Burmese Botia

[jarmado]

Yep - 3" ones are usually around £8-£10. So if you can actually get that sort of size for £5 then that's great

will they group/school with my pair of pakistani loaches?
or they are not schooling fishes?

 

[Bloo]

I don't have Pakistani's so can't say for sure - though friendly and sociable as they are, I would say yes but I'd still advise not getting less than three in my experience.

 

[Barracuda518]

I don't have Pakistani's so can't say for sure - though friendly and sociable as they are, I would say yes but I'd still advise not getting less than three in my experience.

I have my 7 B. Kubotia in the same tank as my 4 B. Almorhae (YoYo's) and they dont "school" together, but they will stay in the same areas of the tank. They seem to get along great. I think The Wolf has kept them together for a while now, so you might want to ask him.

As for the $9 price tag and the picture of the Zebra Loach, that makes more since to me. I payed $9 a piece for mine. If the B. Kubotia are that price, then thats really good.

 

[jarmado]

I don't have Pakistani's so can't say for sure - though friendly and sociable as they are, I would say yes but I'd still advise not getting less than three in my experience.

thanks a lot for the extra info.

I don't have Pakistani's so can't say for sure - though friendly and sociable as they are, I would say yes but I'd still advise not getting less than three in my experience.

I have my 7 B. Kubotia in the same tank as my 4 B. Almorhae (YoYo's) and they dont "school" together, but they will stay in the same areas of the tank. They seem to get along great. I think The Wolf has kept them together for a while now, so you might want to ask him.

As for the $9 price tag and the picture of the Zebra Loach, that makes more since to me. I payed $9 a piece for mine. If the B. Kubotia are that price, then thats really good.

thanks so much.

how come zebra loaches are cheaper?
is it because they are more common?

 

[The-Wolf]

IME most botias are very compatable with eachother.
I've kept b.kuobati and b.almorhae/b.lohachata along with clowns very sucessfully

 

[mikev]

IME most botias are very compatable with eachother.
I've kept b.kuobati and b.almorhae/b.lohachata along with clowns very sucessfully

It seems to depend on the exact mix.

I had a week of heavy fighting between Kubotais and Yoyo's recently, with first the Alpha Yoyo taking control, but then the largest Kubotai staging a counter-coup. (No real damage in my case, just lots of very emotional chasing).

But on the LOL forum, someone just described how his Kubotais killed and ate his Striatas (?!)....and this is supposed to be about the safest loach combination.

I suspect that a presence of some other larger loach (or loaches) around makes Kubotai's/Yoyo's more well-behaved. They never do anything aggressive in the presence of clowns (my week of fighting was triggered by removing a couple of clowns to another tank). Possibly something like Modesta or even Tiger can keep them restrained too.

 

[The-Wolf]

Possibly something like Modesta or even Tiger can keep them restrained too.

you could be correct there, as I have those too in the same tank.

 

[TammyLiz]

Well, then I might be in trouble as I have 5 yoyos and 2 rostrata in the same tank. I also recently added a lone striata that I saw in a coldwater tank at a usually responsible LFS!

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

What are the function of the fish. they look nice but are they alge eaters or just general food and waste eaters?

 

[Bloo]

What are the function of the fish. they look nice but are they alge eaters or just general food and waste eaters?

No, they don't eat algae, but will eat snails and are leftover scavengers. They love algae wafers and will click loudly in appreciation !

 

[Barracuda518]

I saw one of my B. almorhae (1.5") chase one of the much bigger B. Kubotia (3.5") last night for the first time. It didnt look like an aggressive chase, it looked more like a playful chase. It only lasted for a second or two. My B. Kubotia seem to be the most timid, swimming away when I come up to the tank. The B. Almorhae just sit there and stare at me wanting some food. Im definately keeping an eye on them and so far so good.

 

[Barracuda518]

Wolf,

So you dont see any aggression out of your B. Modesta and the Tiger Loach? I have always like the B. Modesta, but thought they were aggressive...

 

[TammyLiz]

Wolf,

So you dont see any aggression out of your B. Modesta and the Tiger Loach? I have always like the B. Modesta, but thought they were aggressive...

I'd like to hear the story about this, too. The thought prompted me to check your profile, Wolf, and I see in your 82 gallon tank you have two modesta. My LFS has them in a lot and they are so beautiful but I've heard they can be pretty nasty. You've got them in with danios and rasboras. Do they bother them? Do you think they'd destroy a planted tank? I might consider getting some when I upgrade my tank if your answers are favorable.

 

[Barracuda518]

I saw some very healthy looking B. Modesta today. I almost got one...

 

[The-Wolf]

Wolf,
So you dont see any aggression out of your B. Modesta and the Tiger Loach? I have always like the B. Modesta, but thought they were aggressive...

I'd like to hear the story about this, too.

The only "aggression" I've noticed from any of my so called aggressive loaches is playtime can get a bit zealous sometimes between the tigers. this results in nothing, no nipped fins. no damage to any other fish and certainly no deaths.

I put it down to this
my tank has plenty of hidey holes (wood and large galleon) but also plenty of open space for fast gettaways,
additionally my clowns are the largest loaches in the tank and I've seen them break up "battles" between my tigers.

As for modesta being an aggressive loach, I hardly ever see them but when I do they are just as playfull and comical as the clowns; I certainly have never seen them chase anything (except eachother) let alone any aggresive acts.

Do you think they'd destroy a planted tank?

I've tried several plants in my tank from java fern to amazon swords, all lasted around a month tops.
I now only have java moss growing on a piece of mopani and they leave that alone.

here is a pic of my 82g to give you some idea of the set up (click thumbnail)


btw the smallest danio I have in the tank are Bengals Devario devario which are adults at 4"
the other danios are around 6" (giants +moustached) and elegant rasboras rasbora elegans
again at 6", none of the loaches bother them.

HTH