Borneo Hillstream Loach
Cobitoidea sp.
The Borneo Hillstream Loach (Cobitoidea sp.) is a peaceful fish that's a good step up once you have a little experience. Give it a tank of at least 75 litres (20 US gallons), water held at 68-75°F, and a pH of 6-7.8. Always keep a group of at least 3 - they feel safest in numbers.
Captive lifespan reflects typical experience in a home aquarium, not maximum recorded age; genetics, sourcing, and care vary.
Natural distribution
Asia
- East & Southeast Asia
Regional colours match the stocking calculator's origin map.
Borneo Hillstream Loach Tank Setup
Give them at least 75 litres (20 US gallons) and a tight-fitting lid, since many loaches are escape artists. Keep the water at 68-75°F with a pH around 6-7.8; soft sand suits the ones that like to burrow. Always keep a group of at least 3 of their own kind - kept alone or in pairs they tend to turn shy, nippy, or wash out in colour.
What Do Borneo Hillstream Loaches Eat?
They're not fussy eaters - feed a varied diet, rotating good-quality dry, frozen, and gel foods rather than the same thing every day, and match the food size to their mouths.
Borneo Hillstream Loach Tank Mates
The Borneo Hillstream Loach is peaceful, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. It's a shoaling fish, so settle a group of 3 or more of its own kind before adding anything else - a stressed, lonely fish is far more likely to nip or hide. Before you buy, run your full stocking list through our stocking calculator. It weighs temperament, adult size, and water needs together, which a single species page can't do on its own.
Are Borneo Hillstream Loaches Good for Beginners?
Doable once you test water regularly and catch problems before fish look sick. If this is your first tank, pick something more forgiving and come back later.
Borneo Hillstream Loach - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Borneo Hillstream Loaches need?
Borneo Hillstream Loaches need a tank of at least 75 litres (20 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
How many Borneo Hillstream Loaches should I keep together?
Keep a group of at least 3. Borneo Hillstream Loaches are a shoaling species and become stressed, lose their colour, or hide when kept singly or in pairs.
What water parameters do Borneo Hillstream Loaches need?
Keep them at 68-75°F with a pH of 6-7.8, steady rather than chased to an exact figure. In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should both read 0 ppm, with nitrate kept low through regular water changes.
What do Borneo Hillstream Loaches eat?
Borneo Hillstream Loaches are omnivores and aren't fussy eaters. Feed a varied mix of good-quality dry, frozen, and gel foods, and match the food size to their mouths. Feed small amounts once or twice a day, and remove anything they don't eat.
Are Borneo Hillstream Loaches good for beginners?
Borneo Hillstream Loaches are best for keepers with a little experience. They are manageable once you test water regularly and catch problems early; a complete beginner may prefer something more forgiving first.
Common mistakes with Borneo Hillstream Loaches
- Adding to an uncycled tank - always wait for the nitrogen cycle to complete; small schooling fish are especially vulnerable to ammonia.
Building a community? Run the full list through the stocking calculator before you add anything else.
Great tank mates
Chosen from temperament, overlapping temperature/pH bands, plausible minimum tank footprints, and size versus yours in App-aquatic data. Hobby nuance always wins - verify stocking and temperament before purchasing.
Check Borneo Hillstream Loach against any other fish → Compares water parameters, predation risk, fin nipping and tank size, and draws both at life size.
Fish to avoid mixing with Borneo Hillstream Loaches
These well-known species are commonly sold alongside this fish but are not recommended tank mates - verify before purchasing.
- OscarPredator - Oscar will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Common GoldfishGoldfish - prefer cooler, harder water that tropical fish cannot tolerate
