Inle loach
Yunnanilus brevis
Inle loach features a slender, elongated body with a mottled brown and yellow coloration, distinguished by its delicate, filamentous barbels.
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About the Inle loach
This is the quirky little Inle loach from Myanmar (Lake Inle/He-Ho plain) that cruises around midwater in a loose shoal and often swims head-up (normal behavior). Unlike many loaches, it does well in calmer, well-planted setups with good water quality, and it’s best kept in groups to encourage natural schooling.
Quick Facts
Size
6 cm
Temperament
Peaceful
Difficulty
Intermediate
Min Tank Size
20 gallons
Lifespan
4-7 years
Origin
Southeast Asia (Myanmar)
Diet
Omnivore/micro-predator - quality micro pellets and flakes, plus frozen/live foods like daphnia, brine shrimp, and bloodworm
Water Parameters
23.8-26°C
7-8.5
2-20 dGH
Need a heater for this species?
This species needs 23.8-26°C in a 20 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Provide a well-planted aquarium (including fine-leaved plants) with excellent filtration and water quality; although they will forage on/near the bottom, this species is notably free-swimming and often shoals in open water.
- Maintain clean, well-filtered water; avoid excessive current. This species naturally occurs in calm/slow, plant-rich waters and appreciates a well-planted aquarium.
- Temperature is commonly kept around 23.8–26.6°C (75–80°F), though some sources note they can be maintained as cool as ~16°C; pH is alkaline (around 7.8–8.0 reported, with some sources giving a broader 7.0–8.5 range). Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and maintain high water quality.
- Feed like a picky bottom grazer: small sinking foods (micro pellets, crushed wafers) plus frozen/live stuff like bloodworms, daphnia, and brine. Toss food in a couple spots so the bolder fish do not hog it all.
- Keep them in a group (6+ if you can) - they are way more active and less skittish. Solo Inle loaches tend to hide and you will barely see them.
- Good tankmates are other cool-water, peaceful fish that will not outcompete them - small danios/rasboras and calm hillstream-type fish work. Skip big boisterous barbs, aggressive loaches, and anything that is going to bulldoze the bottom at feeding time.
- They are escape artists when spooked, so use a tight lid and block any cable gaps. Also watch for sharp decor - they wedge into places and can scrape their faces and bellies on rough rock.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Peaceful small schooling fish that tolerate alkaline conditions and moderate temperatures (choose species with overlapping parameters).
- Rasboras (chili rasboras, harlequins, etc.) - calm, not nippy, and they like similar temps if you keep it on the cooler side
- Peaceful danios like celestial pearl danios or glowlight danios - active but not mean, and they match that cool, fast-water vibe Inle loaches appreciate
- Panda corydoras or other small Corydoras - both are bottom-oriented but they are polite about sharing space as long as you have sand and lots of little hides
- Peaceful fish suited to calmer planted setups; avoid assuming high-flow hillstream-style requirements for this species.
- Calm shrimp and snails (amano shrimp, nerites) - Inle loaches are more micro-hunters than shrimp assassins, so adults usually do fine in a well-planted tank
Avoid
- Big, pushy fish like most cichlids (especially anything territorial) - they will stress these loaches out and can outcompete them hard at feeding time
- Fin-nippers and attitude fish like tiger barbs or serpae tetras - constant chasing and pecking is a recipe for shy, hiding loaches
- Super warm-water fish like discus or many fancy guppies kept hot - Inle loaches do best cooler, and long term warm temps just wears them down
- Large predatory or mouthy fish (big gouramis, larger loaches like clown loaches when they grow) - even if they do not mean it, the size difference turns into stress and missing loaches
Where they come from
Inle loaches (Yunnanilus brevis) come from the Inle Lake region in Myanmar. Think clear, cooler water with lots of plants, algae, and tiny critters to pick at. They're not a big, flashy fish - they're more like the little busybodies that keep the bottom interesting.
They get sold under a few similar names (Inle loach, Inle cyprinid loach, sometimes mixed up with other Yunnanilus). If you can, check photos of Y. brevis so you know what you're actually buying.
Setting up their tank
These guys do best in a mature, well-oxygenated tank. I treat them like a "streamy lake edge" fish: clean water, plenty of cover, and lots of surfaces to graze. If you toss them into a brand-new setup, they often act skittish and you can struggle to keep weight on them.
