Min County plateau loach

Where they come from

Min County plateau loaches (Triplophysa minxianensis) come from high-elevation streams around Minxian County in Gansu, China. Think cold, fast, clear water running over rock and gravel, with seasonal swings and a lot of oxygen. If you keep that picture in your head while you set up the tank, you are already ahead of the game.

Setting up their tank

Give them floor space more than height. A longer tank lets you build a proper flow pattern and gives them room to cruise, spar, and claim little rock zones. I would not try them in anything smaller than a 30 gallon long style footprint, and bigger is easier to keep stable.

• Substrate: smooth sand or fine rounded gravel (they spend a lot of time down low and will wedge into gaps)
• Hardscape: piles of rounded river stones, slate, and driftwood roots for breaks in the flow
• Plants: optional - if you use them, pick tough stuff like Anubias, Bolbitis, or moss tied to rocks
• Lighting: moderate - they do not need it bright, and they will use shaded areas a lot

Flow and oxygen are the whole game. I run an oversize filter with a strong return, plus a powerhead pointed along the back wall so the current loops around the tank. Then I stack rocks so there are calmer pockets behind them. They will surf the current and then drop into the slack water to rest.

Temperature-wise, keep them on the cool side. Room temp is usually fine, and I avoid running a heater unless your house drops really low. Warm, stagnant water is where these guys start fading. Aim for steady, clean water, lots of surface movement, and regular water changes.

What to feed them

They are not picky once they settle, but they do best on a mixed, meaty diet. In my tanks they spend a lot of time picking at biofilm and tiny stuff on the rocks, so you will get better results if the tank has some mature surfaces rather than looking scrubbed sterile all the time.

• Staples: sinking carnivore pellets, quality wafers, small sinking granules
• Frozen: bloodworms (as a treat), brine shrimp, daphnia, mysis, chopped krill
• Live (if you can): blackworms, grindal worms, live daphnia
• Extras: occasional blanched spinach or zucchini if yours will nibble (some do, some ignore it)

Feed after lights-out sometimes. They will absolutely eat in the day, but shy new fish often start feeding more confidently at dusk. If you keep them with fast midwater fish, use feeding rings for the top fish and drop sinking food in a few different spots so the loaches actually get their share.

How they behave and who they get along with

Expect a lot of personality. They will perch on rocks facing into the flow, do quick little darts, and sort out a pecking order with short chases and wrestling matches. That looks dramatic, but it is usually normal loach business as long as nobody is getting pinned and shredded.

• Best kept in a group: I would start with 5-8 if the tank size allows
• They appreciate multiple hiding spots so the lower-ranked fish can get away
• They are generally not plant destroyers, but they will redecorate small stones

Tankmates should like cooler, well-oxygenated water and not be delicate about current. Good matches are other hillstream-type fish, some danios, white cloud mountain minnows, and similar temperate stream fish. Avoid slow fancy-finned fish and avoid anything that wants warm water.

Breeding tips

Breeding Triplophysa minxianensis in home tanks is not something you can count on. A lot of plateau loaches have seasonal cues in the wild (cooling, warming, flow changes), and some species are suspected to migrate or spawn in specific habitats that are hard to copy in glass boxes.

That said, if you want to try, your best bet is to keep a bigger group, keep them very well fed, and mimic seasons. I have had the most "spawning-looking" behavior after a period of cooler water followed by a gradual warm-up and heavier feeding, plus a big water change with slightly cooler water to kick up activity.

• Keep a group so you have both sexes (sexing is not obvious in many Triplophysa)
• Offer lots of rockwork and some finer gravel zones where eggs could fall out of reach
• Use strong filtration and consider an egg-safe setup if you ever see eggs (adults may eat them)

Common problems to watch for

Most trouble with this species comes from keeping them like tropical loaches: too warm, not enough oxygen, and not enough current. They will often look fine for a while, then you get rapid breathing, hiding, and unexplained losses.

• Low oxygen: hanging at the surface, fast gill movement, hanging near filter outflow
• Heat stress: sluggish behavior, heavier breathing, poor appetite in warm spells
• Skin and barbel damage: from sharp gravel, rough rocks, or getting wedged in tight decor
• Internal parasites or wasting: hollow belly even though they still peck at food
• Ich and other spot issues: often shows up after shipping or temperature swings

Quarantine is worth your time with these. Wild-caught or poorly handled imports can come in thin and stressed, and once one starts sliding in a high-flow tank, it can be hard to turn around. In quarantine, I keep the water cool and very clean, run an air stone, and feed small portions multiple times a day until they fill out.