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Polka dot loaches

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 12:46 pm
by ali12345
Hi I was wondering of anyone could help with the difference between my 2 shoals of polka dot loaches?
I have had them all several years now and they no longer seem to grow. One lot have reached the standard 4-5" but the others are all smaller closer to 3-4" . All happy and healthy. Does anyone know if there are different sizes from different localities? Bought from different shops and I have no idea on their origin. Don't think I have any pictures of them but their patterning seems normal for Botia kubotai. Noen are as big as my yo-yos.

Re: Polka dot loaches

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:15 pm
by Diana
Are they in different tanks?
Maybe some minor difference between the tanks?

Re: Polka dot loaches

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 8:35 am
by ali12345
No they are in the same tank - a 900 l tank

Re: Polka dot loaches

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 7:23 pm
by gedwin
I don't have an answer for you, but I have observed practically a similar variation within a single shoal. I purchased 3 Botia kubotai within a month of each other (Jan/Feb 2014), from the same store. One has grown to about 3 inches while the other two are equal in size to each other at around 2 inches. As you wrote for yours, mine seem healthy and happy otherwise. So, I suppose all are smaller than expected for the species, but the one is clearly larger than the other two. The larger one is the dominant one, but I had wondered whether becoming the dominant had triggered greater growth biologically versus the other two underlings. (Of course, just as possible that the larger one became dominant because it was larger!) To complicate matters, the patterning of the smaller two seems textbook Botia kubotai, whereas the larger one is a little off in patterning but still polka-dot like. I have read about by hybrids being around in stores, so that is perhaps an alternative explanation for the larger one. As I said at first, I don't have an answer for you. But clearly there are factors that can affect the size these fish attain. (In fact, another question is why your "smaller" ones are 3-4" while mine are only just 2".)

Re: Polka dot loaches

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:20 pm
by NancyD
Have either of you ever treated for internal parasites? I "almost" always treat new loaches with levamisole or flubendazole just in case they carry any. Many fish can live with load of nonlethal parasites but I believe they can interfere with growth.

Re: Polka dot loaches

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 1:55 pm
by gedwin
Thanks NancyD, possible internal parasites is a great suggestion. I have used metronidazole/praziquantel (API General Cure) to treat internal parasites in tank mates according to package directions, and saw positive response in those other fish. (So these loaches experienced that treatment.) But I see other threads here mentioning Levamisole, and I perhaps should give that one a try.

It will be interesting to see if, at this point in their lives, they start to grow more once the (potential) problem is corrected.