Hillstream loach
Sewellia lineolata
FishFreshwater
- Care level
- Moderate
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Recommended tank
- 80 L
- Maximum size
- 7 cm
- Temperature
- 18–24 °C
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- Group size
- ≥ 3
- Diet
- Herbivore
Care at a glance
The hillstream loach from the mountain streams of central Vietnam is as flat as a disc and uses its fins like a suction cup to cling to smooth stones in the current. It is active all day, grazing biofilm from rock and glass.
It asks for the opposite of most tropical fish: cooler, very oxygen-rich water with strong flow and smooth, well-lit boulders. Only add it to a mature tank that already carries algae growth, and supplement with vegetable food; in warm, still water it does not last long.
Good to know
Related species
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Values are mainstream hobbyist guidance, not gospel — always watch what your own animals need.