Loaches Online Forum

Does someybody have a good clue what tempreature a botia striata prefers? I have tried to read all over the internet and the really great Loaches-book, but they all give a different highest recommendations. I've seen 26 Celsius (Loaches book, Fishbase), 27 C (this site) and 28 C. Since the temperature in my aquarium does sometimes pop up in summertime to 28 - 29 C, it would be rather hot for a 26 C fish.

As long as the temperature isn't raised for extended periods of time, the fish will be fine, especially if you increase the aeration in the tank to compensate for the lower dissolved oxygen content that warmer water brings.

I've had my tank up at 32°C for two weeks with no issues

I second Bully's opinion. Dissolved oxygen is more important.

In their natural hibitat, temperature varies a lot in seasons and also in a single day. It can vary between lower 20's till 31-32C. Usually the shallows get hot during summer and then fishes move to deeper waters. So temperature between 25-28 would be ideal. A slight variation should not matter much.

That sounds good! Thanks for your replies!

I had some sad trouble with my striatas, that had probably to do with an unfortunate enlongered interval of waterchange, an undiscovered dead fish, lousy working airpump and the heatpeak. So I lost almost all striatas and I really want to be sure that this won't happen again. It is too heartbreaking.

I will look to this aeration. I had a little and silent airpump, but the noise (!) it started making, when I changed the old stone to a new modern rubberpipe, made me shut it down in a day. It also made the double external filters swallow and spit airbubbles with even more noise.

This double filter is temporary, the old filter is soon to be removed and the new one will be left alone. The water is a little overfiltered for the moment. 114 l and one (old) eheim 2026 and a 2215 is a little too much, even the fish looks like they would like to protest...