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The Orange Saddle Loach, also known as Schistura balteata has many names including Sumo Loach, Schistura Loach, Stone Loach, Tri-band Loach, Tri-band Sumo Loach. This fish is a fantastic freshwater fish for those looking for a peaceful addition to their aquarium. Loaches are natural scavengers, eating up all sorts of things to keep your aquarium clean, and with an average lifespan of 10 years, you'll be enjoying their company for a very long time.
For whom is the Orange Saddle Loach suited?
These fish may seem like an attractive addition to any aquarium due to their size and natural tendency to clean up the waste floating around in your aquarium without creating much themselves, but taking care of them is more complicated than you might expect. These fish have no scales and are somewhat prone to disease, and so we recommend that you have some experience in caring for scale-less fish if you're planning on getting them.
What are they like?
The Orange Saddle Loach is a real night owl. They are active mainly at night and can peacefully co-exist with most other fish. During the night, they will look for food that sunk to the bottom of the aquarium. On top of that, their natural curiosity will drive them to explore any crevices and caves that might be around in their habitat.
The ideal conditions for the Orange Saddle Loach
Despite the fact that these fish are scavengers, they still require a relatively clean, well-oxygenated tank. They highly prefer a soft substrate, as it makes searching for food more manageable, so sand or fine gravel would be best. The water should be soft, slightly acidic and at a temperature of 73 – 86 °F, as these are tropical fish. Further, you should make sure that there is moderate lighting in their habitat. The enjoy structures such as large smooth rocks in their tanks which are found in their native habitats in Myanmar along with many crevices and hiding spots. They do well without plants as long as other botanicals can be provided for breaks in line of sight.
What we feed our Loaches
While they are naturally omnivorous, Loaches mainly eat worms, zooplankton, small insects, and crustaceans with plant matter and detritus making up a very small portion of their diet. We feed a mix live foods such as baby brine, Daphnia, Bloodworms, Blackworms and also Northfin Veggie, Community, and Bug Pro prepared foods to ensure a balanced and nutritious diet.
Our Tank Parameters:
