Butterfly Loach
Cobitoidea sp.
The Butterfly 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 95 litres (25 US gallons), water held at 61-75°F, and a pH of 6-7.8.
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.
Butterfly Loach Tank Setup
Give them at least 95 litres (25 US gallons) and a tight-fitting lid, since many loaches are escape artists. Keep the water at 61-75°F with a pH around 6-7.8; soft sand suits the ones that like to burrow.
What Do Butterfly 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.
Butterfly Loach Tank Mates
The Butterfly Loach is peaceful, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. Good matches come down to the whole stocking list working together - temperature, tank size, and temperament - not any single label. 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 Butterfly 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.
Butterfly Loach - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Butterfly Loaches need?
Butterfly Loaches need a tank of at least 95 litres (25 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
What water parameters do Butterfly Loaches need?
Keep them at 61-75°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 Butterfly Loaches eat?
Butterfly 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 Butterfly Loaches good for beginners?
Butterfly 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.
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.
Fish to avoid mixing with Butterfly 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
- AxolotlPredator - Axolotl will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Betta (Male)Predator - Betta (Male) will eat or injure smaller tank mates
