Looking for some feedback.

[Dutch]

I've been playing with the idea of starting an aquarium for some time and recently I've been looking into it more seriously.
After reading a lot and weighing the pros and cons, I've pretty much decided I want to start with a loach specific aquarium.
The setup would be an aquarium of about 1.20 x .50 x .50 m (about 300 liters; could also be a Juwel Rio 240) with the following loaches;
8 to 10 x Botia Almorhae (yoyo)
4 to 5 x Yasuhikotakia Morleti (Botia Morleti)
as extra;
2 x Chaetostoma thomsonii (Bulldog catfish)

In the tank there would be fine (not too light colored) sand, plenty of driftwood(is that the right English term?), nice plants and maybe a few smooth rocks. I would also like to get a nice amount of water flow to keep the fish happy.

I would like some feedback though, if I've made the right choices. I still haven't bought anthing yet, so there is every room to make adjustments to my plans.

Thanks!

[Mark in Vancouver]

Hi Dutch. Welcome to LOL.

B. almorhae are relatively peaceful compared to Y. morleti - so that's the first consideration based on these options. Y. morleti can be quite aggressive and difficult - not just with other fish, but with each other. If you have the option, I would recommend going with a good sized group of any of the other true Botia species: dario, histrionica, striata, kubotai... These would all mix relatively well with B. almorhae.

Now, having said that, there seems to be some evidence that B. almorhae in a large group can be quite aggressive, too. Personally, I would opt for a good mix of peaceful fish in small groups of 5 to 8.

[Dutch]

Thank you for your response Mark.

The idea behind the Y. morleti was to get a lively aquarium, but I guess it might be a bit too lively.

So a better option would be two groups true Botia species, maybe 7 x B. almorhae and 7 x B. histrionica?
That sounds like a really nice option.

The catfish won't be a problem? I really like those, but the primary fish in the tank are the loaches.

I would like to optimize the social behavior of the Botia's, would you recommend an extra group of fish? I hear that a small group of active fish(middle to top layers of the aquarium) will show the Botia's it's safe to come out of hiding.

Again thanks for your response, the feedback is much appreciated.

[Diana]

I do keep other species that swim in the upper areas. Look into Rainbow Fish- I have several species in the same tank with some B. angelica with no issues at all. The Loaches are out quite often, and the Rainbows are always darting around.

I see no problem with the smaller Loricariads sharing the tank. Watch when you feed vegetables that there is enough to go around.

[cybermeez]

Botia dario are very lively fish, but not at all agressive and they rarely grow to more than 15cm. They are some of the most entertaining Botias in my opinion. I highly recommend them.

[Tinman]

Morleti are the devil, some people have a few that don't nip but they will and do get boisterous especially as they get a few years old and well established. These should be kept as a specie tank if you like them. You should try to get a water flow of at least 10X an hour and more is even better. Dario are an excellent option and yes an active fish like the Barb will cause the Botia to be more active and they do well in high flow enviroments as well...

[Dutch]

Thanks for all the kind replies.

I really like the look of B. dario and if it is a lively fish it would be a great option to put in with B. almorhae. I am a bit worried about ich, but I guess all Botia's are susceptible for that. I plan a ~20% water change per week, so that might help.

I just bought a book on Rainbowfish, so I'll read through and see what would be a good option. A Fly River Rainbowfish(Melanotaenia sexlineata) looks nice and is undemanding.

Do you mean the Barbus species Tinman? They look nice too. I like B. tetrazona, but they might be a bit devilish too.

How many extra fish would be a good number to add?(When length is about 2.5 inch.)
It would be...
2 x 7 Botia's
2 x catfish
? x Rainbowfish/Barbus
I don't want the tank to become crowded. Or would the level at which the Rainbowfish/Barbus swim alleviate the crowding effect? Maybe leave out the catfish? I really want the tank to be nicely balanced.

