Botia Histrionica have red noses & big bellies--normal?

[LoverOfLoaches]

I have a school of histrionica loaches, 6 of them. And this is the first time I've ever kept this species of loach, though I have kept others including kubotai, which are obviously similar. I've noticed that often their noses, or their little barbels, are often if not always bright pink or even red. I've had them for some time now, and have noticed it frequently, though they are the only ones in the tank that have it, and it is a well kept, clean, healthy tank with thriving fish and excellent parameters. Is this normal for them? Or could it be that their barbels are raw from digging in medium particle substrate? Its not sharp or large (and actually I'm about to switch to a much smaller softer substrate), and none of my other fish with barbels in the tank have red noses (cory cats, botia kubotai, and other loaches).

Also, another thing that is strange to me is that their bellies are often large, as if pregnant or carrying eggs. Now, I've never tried to breed my fish before, and anything that was born or hatched was surely eaten quickly by the others....so I don't really understand anything about fish reproduction, like why they look pregnant, and if they are gravid, or what gravid really even means. If they are carrying eggs, does that mean they will lay them, or do they reabsorb them? Am I to expect babies? Or is it just normal for females to be gravid and nothing come of it? Several of them have been this plump for quite some time (and its definitely not bloating or any other illness, I can tell). Any help would be appreciated!

[bookpage]

Take a look at these pictures: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ph ... age-search

[NancyD]

Gravid can mean either filled with eggs or in the case of livebearers, fry. Most botia have not been bred in tanks but it's not unusual for the female to carry eggs. They may be resorbed or expelled, some of mine seem to stay that way indefinately without harm. They often have a greenish or grayish look along the abdomen, the eggs showing through.

Some loaches are just fat too.

I haven't seen red noses or barbels on my histys, I keep them on pool filter sand & they're not quite fully grown.

[DennisCraig]

My botia stritia (zebra loachs) have red noses and redish pink barbels.

[DennisCraig]

Also, I use play sand so I think it's normal not your substrate. Substrate damage is more pinch and cut type injuries.