Weather loach (albino)

The weather loach, here in its popular pink-gold albino form, is a hardy, eel-shaped bottom dweller from the rice paddies, ditches and slow rivers of East Asia. Named for its habit of becoming agitated before storms as air pressure drops, it is peaceful, endearing and remarkably tolerant, making it a good beginner fish. It is a temperate species that prefers cooler water and can even live unheated in a spacious tank, so avoid pairing it with strictly tropical, heat-loving species. Growing to around twenty centimetres, it is social and calmer when kept in a group of three or more. Provide a soft sand substrate for burrowing, smooth decor and a tight-fitting lid, as it is an accomplished escape artist. An omnivorous scavenger, it eats sinking pellets, worms and frozen foods and helps clear leftover food from the bottom.