ZEBRA LOACH – OVERVIEW
Zebra Botia, Fine Line Loach, White-Striped Loach, Striped Loach, Striped Loach, Tiger Loach, Cross-Banded Loach
It comes from Mysore in the Western Ghats mountain range in southern India and is also found in parts of Bangladesh.
Tropical 73° to 79° Fahrenheit
It prefers a slow flow and needs excellent filtration.
Egg layer but not commercially bred.
Peaceful, but will eat snails, shrimp, and very small fish. Can be territorial if overcrowded.
ORIGINS
The zebra loach was first described in 1920 by Narayan Rao.
The fish live in the Western Ghats range of South India, specifically Mysore. There is also a small population of Botia striata in Bangladesh, in northern India.
Unfortunately, the range of the zebra loach is very limited, largely due to deforestation and pollution, and the fish are currently found in only four locations. For that reason, the zebra loach is listed as endangered on the IUCN red list.
NATURAL HABITAT
Zebra loaches inhabit slow-moving streams and rivers. The substrate here consists of sand, fine gravel, and litter with exposed areas of bedrock, scattered rocks, and boulders.
These fish are quite shy and prefer to hang out in shady, dimly lit areas below the overhanging forest canopy.
APPEARANCE
Botia striata has a greenish-yellow body with around nine broad vertical dark blue-green bands. The interior of each band is bordered by a straight or branching white line.
The fins and tail are translucent, and the tail has bands of pale brown spots along it. The loach’s mouth has four sets of sensitive barbels that the fish uses to detect food debris buried in the substrate.
It is extremely difficult to distinguish the different sexes. However, female zebra loaches are generally fatter than males when in breeding condition. Immature fish often have a red nose, but this gradually fades into adulthood.
You may see golden zebra loaches (Botia almorhae) advertised for sale at your local fish store, but that’s a completely different and unrelated species.
SIZE
Zebra loaches reach a size of about 4 inches when fully grown.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Zebra loaches in tanks live 8 to 15 years.
ACTIVITY LEVEL / TEMPERAMENT
Zebra Loaches are peaceful and active fish that spend much of their time searching for food in and on the substrate.
That said, these fish can be quite shy and may hide if they are alarmed by something outside the tank. Also, zebras are mostly nocturnal, so you’ll see more if you have LED moonlight in your tank.
COMPATIBILITY AND TANK MATES
Botia striata are peaceful and friendly fish that can do well in a community of non-aggressive tankmates.
TANK MATES
Although not strictly a sandbar species, zebra loaches tend to be most secure and happy when kept in a group of five or six individuals.
However, shrimp, snails, and small fish may be seen by loaches as a food source. Also, if the tank is too small and the bottom region becomes crowded, the Zebra Loach can become aggressive.
FEEDING
Always choose high quality fish food for your loaches. Avoid cheap brands that contain too much filler, contain little nutritional value, and are actually harmful to your fish.
WHAT TO FEED YOUR ZEBRA LOACHES
The zebra loach is omnivorous and will eat virtually anything you offer, including tropical flakes, live and frozen meaty foods, tablets and sinking granules. Like other loach species, Botia striata feeds on algae that it finds growing on surfaces within the aquarium.
HOW MUCH AND HOW OFTEN TO FEED
I recommend that you feed your loaches just before or immediately after the lights go out, making sure enough food reaches the bottom of the tank so the zebras don’t go hungry.
TANK REQUIREMENTS
TANK SIZE
Ideally, zebra loaches should be kept in small groups of up to five fish. So you need at least a 30-gallon tank to accommodate them comfortably. Remember to allow a minimum of one gallon of water per inch of fish if you decide to add more specimens to your collection.
These fish jump, so always choose an aquarium with a well-fitting lid or cover slide.
TANK CONFIGURATION
Substratum
The substrate should be smooth, fine-gauge sand or gravel that does not contain sharp fragments that could damage the sensitive underside of the fish.
Decor
Your tank should include plenty of lush plants, but it’s best to avoid carpet species that would prevent loaches from swimming around the bottom of the tank and foraging in the substrate.
These fish can be shy, so be sure to include plenty of hiding places, such as roots, rocks, and caves.
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
Zebra loaches are very sensitive to water conditions and are therefore best introduced to a mature tank rather than a completely new setup.
Filtration
Zebra loaches need pristine, well-oxygenated water. Therefore, you will need a powerful filtration system that rotates the water at least ten to 15 times per hour. You can achieve this by using an under gravel filter combined with a powerful pump, which produces high levels of oxygen and keeps the water super clean. These fish do not appreciate a strong flow, so a setup under gravel is ideal.
For additional power, you may want to consider adding an external canister filter system or powerheads.
water parameters
Loach tank water should be soft, slightly acidic freshwater. These fish cannot live in brackish or salt water.
The pH level should be in the range of 6.5 to 7.5, with a water hardness between 5 and 12 dGH.
water temperature
Zebra loaches are tropical fish that need warm water from 730 to 790 Fahrenheit.
Turning on
Botia striata needs dim lighting that mimics the fish’s natural environment.
TANK MAINTENANCE
These bottom dwellers need clean, well-oxygenated water to be happy and thrive. In addition to a very efficient filter unit, you should do partial water changes every week of around 30%.
Use an aquarium vacuum to remove fish waste, decaying plant matter, and general debris around plants, in the corners of the tank, under decorations, and from the substrate. Keep glass viewing panels clear, but be careful not to remove biofilm and bacteria that live there, as they form an important part of your biological filter.
