TankBud

Zebra loach

Botia striata

FreshwaterFish

Zebra loach (Botia striata)
Lerdsuwa · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
37 gal
140 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Botiidae
Origin
India

Overview

The zebra loach is a small, finely striped loach for the bottom of a calm community tank. It is a good next step after the easiest community fish.

Did you know

The zebra loach has a narrow natural range in India's Western Ghats, and habitat loss there has led the IUCN to assess it as endangered. Most zebra loaches in the hobby are now commercially bred rather than taken from these shrinking wild populations.

Caring for the zebra loach

Keep zebra loaches in a group of six or more, in a well-planted tank of at least 37 gal (140 L). Give them a soft substrate, water-worn stones and driftwood forming caves, and hardy plants. Shaded retreats among the rockwork give the group places to rest between spells of foraging.

Clean, stable water matters to this loach. Keep it at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with brisk, well oxygenated flow.

Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, blackworms and the odd algae wafer, and make sure food reaches the floor. They comb sand, rock and wood for food, and they happily eat pest snails.

In a group they are calm, confident and active through the day. They are among the more peaceful botiids and suit a community of small to medium, calm fish. Breeding has not been recorded in home aquariums.

Good to know

The zebra loach, Botia striata, is one of the smaller true botias in the family Botiidae. Its body carries dozens of fine, wavy stripes, a much busier pattern than most of its banded relatives. Like all botiine loaches, it has a sharp spine below each eye that it can raise in defense.

In the wild

Zebra loaches live in clear, flowing forest streams in southern India. The streams run over rock, gravel and sand, and the water is moderately warm and slightly acidic to neutral.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The zebra loach is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a zebra loach need?

A zebra loach needs at least 37 gal (140 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a zebra loach need?

A zebra loach is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a zebra loach eat?

A zebra loach eats sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, blackworms and the odd algae wafer. It also eats pest snails.

How big does a zebra loach get?

An adult zebra loach reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does a zebra loach need a group?

Yes. A zebra loach is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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