- Tank size: 20 gallons (long) works nicely for a group, bigger is always easier
- Temperature: mid 60s to low 70s F (18-23 C) is a sweet spot; they don't love being baked at tropical temps
- Flow/oxygen: moderate flow plus good surface agitation - sponge filter + small powerhead is a combo I've had good luck with
- Substrate: sand or smooth fine gravel; they spend a lot of time on the bottom and you don't want sharp stuff
- Hardscape: rounded stones, small cobbles, and driftwood for territory breaks
- Plants: they appreciate cover - crypts, java fern, anubias, mosses, even floating plants to dim the light
- Lighting: medium is fine; a bit of algae on rocks is a bonus, not a failure
Give them a couple "grazing rocks" in the light and don't scrub them spotless. A little green film and biofilm is free food and keeps them busy.
Keep them out of tanks that run 78-80F (25-27C) long-term. They might hang on, but you tend to see faster aging, stressy behavior, and more random losses.
What to feed them
They're enthusiastic little foragers. Mine spent most of the day pecking at surfaces, then went nuts at feeding time. The trick is variety and making sure food actually reaches the bottom before midwater fish steal it all.
- Staples: sinking micro pellets, small sinking wafers, and repashy-style gel foods if you use them
- Frozen: cyclops, daphnia, baby brine shrimp, chopped bloodworms (small portions)
- Live (great if you can): grindal worms, microworms, live daphnia
- Plant-ish stuff: algae wafers or spirulina-based foods now and then, especially in newer tanks with less natural growth
Feed small amounts twice a day instead of one big dump. They do better with frequent little meals, and you can watch bellies to make sure the shy ones are getting their share.
If you notice them looking pinched behind the head or staying thin even though you're feeding, that's your cue to step up the tiny foods (cyclops/daphnia) and check for internal parasites.
How they behave and who they get along with
Inle loaches are peaceful, but they have that classic loach confidence once they settle in. In a group they come out more, and you'll see little chasing spats that look dramatic but usually aren't harmful. Solo individuals are often timid and hidey.
- Group size: 6+ is where you start seeing natural behavior
- Good tankmates: small rasboras, danios that like cooler water, white cloud mountain minnows, small peaceful barbs, hillstream loaches (if the setup fits)
- Avoid: big aggressive fish, nippy fin-biters, and anything that outcompetes them hard at feeding time (some chunky livebearers can be surprisingly pushy)
They don't mix well with super warm-water communities (many tetras, gouramis, bettas) just because the temperature overlap is awkward. Pick tankmates that are happy in the same cooler range.
They like structure. If the tank is wide open, they'll hug corners and bolt when you walk by. Add rocks, plants, and wood so they can move around without feeling exposed.
Breeding tips
Breeding Yunnanilus in home tanks is possible, but it's not as plug-and-play as livebearers. The biggest thing I've noticed is they seem to respond to "seasons": cooler, stable periods with good feeding, then a gentle bump in food and fresh water changes.
- Use a group, not a pair - you want numbers to get both sexes and reduce stress
- Provide spawning media: fine-leaved plants (moss) or spawning mops, plus lots of crevices between small stones
- Condition with small live/frozen foods for a couple weeks
- Try cooler water and then a slightly warmer change (or a few larger cool water changes) to imitate rain and fresh inflow
If you get fry, they need tiny foods right away. Think infusoria/microworms, then baby brine shrimp. A mature tank with biofilm helps a lot because they can graze between feedings.
Adults may snack on eggs or tiny fry, so if you're serious, move the adults out or move the eggs/media to a small rearing tank with gentle aeration.
Common problems to watch for
Most issues I've run into with Inle loaches come down to three things: too warm, not enough oxygen/flow, or they get outcompeted for food. Fix those and they become pretty steady fish.
- Skinny fish: often food competition or internal parasites; respond with more frequent feedings and consider a quarantine/med plan if weight doesn't improve
- Hiding all the time: usually not enough cover or too bright, or they're kept in too small a group
- Gasping near the surface: oxygen problem (warm water, not enough surface agitation, dirty filter)
- Random losses after purchase: sensitivity to shipping + new tank swings; they do much better with quarantine and a mature display tank
- Ich and other spotty issues: can happen after temperature swings; treat promptly and keep the water cool and well-aerated during treatment
They can be jumpy, especially right after you add them. Use a lid. Even a small gap around filter pipes can be enough for an escape attempt.
Quarantine helps a lot with this species. I like a simple bare-bottom tank, sponge filter, a couple of hiding tubes, and a few "seasoned" rocks from an established tank for grazing.
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