Keep the filter media clean and working efficiently by flushing it about once a month, and replace the media periodically, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
AQUARIUM ASSEMBLY
Gather everything you need to set up the aquarium, including:
- aquarium thermometer
- Canister or Powerhead Filtration System
- Heater
- LED lighting unit
- Floors
- Sand or fine gravel substrate
- Smooth rocks, driftwood, caves, etc.
- gravel filter
- water conditioner
- Start by washing the substrate under running water to remove dust.
- Put a couple of inches of gravel or sand in the tank. Place a container upside down on the substrate.
- Install the filter and heater, but do not turn them on.
- Add non-chlorinated tap water to the tank to an inch or so below the fill, slowly dripping the water over the container to avoid displacing any gravel or sand.
- The water must contain a small amount of ammonia to start the nitrogen cycle in your filter’s biological media. So you’ll need to add a handful of unwashed gravel from an existing tank, a few pinches of fish food, or a few drops of pure ammonia to the water.
- Wash your chosen tank decoration to remove dust and place it in the tank.
- If you are using live plants, cut off any dead or damaged leaves or stems and plant the stems a few inches apart so they have plenty of room to grow.
- Turn on your heater and filter and let them run 24/7. Live plants need eight to ten hours of light for photosynthesis, so turn on your lighting unit if appropriate.
tank cycling
You should wait at least ten days for the tank to completely fill out before adding any fish. Ammonia and nitrite levels in the water should be zero, and nitrates should ideally be below 20ppm for the environment to be safe for fish.
Test the water every day, and if the levels are too high, just wait a little longer and keep testing the water.
HEALTH AND SICKNESS
Although zebra loaches are reasonably hardy fish, they can be affected by common fish diseases, especially if the water quality in the tank is poor.
Also, all loaches are very sensitive to certain commonly used medications, so always check the contraindications on the product label before use.
SIGNS OF GOOD HEALTH
Zebra loaches are active and busy fish that are always looking for food or socializing with other loaches in the bottom of the tank.
These fish are most active at night and sometimes like to hide in caves or among the bases of plants.
RED FLAGS
Red flags that could indicate potential health problems for your zebras include:
- loss of appetite
- Inactivity
- Hanging from the surface of the water
- Skin damage, such as soreness, ulcers, or red spots
- Hitting gravel or objects in the tank
COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS AND TREATMENT
Health problem
I (white spot disease)
Flukes
fungal infections
Bacterial infections
skinny disease
Symptoms or causes
Ich is caused by the aquatic protozoan parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.
White spot fish move or rub against things in the tank. A scattering of small white dots appears all over the fish, including the fins, gills, and body.
Flukes are aquatic parasites that attach to the body or gills of fish. Fluke fish secrete excess mucus and rub against things in the tank.
White, fluffy growths on the body, gills, and head.
Sores, ulcers and red spots on the body.
Fish lose weight quickly. Caused by internal parasites.
suggested action
Raise the tank temperature to 82°F for three days and use White Spot medicine to treat the water.
Treat the water with an antiparasitic medication.
Quarantine infected fish and treat the tank with an antifungal treatment.
Treat the water with antibacterial drugs.
Treat the water with antiparasitic drugs.
Health problem
I (white spot disease)
Symptoms or causes
Ich is caused by the aquatic protozoan parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.
White spot fish move or rub against things in the tank. A scattering of small white dots appears all over the fish, including the fins, gills, and body.
suggested action
Raise the tank temperature to 82°F for three days and use White Spot medicine to treat the water.
Health problem
Flukes
Symptoms or causes
Flukes are aquatic parasites that attach to the body or gills of fish. Fluke fish secrete excess mucus and rub against things in the tank.
suggested action
Treat the water with an antiparasitic medication.
Health problem
fungal infections
Symptoms or causes
White, fluffy growths on the body, gills, and head.
suggested action
Quarantine infected fish and treat the tank with an antifungal treatment.
Health problem
Bacterial infections
Symptoms or causes
Sores, ulcers and red spots on the body.
suggested action
Treat the water with antibacterial drugs.
Health problem
skinny disease
Symptoms or causes
Fish lose weight quickly. Caused by internal parasites.
suggested action
Treat the water with antiparasitic drugs.
BREEDING
Zebra loaches are egg layers. However, it is very rare for these fish to be home-raised, and most of the specimens you see for sale are commercially farm-raised or taken from the wild.
AVAILABILITY
You can get Zebra loaches at most fish stores or buy them online, with prices starting at around $6 or $7 each.
- algae magnet
- Aquarium (minimum size 30 gallons)
- aquarium thermometer
- aquarium vacuum cleaner
- Books on tropical fish farming
- Filtration system
- Fine-gauge sandy or gravel substrate
- Heater
- High quality algae wafers, tropical fish flakes, frozen foods, pellets
- LED lighting unit
- live plants
- Smooth rocks, resin caves, driftwood, twisted roots
- water conditioner / dechlorinator
IN CONCLUSION
I hope you enjoyed our guide to zebra loach care.
If you’re new to the hobby and successfully keeping these beautiful, endangered fish in your aquarium, we’d love to hear about it!
Tell us about your Zebra loaches in the comments box below!
And remember to share our guide if you’ve enjoyed it! The zebra loach (Botia striata) is a species of small freshwater loach that originates from India. The number of species is declining in the wild, so much so that these loaches are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Zebra loaches are attractive, easy-care fish that are an excellent choice for a beginner’s community tank. That said, these live fish are intolerant of fluctuations in water conditions, so they must be introduced to an established, well-maintained aquarium if they are to achieve their long lifespan.
Read this guide to learn how to care for the rare and beautiful Zebra Loach.
