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Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Hillstream Loaches > Cherry Fin Loach

Cherry Fin Loach

Hillstream Loaches Index

Cherry Fin Loach

Family: Balitoridae Picture of a Cherry Fin Loach

Acanthocobitis rubidipinnis Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

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The beautiful red tail is the most obvious eye catcher of the Cherry Fin Loach, but the color and patterning is also very attractive!

What's in the name?
*Rubeus (rubi)*	means	"red"
*Pinna (pinnis)*	means	"fin"

A pretty little loach with distinctive red coloring in its tail fin, thus the name "Cherry Fin Loach". This loach sports a gold to brownish background which can have a reddish cast to it. There are multiple dark stripes and spots and a dark horizontal line running along the length of its body. The fins are transparent and both the tail and fins are marked with spotted lines.

The Cherry Fin Loach is a relatively small, peaceful loach and is great for a community aquarium. They are Hillstream Loaches, meaning they come from cool fast-moving streams. They will do best in a "river" type aquarium with good water movement and subdued lighting. Provide a sand or small gravel substrate. Though fairly hardy they may tend to be shy, so be sure to provide plenty of hiding and resting places created with plants, rocks, and driftwood.

Hillstream Loaches often enjoy the company of their own kind as well as other community fish. Though generally peaceful with their tank mates some species have been known to nip occasionally. Usually this is just among themselves. It is recommended that they be kept in groups of at least three, with larger groups of five to seven acclimating easier than smaller groups.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Geographic Distribution Acanthocobitis rubidipinnis


Data provided by FishBase.org

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Balitoridae

Care and feeding:
Since they are omnivorous, the Cherry Fin Loach will generally eat all kinds of live foods, sinking pelleted and tablet foods, flakes, and algae. They like frozen foods as well. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake or tablet food everyday. Feed mosquito larvae, brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex, daphnia, and some vegetable foods such as algae wafers.
This fish will do well in a medium aquarium (ideally 20 gallons or so) with good water movement, subdued lighting, and places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. They do best in soft to medium, slightly acidic water with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. The substrate can to be sand or small gravel that does not have sharp edges.

Distribution:
The Cherry Fin Loaches are found in Asia: Myanmar, India.

   The Cherry Fin Loach is quite similar to a couple of 'cousin' loaches from the same region. The most familiar and also a quite popular loach is the Ocellated Loach or Mountain Banded Loach Acanthocobitis urophthalmus (which actually use to be classified as Acanthocobitis rubidipinnis).
    You can distinguish the Cherry Fin Loach from the Ocellated Loach by a couple of things. First the Cherry Fin Loach has 14 - 15 1/2 branched dorsal rays. A second and simpler distinction is that the Cherry Fin Loach has a complete dark lateral line along its body, verses an incomplete or sometimes even just spotted line on the Ocellated Loach.
    The other lesser known loach is Acanthocobitis zonalternanshas. This loach is smaller, reaching only about 1 3/4" (4.5 cm), and has a larger eye than the Cherry Fin Loach.

Size - Weight:
These fish can reach up to just over 3" (8 cm).

Social Behaviors:
A good community fish, they will tolerate other tank mates as well as enjoy other members of their own species. They tend to be shy and it is recommended that they be kept in groups of at least three, with larger groups of five to seven acclimating easier than smaller groups.

Sexual Differences:
Unknown

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish are mostly bottom dwellers.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: to 8 - 18° dH
   Ph: 6.5 - 7.5
   Temp: 73 - 77° F (23 - 25° C)

Breeding/Reproduction:
They are not yet bred commercially.

Availability:
The Cherry Fin Loach is occasionally available.

Cherry Fin Loach

The beautiful red tail is the most obvious eye catcher of the Cherry Fin Loach, but the color and patterning is also very attractive!

For more Information on keeping this fish see: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium