Stripes, Stories & What’s Coming in March

Get to know the charming Botia striata, tune into our latest podcast, and find out what stories are coming your way in the March edition of The Weekend Aquarist Magazine!

1. Indian Native Species Spotlight: Botia striata – The Gentle Striped Loach

• Brief intro: A peaceful loach that’s perfect for planted tanks and native setups
• Care highlights: Tank size, ideal companions, feeding, behavior
• Why we love it: Striata loaches are hardy, shy but social, and underrated

Read all about Botia Striata, the Zebra loach, in the article below:

Meet The Zebra Loach - Botia striata

Indian Native Species Spotlight: Botia striata Common Name: Zebra Loach Endemic to: Western Ghats, India Image courtesy: Beta Mahatvaraj a.k.a Meenkaran Shy, peaceful, and strikingly patterned, the Zebra Loach (Botia striata) is a hidden jewel of the Indian freshwater world. Endemic to the clear, fast-flowing hill streams of

The Weekend AquaristAmar Salvi

2. Podcast Drop: Conversations with Abhisek Mallick

• Intro: Meet Abhisek Mallick, shrimps expert and founder of Blue Vale Life Tech
• What’s inside: His early days, falling in love with shrimps - Caridina, Neocaridina and Sulawesi
• Starting Blue Vale Life Tech
• Why listen: Packed with passion, perspective, and inspiration

3.The March Edition of The Weekend Aquarist Magazine will be released this week!

This month, we're proud to feature a rich mix of stories—from aquascaping excellence to native fish discoveries and inspiring journeys across the community.

Here’s what’s inside the March Edition:

• Our cover feature highlights the Top 3 Aquascapes of TGIAA 2025, with in-depth interviews with the winning artists.
• Glimpses from the Nature Aquarium Festival 2025, the annual celebration of aquascapers and nature aquarium enthusiasts in Bengaluru.
• Beta Mahatvaraj introduces us to another Indian beauty—Neochela dadiburjori, a native species worth celebrating.
• Suneal Mendonca continues his deep dive into Tanganyikan cichlids with a spotlight on the Calvus.
• Meet Rahul G Kumar, the Reluctant Aquarist, a lifelong aquarist, researcher, conservationist and ichthyologist with a unique perspective on the hobby.
• 🌿 In Hobbyist Spotlight, we feature Debraj Ghosh from Kolkata as he shares his aquascaping journey and learnings.
• 🚀 In Entrepreneur Spotlight, meet Abhisek Mallick, whose journey from shrimp breeding to launching Blue Vale Life Tech is truly inspiring.

If you haven't subscribed to the Print edition of The Weekend Aquarist Magazine, you can do so here:

Like to gift the digital edition of the January issue of the magazine to your hobbyist friend? Just share their email in the form below and we will send them a complimentary digital version of the magazine on your behalf!

As always, thank you for being part of this growing community. Whether you're a beginner, a seasoned aquarist, or just someone fascinated by underwater worlds—we're here to celebrate the passion we all share.

💌 We’d love to hear from you—send your suggestions, feedback, or even your own stories to: editor@weekendaquarist.com