Mini zebra loach

Care at a glance

Overview

A small, peaceful, strikingly striped loach that is more active and outgoing than many bottom dwellers, often perching up on stones in full view. Keep a group together, since they are sociable and show best in numbers, with small, calm tankmates that suit slightly harder, cool water. Give it a floor of pale stone and gravel with open patches to move across. Feed small sinking foods, frozen daphnia, and micro pellets. A tank of around 54 liters or more, cool and well-filtered, keeps a small group busy and confident.

In the wild

The mini zebra loach lives in clear karst streams over pale limestone in Guangxi, southern China, water that runs cool and a touch hard from the surrounding rock. Recreate that with pale gravel and smooth stone, moderate flow, and good oxygen. Keep it cool, from 18 to 24 degrees Celsius, with a pH from 6.8 to 8, on the harder, more alkaline side to match the limestone. Clean, brisk water suits it well.

Good to know

Yunnanilus pulcherrimus reaches about 5 centimeters and carries crisp, zebra-like barring across its body. It was described in 2004, and its species name, pulcherrimus, means most beautiful, given for that bold striped pattern. It belongs to the family Nemacheilidae, and its aquarium breeding has not been documented. The genus Yunnanilus is a group of small loaches from the karst country of southern China.

Did you know

Its species name, pulcherrimus, is a Latin superlative meaning most beautiful, awarded in 2004 for the neat pattern of thin dark stripes crossing a broad band along its side.

Tank mates

Mini zebra loach is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

• Thac Ba minnow

  Tanichthys thacbaensis

  Freshwater

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)14 gal (54 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)

• 

  Butterfly moth catfish

  Erethistes pusillus

  Freshwater

  2 in (5 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Elongate moth catfish

  Hara horai

  Freshwater

  3.1 in (8 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Chinese red ninja goby

  Rhinogobius shennongensis

  Freshwater

  2.4 in (6 cm)14 gal (54 L)61–73°F (16–23°C)
• Dwarf spineless eel

  Garo khajuriai

  Freshwater

  2.8 in (7 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Yellow fin rhinogobius

  Rhinogobius leavelli

  Freshwater

  3.1 in (8 cm)14 gal (54 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Related species

• Inle loach

  Yunnanilus brevis

  Freshwater

  2.6 in (6.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Assam banded loach

  Neonoemacheilus assamensis

  Freshwater

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Thuttinjet stone loach

  Nemacheilus stigmofasciatus

  Freshwater

  2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Barito loach

  Kapuasia falaris

  Freshwater

  2.6 in (6.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Corica loach

  Nemacheilus corica

  Freshwater

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Devdevi loach

  Schistura devdevi

  Freshwater

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)