Weather Loach
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
The Weather Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) is a peaceful fish that's a good step up once you have a little experience. Give it a tank of at least 210 litres (55 US gallons), water held at 50-73°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.
Weather Loach Tank Setup
Give them at least 210 litres (55 US gallons) and a tight-fitting lid, since many loaches are escape artists. Keep the water at 50-73°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. They grow to around 28 cm, so plan the tank size and filtration for a full-grown adult rather than the small juvenile you see in the shop.
What Do Weather 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.
Weather Loach Tank Mates
Requires a large tank and good filtration. The Weather Loach is peaceful, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. At around 28 cm fully grown, it needs tank mates that can hold their own against its size and appetite. 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 Weather 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.
Weather Loach - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Weather Loaches need?
Weather Loaches need a tank of at least 210 litres (55 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
How many Weather Loaches should I keep together?
Keep a group of at least 3. Weather Loaches are a shoaling species and become stressed, lose their colour, or hide when kept singly or in pairs.
What water parameters do Weather Loaches need?
Keep them at 50-73°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 Weather Loaches eat?
Weather 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 Weather Loaches good for beginners?
Weather 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 Weather Loaches
- Underestimating tank size - the minimum footprint is 210 litres (55 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 Weather 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 Weather 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
- Common GoldfishGoldfish - prefer cooler, harder water that tropical fish cannot tolerate
