Loaches Online Forum

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:08 am**

Hi friends,

A friend of mine was complaining that his kubotai loack had killed 5 other kubotai and a siamese alga eater. I asked him a photo of it as I know that kubotai is not a grrr loach.
This is the image he sent me:

Is that a kubotai? Looks like an histrionica to me...

Marcos.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:14 am**

Most certainly a Botia kubotai.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:28 am**

Thanks Graeme!

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:15 am**

BTW,

Is that behavior expected for a kubotai?

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:20 am**

None of mine ever did that, but they do look like that: different sizes of yellow spots, carefully arrayed on the darker background.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:25 am**

Marcos,

I would rank my 5 kubotais as slightly more aggressive than clowns but definitely less "playful" than botia striata (which can be really mean IMHO).

I really can't see how they would kill other kubotais, let alone a SAE. All SAE I ever had definitely knew how to defend themselves .. plus they're excellent swimmers, perhaps even faster than loaches.

-Connor

PS: I'd say the picture shows a kubotai, too.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:36 am**

Thanks Diana, Thanks Connor.

I really don´t believe on what my friend posted. I can´t imagine a tame kubotai doing any harm to other fishes. Kubotais IMHO is like a rabit compared to other "wolf fishes". I can´t imagine a scene like this:

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:56 pm**

I know someone who had kubs FEED of a 10" geophagus brasiliensis! (Walter)

I'm having problems with Walter. He is a total wuss with tankmates but you don't expect a fish of his size ( between 9 & 10 inches SL) to let other fish nibble on him
He has went a bit manky ( for want of a more accurate description) a few months ago and he has a lump between his operculum & pectoral. Treatment with metronidazole sorted the lump & he was returned to the 400l.
A week later he was tatty again - back to the 180L & this time treated with Paraguard. Three days & he's looking good so back to the 400L.
Soon tatty again but on watching the Kubotai are nibbling at his scales.

I've seen B kubotai exhibit cleaning behaviour, like some marine fish, before but most fish tell the "cleaners" where to go if they start on healthy body parts.
Walter is so wussy he lets them feast on him
Some cichlid species, most notably Discus but quite a few SA species, allow fry to gain nutrition from their parents -Walter is so thick he allows other species to do the same!

The Kubotai are going to a new home next weekend.

Wonder how they would do in a grrr tank?

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:09 pm**

He's innocent.. Look at that face.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:55 pm**

connor wrote:Marcos,

I would rank my 5 kubotais as slightly more aggressive than clowns but definitely less "playful" than botia striata (which can be really mean IMHO).

I have no experience of B. kubotai but this made me think a little. I purchased a waif & stray (5cms TL) B. striata a few days ago from my LFS, he was the only one in the store, but he was housed with 4 kubs (smallest was about 8cm TL), all of which he had pinned to a corner! He has settled perfectly well in my tank though and has showed no signs of aggression since

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:11 pm**

Bully,

just give him some time.

In my tank the striatas are the kings, no doubt about that. Even the smallest striata doesn't hesitate to aggressively nibble away at a clown loach 3 times the mass.
Don't get me wrong, it's not so bad that I should intervene .. but it's quite clear who's the boss and who's not.

-Connor

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:45 pm**

I have a hard time accepting that a kub would kill another...
unless the tank was too small with not enough hiding spots and the top loach picked on the others until they passed on due to stress.
I find that kubs have the upper hand with striata (all mature) due to the larger size. But those darn pesky straita are always coming back for more.

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:53 pm**

I guess I've been lucky so far

My striata have all been mild mannered, but I guess we'll see how things go, I certainly wouldn't want them turning on my Sids

Although there's a new tank on the horizon for the striata anyhow

To answer the original question, my totally inexperienced answer was to go with Botia Kubotai, but I didn't want to be wrong

Posted: **Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:59 pm**

The Histi's are not linked on the sides as the Kubs are in marking from my observations btw . I have never seen any aggression from the kubs, I thought they are as gentle as Clowns around here but mine are young. There must be another fish causing the turmoil in the tank maybe? I am seeing the bunny thing too.....

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:17 pm**

Bully wrote:I guess I've been lucky so far My striata have all been mild mannered, but I guess we'll see how things go, I certainly wouldn't want them turning on my Sids Although there's a new tank on the horizon for the striata anyhow

To answer the original question, my totally inexperienced answer was to go with Botia Kubotai, but I didn't want to be wrong

don't get the impression that striata are mean...they wouldn't last long in a grrrr tank.
Striata and sids work well together. Sids are kinda like a nail pounded into hard wood...they just keep popping back up.
I love kubs! Prop my fave loach

Loaches Online Forum

kubotai or strionica?

kubotai or strionica?