Zebra loach care
Botia striata · Western Ghats, India
Zebra loaches are one of the smaller, calmer botia loaches, with thin yellow-green stripes on a dark body.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 73 to 79 °F (23 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 5 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 4 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 8 to 15 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep zebra loaches
Zebra loaches are one of the smaller, calmer botia loaches, with thin yellow-green stripes on a dark body. Five or more in a 29 gallon or larger tank with sand and caves suits them.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets, frozen foods, snails. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Zebra loach tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Upside-down catfish
4 in · 29+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keyhole cichlid
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–80 °F
Golden wonder killifish
4 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Banded gourami
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Paradise fish
3.5 in · 20+ gal · 61–79 °F
Five-banded barb
3.5 in · 29+ gal · 74–84 °F
Thick-lipped gourami
3.5 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Blind cave tetra
4.7 in · 29+ gal · 68–77 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: zebra loaches need 73 to 79 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: zebra loaches need 73 to 79 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Mystery snail: Zebra loaches eat snails.
Zebra nerite snail: Zebra loaches eat snails.
Assassin snail: Zebra loaches eat snails.
What a zebra loach tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon zebra loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon zebra loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Zebra loaches need 73 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding zebra loaches.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 73 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common zebra loach problems
- They eat small snails, including baby nerites.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Botia striata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Zebra loach Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Upside-down catfish John P. Friel Ph.D., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Keyhole cichlid D.W., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Five-banded barb NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Thick-lipped gourami Oliver Gorski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blind cave tetra James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Assassin snail Steffi Klee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Clown loach Vlad Butsky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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