Red Tail Zebra Loaches Are the Shistura

One of the most common Loaches you'll see in aquarium stores is the Zebra Loach, and that's because there's at least a half dozen species that are regularly seen, have zebra striping, and honestly are a bit difficult for the average person to tell apart. Luckily, care for pretty much all of the Zebra Loaches that reside in the Schistura genus is pretty similar. With all this in mind, we'd like to introduce you to the Red Tailed Zebra Loach, or more specifically Schistura mahnerti. This is a well described fish, with adults featuring a deeply red, forked tail and strong zebra stripes along the rest of their bodies.

Schistura mahnerti is a fast water fish, hailing from clear streams in the Salween River system, in the mountainous rainforests of Thailand. These streams are clean, clear and very oxygenated; a result of their cool temps and high flows. The home display for these fish should mimic these wild conditions. While the Red Tailed Zebra Loach doesn't require the flow, it does best in high oxygenation and very clean water. The water profile is generally soft and slightly acidic, with a pH between 6 and 7. Keeping the water very clean is a priority, and so over-sized filtration (which also helps flow) and large regular water changes should both be in your maintenance plan. Keeping your aquarium on the cooler side of tropical temperatures will also help the oxygen levels stay high, shoot for something between 70 and 75. Many aquarists will also use airstones to help force more oxygen into the display.

The Red Tailed Zebra Loach doesn't get very large, and Fishbase gives a maximum size of 6.4cm (2.51 inches). In our experience, they rarely get bigger than two inches or so. Either way, this is a very small fish but it is very active, which plays into our projection for a minimum aquarium size. Depending on the other fish you're planning on keeping, we suggest a keeping these Loaches in a tank that is at least 30 to 40 gallons. This tank should be covered as the Loaches aren't usually jumpers but can find themselves on the floor after a dart to the surface of the water. The décor should be river-like, with smooth, rounded rocks and gravel and maybe some well-worn, but clean driftwood. Most plants aren't going to do well in the conditions that the RTZL will like, but the fish won't bother the plants, so if you want to go that way, choose greenery that can be attached to the rocks or wood like Anubias.

There can be some aggression between Red Tailed Zebra Loaches if they are added at separate times or are kept in tanks that are too small. They are generally pretty peaceful with other fish that aren't in the Schistura genus or aren't bottom dwellers. Choose fish that will do well in the higher flows and lower temps that Schistura mahnerti prefers. Fish like Danios and Rasboras are great choices, as are Barbs and even Hillstream Loaches given enough flow and space. There could be some complications with other bottom dwellers like Corydoras, so add these fish with caution.

Most if not all of the fish in the Schistura genus are very aquarium hardy given good conditions, and part of this is that they are really easy to feed. They're quite used to darting into current for food, and thus don't spend a lot of time inspecting what they eat. As a result, they are omnivores, with the majority of their food being small aquatic invertebrates. In the home aquarium they will usually greedily consume foods like Gamma Bloodworms, Tubifex, Daphnia, Artemia, and the full mix of Brine and Brine Plus that Gamma makes available. Here at Aquatropic, they get a mix of all these things, but the proportions and exact menu change day by day. Red Tailed Zebra Loaches (even wild ones) generally take very quickly to pellet foods, and we recommend making this at least part of their diet. Here we feed Nutramar Freshwater Complete for its perfect protein levels and broad spectrum of nutrients. We suggest you do the same.

Pretty much all of us here that have aquariums (which is a lot of us) have a Loach. They're super interesting to watch with their cool swimming motions and interesting colors. If your display is the right one for a Red Tailed Zebra Loach, maybe give Schistura mahnerti a try? Head to your LFS and always ask for Aquatropic fish!