Zebra loach (Botia striata)

[Szti]

Hello. I am very wondering, I found a new (already 3 cm around) zebra loach in my fish tank. Before I had got only one. That is 3 years old and around 6cm. Somebody know about breeding, how we have now this small zebra loach?

 

[CassCats]

Did you buy any plants recently?

 

[Szti]

No, i am not buy plants long time ago (1 year) so i really don’t know. And i didnt see It before, only now, when it is 3cm around. They can hide everywhere, lot of place and plants, but usually i watched and cleaned the fish tank lot of times. Do you know about this fish breeding?

 

[Byron]

If there has only ever been one loach in this tank (until now), the fry must have come in with something, either as an egg or a tiny fry in plants, wood, etc. Loaches are cyprinids and egg layers, and the female lays the eggs and a male must be present to fertilize them when they are being laid.

Loaches are very highly social fish and must be in a group of the species. Five is minimum. Now, I don't know the tank size, and Botia striata is not a large species, but it does need a group of the lone fish will be stressed.

 

[Szti]

Ok I will try to get 3 more, I like them. Now I have only few fish in 200 litre. More fish are 8-10 years old (Khuli-khuli)
I have 2 bigger Botia macracantha, but I think they are different species and they doesn’t engender with b.striata.
I don’t know, I didn’t put any new things to aquarium.it is very interesting, how can it born?

 

[CassCats]

Is it possible to be a baby of the other 2 botias?

 

[Byron]

Both species (Botia striata and B. macracantha) are in the same genus so hybridization may be possible. Most species will not do this unless forced into it, such as here with only one of a species. I've no idea if this is possible with Boria loaches, just noting it may be.

Botia macracantha need a group of their own species too...this applies to all species in Botia.

 

[Szti]

No, it is exactly looks b.striata.

 

[Byron]

Just noticed the name of the second loach which hadn't clued in previously...this is the Clown Loach, Chromobotia macracantha presumably. This loach gets very large, needs at least five, and a huge tank. Now that I know it is a different genus, I would not assume hybridization very likely.