Description
The zebra loach is a loach of about 9 cm from southern India, from the Krishna river system, with a yellow or golden body crossed by blue, green, grey or black bars and reddish mouthparts. It is among the easiest in the genus to recognise, although in some specimens the bars break up entirely.
It jumps, so it needs a lid, and should not go with much smaller fish.
Behavior
Peaceful but active: it sometimes intimidates much smaller fish and can nip the long fins of slow species. Better in a group of five or six.
It lives well with peaceful, fast open-water cyprinids.
Avoid housing it with bettas, guppies, many cichlids and any small or long-finned fish.
Habitat
Botia striata was described from the Tunga river in Karnataka and lives in the Krishna system in southern India.
A long tank with sand, rocks and wood, some current and a tight-fitting lid.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
It has not been bred by hobbyists. Part of what is sold is produced commercially using hormones, a practice that has led to hybrids sometimes being sold as pure fish.
Diet
An omnivore that forages on the bottom and eats snails.
- Staple: sinking pellets or tablets.
- Supplement: frozen mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or shrimp, and some plant matter.
Spread the food so it reaches all of them.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 21–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 21–22 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 21–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 21–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 21–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 21–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
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They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
- Seriously FishSeriously Fish. Botia striata. Ficha de especie; consultada 2026-10.
Water: FishBase gives pH 6-8, 5-12 dH and 23-26 °C; Seriously Fish, pH 6-7.5, 1-10 dGH and 21-26 °C. The profile uses the widest range. Size: 7.8 cm SL in FishBase and 9 cm SL in Seriously Fish; the larger is taken.
Litres per fish and minimum tank height and depth: the profile's own judgement. Seriously Fish gives only the tank base and FishBase gives no tank sizes.
Plan your next aquarium
Is this fish right for you? Plan a suitable aquarium before setting it up.