Vietnamese Multi-banded Loach
Micronemacheilus cruciatus
The Vietnamese Multi-banded Loach (Micronemacheilus cruciatus) is a peaceful fish that's a good step up once you have a little experience. Give it a tank of at least 40 litres (11 US gallons), water held at 70-79°F, and a pH of 6-7.8. Always keep a group of at least 6 - 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.
Vietnamese Multi-banded Loach Tank Setup
Give them at least 40 litres (11 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. Always keep a group of at least 6 of their own kind - kept alone or in pairs they tend to turn shy, nippy, or wash out in colour.
What Do Vietnamese Multi-banded 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.
Vietnamese Multi-banded Loach Tank Mates
The Vietnamese Multi-banded 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 6 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 Vietnamese Multi-banded 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.
Vietnamese Multi-banded Loach - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches need?
Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches need a tank of at least 40 litres (11 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
How many Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches should I keep together?
Keep a group of at least 6. Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches are a shoaling species and become stressed, lose their colour, or hide when kept singly or in pairs.
What water parameters do Vietnamese Multi-banded 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 Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches eat?
Vietnamese Multi-banded 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 Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches good for beginners?
Vietnamese Multi-banded 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 Vietnamese Multi-banded Loaches
- Buying fewer than 6 - Vietnamese Multi-banded Loachs need a proper school to feel secure; isolated individuals hide, fail to colour up, or become stressed.
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 Vietnamese Multi-banded 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 Vietnamese Multi-banded 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
