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. Like other loach species, Botia striata feeds on algae that it finds growing on surfaces within the aquarium. The zebra loach is omnivorous and will eat virtually anything you offer, including tropical flakes, live and frozen meaty foods, tablets and sinking granules. Avoid cheap brands that contain too much filler, contain little nutritional value, and are actually harmful to your fish. FEEDINGĪlways choose high quality fish food for your loaches. Also, if the tank is too small and the bottom region becomes crowded, the Zebra Loach can become aggressive. However, shrimp, snails, and small fish may be seen by loaches as a food source.

TANK MATESĪlthough not strictly a sandbar species, zebra loaches tend to be most secure and happy when kept in a group of five or six individuals. COMPATIBILITY AND TANK MATESīotia striata are peaceful and friendly fish that can do well in a community of non-aggressive tankmates. Also, zebras are mostly nocturnal, so you’ll see more if you have LED moonlight in your tank.

That said, these fish can be quite shy and may hide if they are alarmed by something outside the tank. Zebra Loaches are peaceful and active fish that spend much of their time searching for food in and on the substrate. Zebra loaches in tanks live 8 to 15 years. Zebra loaches reach a size of about 4 inches when fully grown. 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.

Immature fish often have a red nose, but this gradually fades into adulthood. However, female zebra loaches are generally fatter than males when in breeding condition. It is extremely difficult to distinguish the different sexes. The loach’s mouth has four sets of sensitive barbels that the fish uses to detect food debris buried in the substrate. The fins and tail are translucent, and the tail has bands of pale brown spots along it. The interior of each band is bordered by a straight or branching white line. APPEARANCEīotia striata has a greenish-yellow body with around nine broad vertical dark blue-green bands. These fish are quite shy and prefer to hang out in shady, dimly lit areas below the overhanging forest canopy. The substrate here consists of sand, fine gravel, and litter with exposed areas of bedrock, scattered rocks, and boulders. Zebra loaches inhabit slow-moving streams and rivers. For that reason, the zebra loach is listed as endangered on the IUCN red list. 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. There is also a small population of Botia striata in Bangladesh, in northern India. The fish live in the Western Ghats range of South India, specifically Mysore. The zebra loach was first described in 1920 by Narayan Rao. Peaceful, but will eat snails, shrimp, and very small fish. It prefers a slow flow and needs excellent filtration.

It comes from Mysore in the Western Ghats mountain range in southern India and is also found in parts of Bangladesh. Zebra Botia, Fine Line Loach, White-Striped Loach, Striped Loach, Striped Loach, Tiger Loach, Cross-Banded Loach

Golden zebra loach male or female