Red-tailed Squirrel Loach
Aborichthys elongatus
The Red-tailed Squirrel Loach (Aborichthys elongatus) is a peaceful fish that's a good step up once you have a little experience. Give it a tank of at least 105 litres (28 US gallons), water held at 70-79°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.
Red-tailed Squirrel Loach Tank Setup
Give them at least 105 litres (28 US gallons) and a tight-fitting lid, since many loaches are escape artists. Keep the water at 70-79°F with a pH around 6-7.8; soft sand suits the ones that like to burrow.
What Do Red-tailed Squirrel 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.
Red-tailed Squirrel Loach Tank Mates
The Red-tailed Squirrel 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 Red-tailed Squirrel 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.
Red-tailed Squirrel Loach - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches need?
Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches need a tank of at least 105 litres (28 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 Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches need?
Keep them at 70-79°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 Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches eat?
Red-tailed Squirrel 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 Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches good for beginners?
Red-tailed Squirrel 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 Red-tailed Squirrel Loaches
- Underestimating tank size - the minimum footprint is 105 litres (28 US gallons); impulse buying into a smaller tank leads to stress and shortened lifespan.
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 Red-tailed Squirrel 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 Red-tailed Squirrel 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
- Pea PufferPredator - Pea Puffer will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Common GoldfishGoldfish - prefer cooler, harder water that tropical fish cannot tolerate
