Loaches Online Forum

Hello,

I am a novice aquarium owner. I did plenty of research prior to getting my aquarium. A bit of a background:
-29 gallon aquarium with 2 - 30 gallon rated topside filters (total 400 gallons filtered per hour)
- Residents include a bristlenose pleco (4"), 2 dwarf gouramis, 2 silver dollars, and 2 angelfish
-I would like to get rid of the silver dollars, seems they are going to get too big, and are bound to be too aggressive with the small numbers (bad advice from a chain petstore when I purchased them). But most advice says to keep them, since they arent being trouble makers and see how they grow up.

I bought this fish <http://imgur.com/osZte> thinking it was an 'angelicus botia' from a chain pet store, he was the 2nd fish i added after I (stupidly) added a pair of angelfish. But looking at him I am not sure if he is a yoyo loach or an angelicus botia (is there really no common name for that fish?).

I only bought one, and I want to add 2 more to make him happy. But I am not sure what he is??? I want to make sure and get it right, because I am going to order the fish through an awesome local fish store I found to get my bristlenose (no more chain stores for me).

I know its crowded currently, but if I have to get rid of the silver dollars to add the right fish to make this beautiful fish happy, I will. (no executions I will find them a home)

Thanks!,
-Fishnewbie (bobandy)

I imagine you will end up getting rid of the silver dollars.... not the right sized fish for a tank your size in the long run.
Regarding the "yo-yo versus other" question, without a pic, it is impossible to tell what you have. Hey, it does not have to be an "art photo", even a pic from your cell might help others figure out what your have.

If you are talking about the fish in this picture: http://imgur.com/osZte = I do not think it is either one you listed. I appears to be a: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-histronica

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-kubotai
looks like they sold you what they said they sold you to me. It looks just like the Emma Turner picture at the bottom of the Kubs page.

Thanks for the advice!

Sorry the picture didnt load, imgur sucks sometimes.

Apparently, it is a botia kubotai (which is a yo yo).

And yea, I bought the silver dollars from a chain store, before I discovered an awesome local store the next town over. The chain store wont take them back (really? sell people fish too big for their tank and not allow me to return them?), so I'm gonna see if my local store will take them before they get too big.

Bobandy87 wrote: Apparently, it is a botia kubotai (which is a yo yo).

Hi Bobandy87,

Your loach looks to be a juvenile Botia kubotai (which some people still refer to as Botia 'angelicus'): http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-kubotai

A 'Yoyo' is not the same fish, it's one of the common names used for Botia almorhae, a loach which grows much larger: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-almorhae

Definitely try and find some more B. kubotai to keep the other one company. As they prefer a decent flow in the tank, it might be worth thinking about rehoming the angelfish too, as they prefer calmer waters.

Best wishes,
Emma