Weather Loach

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Scientific Name

Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

Min. Tank Size

70 gallons¹

Personality

Peaceful

Temperature

40-77°

pH

6.0-8.0/1-12°dGH

Size

9 - 10"

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Egglayer

Compatibility

Can be kept singly but it’s best in groups of 3 or more. Keep with medium to large, active fishes; can be kept with ornamental Goldfish, Danios, Tetras, Corydoras, Guppies and other Loaches. Avoid slow moving fish as they may be intimidated by the active nature opf this species.

Weather Loach

Also called the Dojo Loach or Oriental Weather Loach, this species is native to Asia where it can be found in parts of Siberia, Korea, Japan, China and northern Vietnam. Weather Loaches tend to inhabit shallow, slow-flowing waters such as rivers, streams, swamps and backwaters. They are often found in heavily vegetated environments with mud or silt substrate and plenty of submerged roots and branches. The bodies of Weather Loaches are slender and eel-like, often exhibiting a yellow or greenish coloration with lighter undersides.

Tank Set-Up

Weather Loaches are named for their ability to detect changes in barometric pressure. These fish often react to such changes by swimming frantically or standing on end. In the home aquarium, this species is likely to thrive in a variety of conditions as long as it is provided with plenty of sand or fine gravel substrate. Weather Loaches prefer gentle filtration and minimal water flow and are most likely to thrive in mature setups.

Feeding

These fish are predatory by nature, foraging for insects, insect larvae and small crustaceans in the wild. In the home aquarium, however, Weather Loaches are likely to accept sinking dry foods in addition to live/frozen foods. Offer these fish a staple diet of sinking foods supplemented with live and frozen foods such as Daphnia, Artemia and bloodworms.

Breeding

There are few known reports of successfully breeding this species in captivity and these fish are not yet being bred commercially. There has been some success in spawning these fish through the use of hormones, but this practice is largely limited to scientific research.

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¹ 70 gallons is given as the minimum tank size because of the potential size and active nature of the Weather Loach – plus the fact that they are best kept in groups of 3 or more. Certainly, there are situations where aquarists keep these fish in much smaller tanks with great success. However, given the active nature of these fish, we recommend giving them plenty of room.