Description
Horsefaced Loach – A Quirky, Bottom-Dwelling Treasure for Your Aquarium
Introduce an extraordinary and intriguing species to your tank with the Horsefaced Loach (Acantopsis choirorhynchos), a bottom-dwelling gem known for its unique horse-shaped head and calm, inquisitive nature. With its fascinating appearance and gentle personality, the Horsefaced Loach is sure to be a conversation starter in any freshwater aquarium.
The Horsefaced Loach gets its name from its long, narrow, and slightly upturned head, which resembles the face of a horse. This distinctive feature, combined with its sleek, slender body, gives it a truly unique look among loaches. Their golden or brownish coloration, often marked with dark patterns, helps them blend into their natural environment, where they forage along the substrate in search of food. These loaches are relatively shy and spend most of their time hiding among rocks, plants, or beneath driftwood, coming out to forage during the day or evening.
This species is a peaceful and non-aggressive bottom dweller, making it a perfect addition to community tanks with other calm fish. The Horsefaced Loach is also an excellent scavenger, consuming leftover food, detritus, and algae, helping to keep your aquarium clean and healthy. It is social by nature and will thrive when kept in groups of 3 or more, displaying interesting social behaviors and offering unique charm to your aquarium.
Key Features:
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Unique Horse-like Appearance: Recognizable by its long, narrow head and upturned mouth that gives it the distinctive look of a horse’s face
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Shy & Peaceful: A gentle and non-aggressive species, ideal for community aquariums with other calm tankmates
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Social & Inquisitive: Enjoys the company of its own kind, and its curious nature makes it fun to watch as it explores the tank
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Natural Scavenger: A valuable algae eater, cleaning up leftover food, detritus, and algae from the tank bottom
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Hardy & Adaptable: Tolerant of a variety of water conditions and suitable for a range of freshwater aquariums
Care Guidelines:
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Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons for a group of 3 or more
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Water Temperature: 75–80°F (24–27°C)
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pH Range: 6.5–7.5
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Diet: Omnivorous – enjoys a varied diet of sinking pellets, live or frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp), and plant matter such as algae wafers
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Lifespan: 5–10 years with proper care
Tip: The horseface loach prefers an aquarium with plenty of hiding spots, such as caves, plants, and driftwood, where it can retreat when it feels threatened. It also enjoys a fine or sandy substrate, which allows it to sift through the bottom without damaging its sensitive barbels. Because it’s more active at night or during dim lighting, consider keeping the tank in a peaceful, low-light environment to encourage natural behavior.
With its charming horse-like head, peaceful nature, and efficient algae-cleaning abilities, the horse-faced loach is a fantastic addition to community tanks. Its quirky movements and calm demeanor will provide both visual appeal and functional benefits, making it an excellent choice for hobbyists looking for a unique and low-maintenance species.
Click & Collect
FREE COLLECTION FROM OUR STORE
Place your order online and select Click & Collect at checkout.
Livestock will normally be bagged when you arrive, helping to minimise the amount of time animals spend packaged. If you’d prefer your livestock to be ready beforehand, simply contact us in advance.
Local Delivery
DELIVERED BY TROPICAL SUPPLIES • WITHIN 25 MILES
Order from our in-store range and have it delivered directly to you using our own local delivery service.
Minimum order: £50
Local Delivery Charges:
Up to 5 miles — FREE
5–10 miles — £10
10–15 miles — £15
15–20 miles — £20
20–25 miles — £25
Distances are measured “as the crow flies” rather than by road.
Once your order has been placed, we’ll contact you to arrange a suitable delivery date and time. We often combine nearby orders into efficient delivery runs, so local delivery may take a little longer during busy periods.
Ordering a large aquarium?
Please make sure someone is available to help unload the aquarium from our van when we arrive.
Dry Goods Delivery
FREE UK Delivery Over £75
Spend £75 or more on eligible dry goods and receive FREE UK delivery on orders weighing up to 20kg.
A great opportunity to stock up on food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other aquarium or reptile essentials while saving on delivery.
Free delivery applies to eligible orders up to 20kg and excludes livestock, aquariums, terrariums and other oversized items.
Qualifying orders will automatically show the FREE UK Delivery option at checkout — no discount code required.
Standard Parcel Delivery
Our standard parcel delivery charges are calculated according to the weight of your order and the available delivery service.
Orders placed before 12 noon may be dispatched the same day on our current dispatch days.
Express Pallet
75–500kg • Usually 1–3 working days
Designed for large and heavy orders that cannot be sent using our standard parcel service.
Please note: We currently dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Adding Something to an Existing Order?
If your original order hasn’t been dispatched yet, simply place the additional items as a Click & Collect order and leave us a note asking us to combine them with your existing order.
Available to Order
See something you want that we don’t currently have on the shelf? Many of our products can be quickly sourced from our suppliers.
Products marked Available to Order are not currently held in stock at our store but are available for us to order on your behalf.
Most items arrive with us within a few days and usually no longer than a week, depending on supplier availability.
Once your item arrives with us, we’ll either dispatch your order or let you know it’s ready for collection, depending on the delivery option you selected.
After receiving your order, we’ll check availability with our supplier. If there are any issues or expected delays, we’ll contact you to let you know.
Nationwide Livestock Delivery
Have your new livestock delivered safely to your door using our specialist livestock delivery service.
Minimum livestock order: £50
Thursday Delivery — £24
Order by: Wednesday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Wednesday afternoon
Delivered: Thursday before 1pm
Friday Delivery — £24
Order by: Thursday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Thursday afternoon
Delivered: Friday before 1pm
Saturday Delivery — £29
Order by: Friday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Friday afternoon
Delivered: Saturday before 1pm
Add Dry Goods to Your Livestock Order
You can include suitable dry goods with your livestock delivery, making it easy to add food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other supplies at the same time.
Please note: Livestock deliveries cannot include frozen food or heavy items such as gravel, sand or other unsuitable bulky goods. These items must be ordered separately using an appropriate delivery method.
Already Placed Your Order?
No problem. If your livestock order hasn’t been dispatched yet, place another order using Click & Collect and leave us a note asking us to combine it with your existing order.
Payment & Security
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