Loaches Online Forum

Hello, I am hoping to gain some insight on tank sizes dependent on the size of a group or shoal of loaches.
I know this can also depend on the loach species itself.
I am particularly interested in gold zebra loaches (botia histrionica), yoyo loaches (botia almorhae) or polka dot/burmese border loaches (botia kubotai).

Most internet searches say a 75 gallon minimum tank is required and then say but larger will be needed for a group...
This is too vague for me! Haha
How large of a tank would I need for, let's say 10 golden zebra loaches?

Thanks so much, Take care!

I'd personally go for 6' x 18" x 18" which I have for my six Clown Loaches. I think your choices would have good swimming room and you can still reach the bottom for maintenance comfortably.

Thank you redshark1! That is amazing you have your clowns for so long!

I kept 6 or 7 histrionica in a 55g. I got them when they were small, 1.5 inches or so. I also had 6 denisonii barbs (roseline sharks), also smallish but grew faster. A 75 would have been better...but I ended up having to move house before they were quite adults, say 4+ inches. The only other fish were 2 or 3 panda garras.

Another botia to consider are striata. Smaller than histys (3-4 inches), very attractive, but a bit shy IME. I had 6 (all that I could find) & 10 sidthimunki in a 75g. I would love to keep both species again but in a 1 loach species tank with more of each species. My loaches divided into 2 groups of 3 striatas & 4 sids in each both led by a female sid. No fighting, just a bit odd? I would keep 12+ striata or 20+ sids in a 75g.

Of course, a bigger tank & group of loaches is always better. I would keep either 8-10 (or maybe even 12) histys or kubotai in a 75g without other bottom fish. Yoyos are not on my "future loach species list"; a bit larger in size & often semi-aggresive, similar in looks to histys...maybe in a 6ft tank...I've never had a 6ft tank...

Hello and thank you for the information, it is also a great help to me.