Zebra Loach
Botia striata
Also known as: Striped loach, Zebra botia
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 8-10 cm (3.1-4 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 110 litres (29 gallons)
- Lifespan: 10–15 years
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: bottom
- Diet: omnivore
- Minimum group size: 5
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 22–27°C
- pH: 6–7.5
- Hardness (GH): 36–214 ppm (2–12 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
One of the most peaceful and best-behaved of the loaches, and an excellent choice for a community tank where the rowdier botias would cause trouble, the zebra loach is finely and densely striped in dark and gold bands from nose to tail. It is a sociable, active, daytime fish, busy and engaging in a group of five or more, and it earns its place as a keen eater of pest snails. Long-lived, scaleless, and sensitive to copper and poor water like all loaches, it wants a mature tank with smooth substrate, caves to rest in, and clean, well-oxygenated water. Given those and the company of its own kind, it is a hardy, characterful, and genuinely community-safe bottom-dweller.
Tankmates
Among the most peaceful and community-friendly of the Botia loaches, and a much gentler choice than the boisterous yoyo loach. It is a sociable, daytime-active fish that must be kept in a group of at least five, in which it forages, explores, and rests in companionable heaps. It is an enthusiastic snail-eater, useful against a pest-snail outbreak but unsafe with ornamental snails and dwarf shrimp. Otherwise it troubles nothing, suiting a community of calm, similarly-sized fish. Provide a smooth substrate, caves and broken sightlines, and clean, well-oxygenated water; like all loaches it is scaleless and sensitive to copper.
Compatible with
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Pristella Tetra
- Congo Tetra
- Bronze Corydoras
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish
- Pearl Gourami
Avoid keeping with
- Betta
- Cherry Shrimp
- Mystery Snail
- Fin Nippers
- Aggressive Tankmates
Common Problems
- stress and hiding in groups smaller than 5
- eating ornamental snails and dwarf shrimp
- sensitivity to copper and poor water quality
- ich on scaleless skin
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-20