Sucking Loach (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri)

The sucking loach is robust, hardy and can adapt to a wide range of water varieties, so this will make an excellent addition to the aquarium, but only if it is kept with the correct tank mates. Their tank mates should be fast swimming, strong and vigorous.

Sucking loaches, although peaceful when small, become very boisterous and increasingly aggressive towards each other and other fish when housed together with similar-looking fish, so it is advisable to supply plenty of space and hiding places.

On some occasions, if underfed, they have been known to be territorial and attack other fish and rip off their scales, causing them to have infections.

Due to the large size they get, you will need quite a spacious aquarium.

This species will most certainly damage delicate plants, but the more stringent and more reliable plants should be fine.

The sucking loach is supposedly an excellent algae eater, but this is not the case. As young, you will see them grazing on algae on the aquarium's glass, but they do not consume a considerable amount, but as they get older and grow, that will become less and less.

The sucking loach comes in three different colours. Their natural tones are shades of brown with an irregular horizontal stripe along the side which stops at the tail (sometimes can be broken up sufficiently that they end up looking like spots). You also have the albino, which is golden orange with red-eyes, and then the part albino variation that is golden brown.

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Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Sucking Loach will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.