Loaches Online Forum

IMO a 2ft tank is not big enough for Botia kubotai . They may not get as large as Clown Loaches for instance, but they are still river fish that like a lot of swimming space. A larger tank also = more stable water conditions, which is very important for sensitive species such as loaches. You really ...

Wow, that is an amazing set-up! I reckon I'd spend all my time in there watching them!
It'd be interesting to know if the Clowns move around so much as they get bigger. Do you think the bridges would be large enough (on the 90 degree bend) to take a fully grown Clown?
Emma

Nice shot Graeme! Such a lovely species, they are always out and about seeing what is going on. Peaceful too, don't you find?

Emma

Hi Pete, Welcome to Loaches Online. Unfortunately, it would seem that your aquatics store has given you bad advice there. Botia are very social shoaling fish, and to keep one on it's own is simply cruel. You really want 5 or more, the absolute minimum number being 3. The 'angelicus' fish that you ha...

As they mature they will definitely become more nocturnal. We have a huge range of sizes of Clowns in our tank, and the only ones that occasionally come out during the day are a couple of gangs of the smaller ones. One is even so bold that during the day he sometimes rests on his side right at the f...

Yes, I'd also suggest either an additional internal filter, an external filter, or a decent power head. The Hagen Aquaclear power heads are excellent as you can add a Quick Filter attachment to the bottom of them. I'd suggest the Aquaclear 402, which will give you a turn-over rate of approx 3 times ...

Hi there, You may not need to increase the actual amount you feed, but I would definitely suggest varying their diet up a bit more. In the wild these fish feed on small crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and greenfoods, so a good substitution are many of the frozen fish foods that you can buy from y...

Hmmmm, interesting! I might just have to try that Graeme! I remember also that my Thai supplier was very helpful when Botia kubotai first came on the scene - even though at the time they weren't on any availability lists, I asked them for Polka Dot Loaches or "Botia angelicus" as they were temporari...

Thanks guys, I'm really pleased with the progress these little chaps are making.
And Mark, stop it, you're making me blush!
Emma

I have had some of my Clowns for over 13 years, and they have always been kept in large aquariums, with frequent water changes and an excellent feeding regime. The largest of these 13-year-olds is a female who is currently about 9" long. I do also have a couple of whoppers - a 10.5" Clown and an 11....

Lovely, Graeme! And great photos too by the way. Where did you manage to find these chaps then?
Emma

Yes yes, we want Loachy T-shirts!!!
......and we haven't forgotten all the other merchandise including those fridge magnets and carvings, Mr T!

Hi Jerry, Sorry to hear about the problem with your overflow. At this rate you won't be getting that massive shoal of Cardinal tetras :( Steve has asked me to ask you whether you could post a couple of pics of the offending weir/overflow so he can have a think about any modifications that could poss...

Hi Robin/Graeme, Thanks for asking after the little Moosies! You'll be pleased to know that all are doing well, and apart from the 2 fish that we found dead-on-arrival when the shipment came in (about 3 weeks ago now), we have suffered no losses :D They are at present residing in a tank on our softw...

Great to see you on here too!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Emma