Description
Red-Tailed Zebra Loach – Vibrant, Playful, and Efficient Algae Eater
Introduce a splash of color and excitement to your aquarium with the Red-Tailed Zebra Loach (Botia striata), an eye-catching and energetic species known for its bold zebra-like stripes and bright red tail. Native to the rivers and streams of Southeast Asia, this loach adds a dynamic presence to your tank with its playful behavior and distinctive appearance.
The Red-Tailed Zebra Loach is easily recognizable by its striking black and gold vertical stripes that run across its body, paired with a vibrant red or orange tail that stands out against its patterned body. This loach is not only visually captivating but also a highly active and inquisitive species that loves to explore the aquarium. Whether darting around the tank or foraging for food, the Red-Tailed Zebra Loach keeps the action constant in your aquarium.
Peaceful and social, this loach thrives in groups and is best kept in schools of 3 or more. It is an excellent algae eater, constantly grazing on algae, detritus, and leftover food, helping to maintain a cleaner tank environment. With its lively nature and algae-eating abilities, the Red-Tailed Zebra Loach is a fantastic addition to community tanks, where it gets along well with other peaceful fish.
Key Features:
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Striking Appearance: Bold black and gold zebra stripes with a vibrant red tail make this loach a visual highlight in any aquarium
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Energetic & Playful: Active and inquisitive, the Red-Tailed Zebra Loach adds constant movement and entertainment to your tank
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Peaceful & Social: A friendly species that thrives in groups and gets along well with other non-aggressive fish
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Algae Eater: Helps keep your aquarium clean by consuming algae, detritus, and leftover food
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Adaptable: Can thrive in a wide range of freshwater aquarium setups with proper care
Care Guidelines:
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Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons for a small group (3 or more)
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Water Temperature: 74–80°F (23–27°C)
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pH Range: 6.5–7.5
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Diet: Omnivorous – feeds on algae, sinking pellets, live or frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp), and plant matter
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Lifespan: 5–7 years with proper care
Tip: The Red-Tailed Zebra Loach loves a well-planted aquarium with plenty of hiding spots, such as caves, rocks, or driftwood, where it can retreat when it feels the need for privacy. A fine substrate is ideal to protect its sensitive barbels, which it uses for foraging along the tank bottom.
With its striking appearance, lively personality, and helpful algae-eating habits, the Red-Tailed Zebra Loach is a wonderful addition to any community tank. It offers both beauty and functionality, creating a cleaner, more vibrant aquarium for you to enjoy.
Click & Collect
FREE COLLECTION FROM OUR STORE
Place your order online and select Click & Collect at checkout.
Livestock will normally be bagged when you arrive, helping to minimise the amount of time animals spend packaged. If you’d prefer your livestock to be ready beforehand, simply contact us in advance.
Local Delivery
DELIVERED BY TROPICAL SUPPLIES • WITHIN 25 MILES
Order from our in-store range and have it delivered directly to you using our own local delivery service.
Minimum order: £50
Local Delivery Charges:
Up to 5 miles — FREE
5–10 miles — £10
10–15 miles — £15
15–20 miles — £20
20–25 miles — £25
Distances are measured “as the crow flies” rather than by road.
Once your order has been placed, we’ll contact you to arrange a suitable delivery date and time. We often combine nearby orders into efficient delivery runs, so local delivery may take a little longer during busy periods.
Ordering a large aquarium?
Please make sure someone is available to help unload the aquarium from our van when we arrive.
Dry Goods Delivery
FREE UK Delivery Over £75
Spend £75 or more on eligible dry goods and receive FREE UK delivery on orders weighing up to 20kg.
A great opportunity to stock up on food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other aquarium or reptile essentials while saving on delivery.
Free delivery applies to eligible orders up to 20kg and excludes livestock, aquariums, terrariums and other oversized items.
Qualifying orders will automatically show the FREE UK Delivery option at checkout — no discount code required.
Standard Parcel Delivery
Our standard parcel delivery charges are calculated according to the weight of your order and the available delivery service.
Orders placed before 12 noon may be dispatched the same day on our current dispatch days.
Express Pallet
75–500kg • Usually 1–3 working days
Designed for large and heavy orders that cannot be sent using our standard parcel service.
Please note: We currently dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Adding Something to an Existing Order?
If your original order hasn’t been dispatched yet, simply place the additional items as a Click & Collect order and leave us a note asking us to combine them with your existing order.
Available to Order
See something you want that we don’t currently have on the shelf? Many of our products can be quickly sourced from our suppliers.
Products marked Available to Order are not currently held in stock at our store but are available for us to order on your behalf.
Most items arrive with us within a few days and usually no longer than a week, depending on supplier availability.
Once your item arrives with us, we’ll either dispatch your order or let you know it’s ready for collection, depending on the delivery option you selected.
After receiving your order, we’ll check availability with our supplier. If there are any issues or expected delays, we’ll contact you to let you know.
Nationwide Livestock Delivery
Have your new livestock delivered safely to your door using our specialist livestock delivery service.
Minimum livestock order: £50
Thursday Delivery — £24
Order by: Wednesday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Wednesday afternoon
Delivered: Thursday before 1pm
Friday Delivery — £24
Order by: Thursday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Thursday afternoon
Delivered: Friday before 1pm
Saturday Delivery — £29
Order by: Friday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Friday afternoon
Delivered: Saturday before 1pm
Add Dry Goods to Your Livestock Order
You can include suitable dry goods with your livestock delivery, making it easy to add food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other supplies at the same time.
Please note: Livestock deliveries cannot include frozen food or heavy items such as gravel, sand or other unsuitable bulky goods. These items must be ordered separately using an appropriate delivery method.
Already Placed Your Order?
No problem. If your livestock order hasn’t been dispatched yet, place another order using Click & Collect and leave us a note asking us to combine it with your existing order.
Payment & Security
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