[Tinman]

Cyprinidae type. Most are good swimmers. Mid level and take flake without making it difficult to feed your prize fish. Rainbows are a good option but voracious appetites do create some issues with feeding. You need high flow for the loaches so larged finned fish will not work to create the balance you want. Specifically Puntius titteya in a group of 12 or so would be small,colorful and active saving room for loaches.

Water changes will not cure ich, nor will 20% a week be sufficient. Every 4-5 days or so may be better but that has many factors to consider also. Ich must be erradicated so to not re-develop after some time and become an infestation again. There are many options and all depend upon your fish choice. Any new fish may or may not have ich. I QT and treat to kill all parisites before introduction to my system to protect previous inhabitants and not introduce anything into my system. I also have a UV 36 watt sterilizer on a Rena cannister unit that flows the correct rate for the light to kill floating eggs etc. Others use salt or medication or a combo of all.You should consider another filter so as to change one a week and leave one alone. Protecting your investment upfront pays off in the end but we all have different situations.

[Dutch]

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I plan on buying the loaches(and all other fish) from a store that I know has a high quality fish. I believe they keep every fish a standard three weeks in quarantine. I hope that will be a good first step in preventing it in the first place. I will talk with them and see if they treat against parasites as well.
I've been reading up on the UV sterilizer, but I don't know if it helps in the right way. Plus, they are rather expensive and I have a tight budget anyway. I prefer to invest in a good filter and an extra pump to create a nice flow in the water.
I've looked at the idea proposed in the article "A river runs through it" and would like to do something similar if the loaches like it.

[Tinman]

UV are expensive to maintain and purchase and not 100% effective. They are not required but do help. You are well on your way to a quality tank with your research coming first Dutch. You and Hobbes will do well with your tank no matter what you decide to keep Ich is an infestation when you can see it. It is inside the gills and does damage when you can not see it at all. QT yourself no matter how long your store does. These fish come from the wild to a supplier that usually does not hold them but a few days . .With a 14 day cycle 3 weeks is only 2 batches of eggs hatched so even the best stores with excellent intentions like yours do sell parisites unless they are treating for them.

[Dutch]

Thanks Tinman!
Do you know if there is a difference in susceptibility to ich between Botia species? When I read the species index here, or in books I have, ich always seems to be mentioned more explicitly with some Botia's.

btw. It's not Hobbes, it's actually Calvin after the transmogrifier turned him into a tiger. That's why I like the pictures, most people don't see it.



(I know... I'm a master student of Biology, but I'm still a little kid inside. )

[Tinman]

Ich is not your worry. Internal parisites are hard to kill. External are much easier as ich with numerous types of treatments. The medication to the inside of the fish through a protective slime coat is tough. Once a parisite eats on the inside it does damage some fish never heal from. Fish that would normally die in the wild live on but barely no matter how you try to fatten them. The same can happen to a fishes gills from ich. These Loaches are long lived so damage may not be noticable for years and then they lag. My point is good stock is the best start and pre treating a common ailment is a better option as opposed to waiting for problems in a few months or years to develop. Getting all your fish to maturity is hard enough without help from parisites. This is only an opinion obviously but I have learned to many lessons over my years to make those mistakes again. Some have better luck and many have other opinions

I forgot about the Transmogrifier , but not Spaceman Spiff or the Cerebral Enhance-a-tron

[Dutch]

I think I'll go by the shop where I want to buy the fish and ask them if they may treat any fish I order there to prevent parasites, since I don't think I will have the facilities to quarantine and treat myself.
I think that it is a very good option to prevent trouble all together.

I browsed the forum here a bit to see about group size. I read that B. dario can also be difficult in a larger group. Are all Botia species like that? Or are some suitable to be kept in groups of around 14?
Two different groups of Botia's of around 7 would be great, but one group of 14 could also be really nice. Clows obviously are not an option, but maybe a species that does not grow as big (they should fit the tank size I want to buy).