Line the bottom with smooth gravel or fine sand. The best tank setup for Zebra loaches is one that has planted areas, open space for swimming, and places to hide.Ĭover your tank with a tight-fitting lid, as loaches can occasionally leap out of the tank.Īll-in-all, you want to try to replicate their natural habitat as much as possible. Naturally, an even larger tank would be better to allow more room for plants and other species. They do love to eat snails, so be aware if you intend to add those to your tank.īecause Zebra loaches are happiest in a group of at least five, plan on a minimum tank size of 30-gallons. Occasionally, Zebra loaches can nip at each other but rarely bother other species. Keeping them in pairs or very small groups can stress them and lead to aggression, so consider a group of at least five in your community aquarium. They tend to stay in the bottom area of the tank and love to explore the features there. In nature, Zebra loaches tend to be nocturnal, but in an aquarium, they can be quite active during the day. LifespanĪ wonderful thing about Zebra loaches is that they have a long lifespan.Īlthough most fall in the range of 5 to 8 years, they can live anywhere from 10 to 15 years with good care. SizeĮxpect your zebra loach to grow to between three and four inches in length (7 to 10 cm). However, the female can appear rounder in the belly when carrying eggs. There is not much deviation between male and female zebra loaches.

The dorsal fin resembles half of a fan, and the tail fin is forked. Their body shape grows larger toward the dorsal fin, then tapers off again at the tail. Their heads taper downward toward the mouth, which has four pairs of barbels. The loach’s dorsal and tail fins are translucent and feature brown or black bands that continue the body’s pattern. The stripes angle slightly forward in front of the eyes, then switch to a backward angle on the rest of the body. These bands are striped with white lines, giving the zebra appearance. Their yellow-green body has nine vertical, thick blue-green bands. The Zebra loach has beautifully-patterned coloration. It is now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of endangered species. Trees overhang and shade these waters, and leaf litter is prevalent.ĭue to over-development, deforestation, and pollution, the Zebra loach’s population has been reduced. The streams in this region have slow or moderate currents, clear water, and rocky or sandy bottoms. It lives in streams flowing through the Western Ghats mountain range. The Zebra loach has an extremely limited habitat in nature.

Zebra loach and snails