Zebra Loach

With thin dark and light lines covering its body from end to end, the zebra loach is one of the easiest botias to recognize. Adults reach 8–9 cm; this is why it can be kept as a group even in medium-sized aquariums that are not big enough for clown loaches or blue botias.

It is a calm botia but playful within its group. In an aquarium where it feels at ease it is seen during the day too, constantly combing the bottom with its barbels.

It lives in southern India in rivers descending from the Western Ghats mountains, especially in tributaries of the Krishna basin. These waters are clear, well oxygenated and flowing; the bottom consists of sand, gravel and large stones. Its natural range is narrow.

• Volume: at least 110 liters and 100–120 cm of length for a group of 5–6.
• Water: 21–26°C, pH 6–7.5, soft to moderately hard. A 25–30% water change every week.
• Flow: Gentle to moderate flow and good aeration.
• Substrate: Fine sand or rounded gravel.
• Decor: Piles of stones, roots and caves; a few narrow shelters serve as resting places.
• Lid: A tight lid is needed.

An omnivore leaning toward meaty foods. Offer small sinking granules and tablets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia. It also nibbles blanched vegetables. It hunts small snails; it helps keep snail numbers low in a planted aquarium. Giving part of the food in the evening ensures that the group, which is more active at night, gets its share.

Peaceful and compatible. It can startle very small fish with its activity and may nip the fins of slow, long-finned fish. There is chasing and rank fighting within the group, but it is harmless.

Good companions: rasboras, danios, medium-sized tetras, small barbs, small botias such as the dwarf chain loach.

Avoid: snails, shrimp, slow fish such as bettas and long-finned guppies, cichlids that claim the bottom.

The zebra loach needs a group of at least 5–6 individuals; 8–10 is ideal. As the group grows the fish become bolder and their natural play behavior emerges. The most dominant member of the group is usually the largest, and this is often a female. A zebra loach kept alone hides and loses color.

Reliable records of it being bred in the aquarium are almost nonexistent. Most of the fish sold come from the wild or from farms that breed with hormones.

• White spot: Common in botias; new fish should be quarantined.
• Medication sensitivity: It has small scales; start medications at half the dose.
• Water quality: It is sensitive to nitrate buildup and low oxygen; regular water changes are essential.

Mature females look plumper and full of eggs; males are slimmer. Beyond that there is no obvious external difference.