four or more of their own species and they prefer the company of conspecifics.

Feeding

Eel Loaches are micropredators by nature, sifting through substrate for small crustaceans and insect larvae. In the home aquarium, however, these fish may accept dried foods. Offer Eel Loaches a staple diet of high-quality sinking foods supplemented with plenty of live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, Artemia and Daphnia.

Breeding

Female Eel Loaches are usually more heavy-bodied than males, though males of the species may have longer fins. There are few known reports of breeding Eel Loaches successfully in the home aquarium. Some aquarists suggest that spawning is most likely to occur in shallow water with plenty of aquatic vegetation.