Beavan's Stone Loach Care Guide
Schistura beavani is a South Asian stone loach common in fast streams of India and Nepal, a hardy, territorial bottom-dweller.
Overview
Schistura beavani, the creek loach, is a stone loach of the family Nemacheilidae with an elongated body. It is a hardy bottom-dweller common in fast-flowing South Asian streams.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nemacheilidae
- Genus: Schistura
- Scientific name: Schistura beavani (Günther, 1868)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from India and Nepal, with reports from Bangladesh. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic stone loach of tropical fast-flowing streams, sheltering among rocks and gravel in well-oxygenated water.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 18-26 °C (64-79 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.8
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate to strong, oxygenated
- Maximum size: about 10 cm
- Lifespan: 4-6 years
Diet
It is a carnivore (trophic level about 3.0 per FishBase) feeding on small invertebrates. In aquaria it takes live and frozen foods such as bloodworm and Daphnia, along with sinking prepared feeds offered around twice daily.
Compatibility
It is semi-aggressive and territorial; provide caves and broken lines of sight to reduce conflict. Suitable companions are cool-water cyprinids and fish that tolerate moving water; slow-water species should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2010).