Hovering Zebra Loach
Micronemacheilus cruciatus
Nemacheilidae
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About
Shops sell this fish as Yunnanilus cruciatus, and that is the name to check for on the tank: the currently accepted binomial is Micronemacheilus cruciatus. Freyhof and Serov had moved the species into Yunnanilus on shared diagnostic characters, but Seriously Fish notes that "Kottelat (2012) considers Micronemacheilus to be valid", and Wikipedia lists Yunnanilus cruciatus and Nemacheilus cruciatus as synonyms of it. FishBase still files it under the old name, which is why trade lists keep printing it. One fish, three labels. The reason it belongs on a list of bottom-dwellers sold into the wrong tank is that it barely is one. It hovers in open midwater in a loose, restless group - hence the trade name - and is bought as a substrate cleaner that will deal with leftovers. It will not. Seriously Fish describes a micropredator wanting small live and frozen foods, with crushed dried food a supplement at best, and calls it highly gregarious, asking for "a group of at least 8-10 specimens, ideally more". It also notes that it is easily intimidated by larger tankmates, which is the practical failure mode: put eight of these 3.5 cm fish in with barbs or a boisterous community and they spend their lives behind the filter, unfed. It comes from still, shallow, densely vegetated stretches of coastal Vietnamese rivers over mud and sand, so it wants plants and calm water rather than current.
Care
A 3.5-4 cm shoaling loach that lives in open water, not on the floor. Keep 8-10 or more in a quiet, densely planted tank of 60 x 30 cm or larger, 23-26 °C, gentle flow, soft to moderately hard water. Feed small live and frozen foods - Daphnia, Artemia nauplii, microworm - because it is a micropredator and will not clean up after other fish. Keep it away from anything big, fast or pushy: it is easily intimidated and simply stops feeding.
Diet
Micropredator. Small live and frozen foods - Daphnia, Artemia nauplii, microworm - with finely crushed dried food as a supplement. It cannot live on leftovers.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (186)
Possible with care (170)
Avoid (62)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Health
Disease guide entries relevant to this species — worth a read before you reach for medicine.
The full disease guide →Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Hovering Zebra Loach need?
- A Hovering Zebra Loach needs an aquarium of at least 54 litres (14.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Hovering Zebra Loach need?
- Hovering Zebra Loach does best at 20–28 °C (68–82.4 °F), pH 6–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–12 °dGH.
- What group size does a Hovering Zebra Loach need?
- Hovering Zebra Loach is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Hovering Zebra Loach suitable for beginners?
- Hovering Zebra Loach sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.