The moose faced loach from India is a very unusual representative of its family. Although there are many loach species that burrow, Canthophrys gongota has perfected this behavior. In its natural habitat, the rivers in the north of Bengal, it lives where the bottom is made up of fine sand. Here it likes to bury itself completely and only its eyes, which protrude high above its head, look out of the sand.
The areas of origin are higher regions. The animals therefore require temperatures of 16-24°C and very clean, low-germ water. The pH value and hardness are of secondary importance (in nature pH around 7, hardness around 8°GH). The fish are very peaceful, their maximum size is 12 cm. C. gongota will eat pretty much any common ornamental fish food, but you have to be very careful with some types of food. Poor quality frozen food can lead to explosive bacterial growth, which will quickly kill the loaches. Inadequately washed Tubifex will also quickly send such fish to fish heaven. Similarly, too much dry food should not be given, as leftover food can quickly lead to a high bacterial load. For these reasons, moose faced loaches are to be classified as demanding fish for experienced enthusiasts.
For our customers: the animals have code 455393 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
