At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Long, eel-like loach with barbels
A slender, eel-like loach with three pairs of barbels around the mouth for feeling through the sand. The wild form is olive to brownish grey with dark speckles and a paler belly, and females grow larger than males.23
Personality what they are like
Peaceful and friendly with its own kind and other fish, and often quite comical, resting in odd poses and then bursting back into action.32
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Becomes noticeably more active and lively when kept with others of its kind.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs a fine, soft sand bottom for digging and a tight-fitting lid, as it can jump. Not a tropical fish, so no heater is usually needed indoors.23
Home where they are happiest
A large tank with a base of at least 120 x 45 cm (about 240 litres) suits adults. Seriously Fish recommends 18-23 C (tolerates 5-25 C), pH 6.0-8.0 and hardness 1-12 dGH.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A bottom forager that eats worms, insect larvae and small crustaceans. Sinking foods work well, with regular live or frozen Daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm.132
Company who they like around
The story where it all began
The weather loach comes from the rivers, ponds and rice fields of East Asia, where it has long been a food fish in Korea, Japan and China. It became a popular aquarium and pond fish thanks to its hardiness and friendly nature.23
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is called the weather loach because it reacts to falling air pressure before storms by swimming about wildly or standing on end.2
- 2
It can breathe air by swallowing it and absorbing oxygen through its gut.2
- 3
By number of individuals, it is said to be the most farmed fish in the world.2
- 4
It appears in classic dishes such as Korean chueo-tang soup and Japanese dojo nabe hotpot.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 20 September 2011)1
- FishBase
- Listed as used in the commercial aquarium trade1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Weather Loach. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Water changeAbout 25 to 30% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Misgurnus anguillicaudatus fishbase.seused for size, native range, temperature, diet, reproduction, IUCN status
- Wikipedia: Pond loach en.wikipedia.orgused for names, size, colours, weather behaviour, air breathing, food use, care, fun facts
- Seriously Fish: Misgurnus anguillicaudatus seriouslyfish.comused for tank size, water parameters, diet, behaviour, colour forms
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.