Loaches Online Forum

Let's see if I can do the links.

Here is Maggie, who started this madness:


This one started out tiny and see-through:



In the feeding frenzy you can see one of the "not like the others" Kubs:


or is it a Kub? It is bigger than the youngest Kub, who already has more Kub -like markings:


Just posing:


Pretty but shy:


the other not-like -the-other Kub:


Mr Sumo (he moves REALLY fast, when he isn't posing on his usual rock, which is never when there is a camera around):


Sorry about the quality -- the glass was dirtier than I realized, and it is a manual focus lens with a short depth-of-focus, and loaches are quick!

Aargh the links are all messed up!!!!

Very frustrating, but I think I fixed the links and got them back where they belong.

Will try to get some better photos, but of course the two different looking Kubs are the ones who are impossible to photograph. At least the most-different Striata posed!

The first one (that started off 'see-through' is really neat. My kubs vary a lot, but that one is definitely different. Hopefully not a hybrid - wait for the experts to weigh in I guess. The second one looks like a typical Botia histrionica to my admittedly untrained eye (see http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-histronica - ha, just noticed that the species name in the URL link is misspelled!)

Those not-alikes are probably Botia rostrata. Check out all the variations......

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ph ... age-search

Martin.

Does that mean we need to get 4 more rostrata and a couple more Kubs to finish out their shoals???

If they are hanging out together they may create their own mixed species shoal. This is common with Corys, less common among Loaches. Sometimes similar Loaches will socialize, however.

Hi this is John, Katy's husband (I think it's my first post). Now that you mention it, they do look a lot like rostrata. These fish were so funny; when we got them they were smaller than small little juvenile kubotai, or so we thought. They were super skinny and used to hang out upside down sucking on the surface of the water for little bits. We were sure they were little kubotai. They've grown faster than the kubotai and are now bigger than the kubs that were large when these two were tiny and see-through.

They definitely hang out with the kubotai, though they do favor their own company a bit. They don't seem to be stressed or having any difficulty, and certainly not any difficulty growing. They're probably among the most out-and-about, on the prowl of all the loaches, in a house where no loach is a hider. Even most of the kuhlis are out in the open these days.

I love that B. striata with the squiggly markings. If you get a good picture of it, maybe it could be put up on LOL with the other ones?

Ooooo -- rostrata are so pretty, I have been sort of hoping our guys are rostrata. BUT ... they get big! Our tank is only 44" long, and will be linked to a standard 40 gallon by a water bridge soon, but still a small set-up for 8" fish!

And we will try to get a better photo of our curlie-cue striata. Isn't she pretty?!!! Of course, I think all of our guys are beautiful

A few more photos:







Will keep trying to work on quality.... sorry to keep posting photos, but I am totally smitten with how beautiful all my babies are!

Those of you who have rostrata: How big do they really get? We would love to keep these guys, but not if our tanks will be too small....

Katy- I have two rostrata that are 7 years old that I got from Jim Powers. They are around 5.5 inches long, possibly 6 inches. I also have four other smaller rostratas that are between 3 and 4 inches, but have grown to that size quickly. Thus, I think that you might be fine with them in your tank. I really like them. I would also like to know if anyone has actually ever had an 8 inch rostrata or maybe the 8 inch figure is faulty.

The other thing about my rostratas is that they are not big wide bodied fish like clowns, so even my big rostratas don't contribute that much bio load.

Katy- Don't ever worry about posting too many pictures. We love pictures.

Keith Wolcott wrote:Katy- Don't ever worry about posting too many pictures. We love pictures.

be careful what you ask for....