Botia striata - fat, gravid or ill?

[Bully]

At first I wasn't too concerned, but having read through Starsplitter's recent sad news with a Clown Loach I thought I'd best check.

Unfortunately the pics don't display the condition of the fish too well. As far as I can tell the fish appears healthy, and is the alpha of the group. Over the past few days I've noticed her (we'll assume a she for the purpose of simplicity) girth increasing in the ventral region, and her base colour has changed ever so slightly to more copper tone. The top half of her hasn't changed much, she's just "fuller" in the belly region. My first thought is that she's just eating well being the alpha loach. I don't really suspect spawn, given that all but one of my Striata were purchased when really small, less than a year ago.

Here's some less than ideal pics for your perusal:






Any thoughts most welcomed


pH 6.8
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5
dH & kH 3

Bi-weekly 25% water changes.

[chefkeith]

She looks nice fat and gravid to me.

[Blue]

She looks nice fat and gravid to me.

Ditto. One of my yoyos is that way as well. I thought she looked gravid to me.

[mistergreen]

have anybody gotten their Botias to spawn naturally?

[Blue]

have anybody gotten their Botias to spawn naturally?

I haven't myself, mistergreen although a few yoyos appeared gravid last year and one is like that now.

[mistergreen]

hmmm. so the girls are producing eggs but the boys aren't in the mood.

[Rocco]

I know someone on this forum has gotten Sids to spawn by accident.
My plans are in the works to replicate the conditions in his tank but for striatas.

(just needed an excuse to plant up a 75 gallon tank and make it species-specific.)


And I know I've been gone a long time, doesn't mean I haven't lost interest in loaches.

[Emma Turner]

have anybody gotten their Botias to spawn naturally?

Mad Duff has spawned his Y. sidthimunki (this is who Rocco mentioned).

Emma

[newshound]

hmmm. so the girls are producing eggs but the boys aren't in the mood.

quite likely the eggs get eaten.
I'd venture a guess that most loaches spawn in fast flowing water littered with rocks and pebbles. The eggs would slip into cracks and be safe from hungry mouths.

[Graeme Robson]

Lovely looking female specimen!!

[Bully]

Thanks for the replies and the diagnosis

I'll sleep without worry tonight as a result

I had read in the species index that B. striata was known to get gravid, but I wasn't expecting it to be the case, especially as I thought loaches generally took a long time to mature. Naturally I would expect nothing from this, even if she drops the eggs I don't imagine any would survive the other loaches. There are plenty of nooks and crannies in the tank, the decor is smooth river stones laid on egg-crate, but this of course is a loaches niche, and I doubt there's little of any hiding place for eggs.

Thanks again for the replies

[Rocco]

have anybody gotten their Botias to spawn naturally?

Mad Duff has spawned his Y. sidthimunki (this is who Rocco mentioned).

Emma

Indeed...

Mad, if you're there, how is the flow of your aquarium? Because if what I read above is true, I'm going to put a bunch of rocks at the end of the flow in the aquarium and cross my fingers.

[catdogfish]

My Striata looks just like that and is spending all her time defending a cave beneath some bogwood in the tank. She is being really feisty.

(I know this post is a year late but...) Did she spawn after all? I just added some pieces of clay next to the cave to make it more private and easier to defend. She has taken up her position again.

[Bully]

She either released the eggs or reabsorbed them, she's still the alpha and she, alongside with 2 others, are currently much fatter than that It's almost impossible to get a photo though as they are much more secretive than they were a year ago.

[OneWay]

Great pictures, my Dario alpha looks every bit as rotund or more as yours. She does have one smaller Dario that fawns after her,, always excited and chasing her, but not in mean way. More of a groupie