Loach Lovers
We have a confession to make. We're loach lovers. This is a super cool group of fish; they look neat, they have interesting behaviors, and they aren't challenging to keep. There're tons of Loaches to pick from and we pretty much love them all, but today we're going to shine a light on Zipper Loaches. They also get called Mottled Loaches, Sand Loaches, Striped Loach, Spot Loach and at least a dozen more names if we're talking globally.
On the topic of naming, we would be remiss if we didn't tell you that the scientific name, we're going to use for Zipper Loaches is Acanthocobitis botia, and as of now, this is correct. There is some conversation among taxonomists (the biologists who do all this naming) about whether or not there are several species that are using this name currently. There is also some discussion about or not Paracanthocobitis is a valid genus and where our Zipper loach currently fits in this morass. As for now, the regulatory bodies that oversee international trade and travel of fish, all call the Zipper Loach (Acanthocobitis botia) and so we do too. We're only delving into this because at some point, some of you are going to see this fish with another scientific name, or another fish with this scientific name and that's what's going on.
Most of the Zipper Loaches you'll see in your Local Fish Store are wild caught, coming anywhere from Pakistan to Thailand and at least some rivers in China. All over this range, you'll find them in clear water, fairly swift running rivers and streams with gravel and pebble substrates. As a result, this makes the best aquarium display for them as well. You could have as much as five times the full volume of the tank in flow (like a 40-gallon tank with 200gph worth of powerheads and pumps). Obviously, this amount of flow is probably not conducive for growing most plants. So, rely instead on smooth driftwood and rocks for most of your décor. These fish are diggers and rooters and so make sure your substrate lacks hard, sharp edges, either sand or small rounded pebbles make good choices, and this choice might be dependent on your flow. You don't want sand so fine that it is getting suspended all the time by the current in the tank, but you also don't want gravel so big that your Loaches can't dig.
The biggest your Zipper Loach could ever get is six inches long, but that maximum length has been called into question. From what we see, they are much more likely to max out at somewhere just over four inches. As a result, this isn't a fish that needs a ton of space, and you could keep one in a tank as small as 20 gallons, though we suggest keeping them in groups (think five to six) as they are peaceful fish that will loosely interact with each other and be more out and about if kept this way. If you're keeping a group, they'll need more space, so think about a 40 long or 55-gallon display. They will get along well with other species as long as those fish have similar temperaments (and like the same kind of display conditions.) Other good fish choices can be Butterfly / Sucker Loaches, Danios, Raspboras, White Clouds, Some Barbs and anything else you can think of that isn't super aggressive and loves current.
These are hardy fish, and the waters they come from get blasted by monsoon conditions annually, so they get accustomed to a variety of conditions. Ideally your display will run between 70 and 80 degrees and have a slightly acidic pH, over six, less than seven. Keep nutrients in check, and we suggest both strong filtration, and regular large water changes. This will also help keep your display sparkling clean, and both you and your Zipper Loaches are gonna love how that looks.
In the streams they come from, Zipper Loaches live mostly on aquatic insects (and insect larvae), which are primarily harvested from the lowest levels of the water column. This means they love wormy things like Gamma Mini Blood Worms, Tubifex, as well as small inverts like Daphnia, Artemia and the full suite of Brine + extras, all of which we feed them here are parts of their diet here at Aquatropic. We also give them Nutramar's Complete Sinking Pellet, which most accept very quickly. You can feed your Zippers once a day, but we prefer twice per day. Nutramar's Shots are also great foods for a variety of Loaches as they'll graze on them, just remove any uneaten bit of the shot (if there is any) after about 30 minutes.
Breeding Zipper Loaches to this point has mostly happened on accident, but it has (repeatedly) happened in home aquariums. Commercial reproduction is likely not that far away. The aquariums that have had the best success all seem to have had dense cover or areas where the eggs and fry were not available to other fish (including their parents) to eat. As it turns out, Zipper Loaches are worse than bad parents, they're cannibals. Larger grain gravel, nets, spawning mops and even marbles have all been used as ways to separate parents from fry. If you are looking for a new aquarium challenge, maybe coming up with a protocol for reliable reproduction of Acanthocobitis botia is the job for you!
These are some of the coolest little fish around. They're also not that hard to keep and are super interesting to watch. They've got awesome patterns with a very cool eyespot where their tail touches their back. They and interact with each other and generally mind their own business other than that. Feed them well, keep the water clean, and you'll have your Zipper Loaches loving their display for a long while, maybe you'll even be the person who starts breeding them commercially! We'd love that! Let us know about your trials, tribulations and successes! If Acanthocobitis botia sounds like a fit for your display, or a tank your planning, head to your Local Fish Store and ask them about getting you some from Aquatropic today!