Horse Face Loach, a fish with a face that resembles a horse? Yes, you got it right!
They are called Horse Face Loach because they have long horse-like faces. Although in Asia some people call them banana fish and other names. But I feel like they should be called crocodile-faced loach. It’s a matter of perspectives really.
They are not a popular type of loaches but are definitely very interesting to have.
Background
Horse face loach is peaceful fish that originates from southeast Asia and can be found in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand respectively. But at most stores you will hear that they come from Thailand, maybe the trade is more developed there so most Horse Face Loaches are exported from there.
And yeah, in Thailand they are called “pla sai” which means sandfish, a more fitting name than horse face fish right?
Horse face loaches are known scientifically as Acantopsis Dialuzona. They were named by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker who was stationed in Indonesia in the 18 century and had a hobby of collecting aquatic fish. It was said that he collected 12000 specimens during his life! What a number!
General Appearance
The Horse Face Loaches have slender bodies with horse-like faces and pointed bodies to the caudal fin.
They have a pale brown color, which can be hard to notice by how they camouflage themselves under sand all the time whether in their natural habitat or in your sandy aquarium.
Sometimes you won’t spot them unless you see those small eyes looking at you without blinking.
Size
Horse Face Loach can grow up to 10 inches(25cm) in length but they can also be found in smaller sizes.
Lifespan
The average Horse Face Loach lifespan is around 8 to 10 years in their natural habitat. but they can live more or less in captivity.
So on average, you might expect them to live 8 years as that always depends on how well they were taken care of.
Habits
They are nocturnal, so probably you won’t see them during the day as they will borrow inside the sand and you will only see their eyes popping out and looking at you sideways. It’s very interesting.
You can lure them out with food. They will exit their “camouflage” mode right away and move out to compete for food with the others.
There are some Horse Face Loaches that are always borrowing into the side and you won’t see them much only when it’s time to feed them. But others will only borrow into the sand for a few days when they are new to the tank and will later start to appear more frequently. It actually depends on the fish itself this is not a set rule behavior.
Horse Face Loaches are also bottom dwellers and scavengers. But if your tank isn’t covered they will still jump out. So be sure your aquarium is properly covered.
Tank set up
Water parameters
They should be kept with good water flow. As they come from rivers and streams with moderate water flow.
They like soft water but they can also adapt to other ranges of water conditions.
A ph of 6.0 to 7.0 is good for them and the temperature should be in these measurements:61-75 Fahrenheit (20-25 ° C).
Tank size
They need to be kept at least in a 30-gallon tank as they are very active and like to move around. The more you have of them, the more you should consider fitting them in a bigger tank.
Tank environment
They need a lot of sand and substrate for them to thrive. A good substrate for them is fine sand that they can borrow inside without getting injured. They love doing that. You can also add fine gravel on top of the sand. But it should be soft so as not to damage their fins.
When setting up a tank for them you should take these details into account and you should also make sure they have enough space to swim as they are around 10 inches in size.
Of course, plants and driftwood would also be required. But plants should be well routed inside the tank otherwise expect these little scavengers to dig them out by always borrowing into the sand. You can add plants such as Anubias.
Temperament
They are hierarchical and should be kept in at least a group of eight any lower than that would be fine but it isn’t recommended. As they won’t be comfortable or active as they are supposed to be.
They will also start to fight among themselves when their number isn’t high enough.
Tank mates
Horse Face Loach can be kept with most fish without problems such as corydoras, plecos, and gouramis, they could also be kept with shrimps, especially Caridina shrimp but in case there will be fry in the tank you should avoid pairing them with other fish as they will get eaten.
Diet
They are omnivores who like to eat high-protein meaty food and Diatom.
You can give them live food such as mosquito larvae, worms, and crustaceans.
Frozen and other commercial dry food such as flakes and pellets.
Breeding
You might be disappointed but… Horse Face Loach can’t be bred in captivity, this has been tested by many people over the years with little to no success, some people have managed to get some results but not something that could be replicated. Most of the Horse Face Loaches you see with the supplier are caught from the wild, even the fry.
Conclusion
Whether you are a professional fish keeper or just a beginner, Horse Face Loach can be a great addition to your tank.
They are rare and not popular as The Rosy Loach as not many people know of them. Some people confuse them with other types of loaches and some people don’t know enough about them to like them.
They are very nice and can be kept with almost every other type of fish. You will like how they move around and hide and act “sneaky”. You will especially love them if you get a large number of them, you might even get dizzy watching them move.
Now that you know how interesting Horse Face Loaches are, will you add them to your tank? please let us know in the comments down below.
images source: CC BY-SA 2.0 and CC BY-SA 4.0 DE