![]() They will hunt down every single last snail in your tank, and they will do so quickly. I’m telling you, you will never see a more efficient snail eating machine than a pack of zebra loaches. People often turn to clown loaches for their ability to get rid of pest snail infestations, but this really isn’t necessary. That is a sentence I never imagined writing in my entire life, but there you have it, I stand by the statement. It is so much more realistic for the average aquarist to be able to house zebras versus clowns. And their bright orange coloration becomes more and more dull and dusky as they age.īy comparison, zebra loaches only grow to be about 4 inches long, only need a 40 gallon tank, and their coloration stays just as beautiful throughout their entire life. I really wish that live fish stores would put more emphasis on this species than clowns.Ĭlown loaches look little and cute in the store, but they grow to be over 12 inches (30 centimeters) long and require at least a 150 gallon (568 liter) tank. In my opinion, they are a much better species for the average aquarist than clown loaches. ![]() They’re somewhere around four years old at this point. I’ve got a school of five in with my Boesemani rainbowfish right now. I have really loved keeping zebra loaches in my tanks over the years. Luckily, the fish you see in the aquarium trade have been captive bred. Sadly, zebra loaches are critically endangered in their native range because of habitat destruction and pollution. They like to pile into hiding places, cramming themselves in so that they’re always touching each other. These fish hunt, spawn and rest as a school. They rely on a “there’s strength in numbers” strategy. Zebra loaches like to do everything as a huge group. ![]() They will also scavenge any dead fish they happen to find. These fish are amazingly good at their jobs as bottom feeders. The school of zebra loaches will snap apart the snail like a shark feeding frenzy. If they come across a large snail that doesn’t hide quickly enough, they will attack it as a group to snatch the soft body out of the hard shell. These fish have evolved strong grinding teeth in the back of their mouths, capable of crushing snail shells to tiny bits.Īny snail small enough to fit in their mouths is instantly doomed. They’ll dine on worms, insect larvae, fish eggs, and especially, snails. Zebra loaches group together in large, irregular shoals that cruise the river bottom, looking for any little tasty morsels. They are found in fast moving rivers and streams, making them very strong swimmers. This amazing little fish is native to Western India. But, zebras will look just as gorgeous their whole lives. Many other species of loach look really cool when they’re juveniles, but as they age their color and patterns may be quite different. The thing that I love about these loaches, they keep their beautiful patterns and colors throughout their lives. Each fish has a slightly different pattern, just like fingerprints with humans, making each fish unique. They’re covered from nose to tail in a pattern of thin, diagonal gray and gold stripes. This species has a really gorgeous color pattern. They look like a little tuft of whiskers. They have a short set of barbels that surround their mouths. They have the typical body shape of Botia loaches: sharply pointed nose, flattened belly, slim body overall with short fins and tail. I think zebra loaches are really beautiful fish. Common Name: zebra loach, candy stripe loach, crossbanded loach, lined loach, striped loach, tiger loach, zebra botia.How many can be kept together: as many as you like, needs to be kept in a group of at least five.I love my school of zebra loaches, and in this guide, I’ll teach you how to set up a tank and provide the right care for zebra loaches. They generally just stick to themselves and do their own thing. Zebra loaches are a great fit for most community tanks.
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