Loaches Online Forum

In my area there are two LFSs: one that I frequent because it is truly outstanding, and an atrocious one that is much closer to my home but I rarely go into except when I need something quickly and don't want to drive across town.

The other day was just such an occasion, when I wandered in searching for a small piece of driftwood to placate my clown pleco. Of course they didn't have any, but as I wandered around looking at their half-empty tanks (by that I mean that half of their tanks were bone dry) my eye landed on a beautiful little juvenile botia kubotai, swimming around energetically in a small display tank full of common plecos (labelled as "algea eaters") and various mollys. No other loaches were present in his tank, but he seemed happy and healthy anyway as he swam around and poked at the gravel looking for tidbits. I think that only the people on this forum will understand this: I had to have that fish.

"What can you tell me about this little guy right here?" I asked the obviously oblivious young woman that came over to help me.
"Uh, I think that's an algea eater..."
Funny, I didn't see that much resemblance between the loach and the dozen or so plecos that were in the tank with him, but then I only have perfect vision so what do I know? Realizing that she was out of her league, she went and got the manager, who was also a young woman that appeared only slightly less oblivious.
"That's a yoyo loach, $4.99," She responded confidently after I pointed out to her which fish I was curious about. "See, there's another one there and another one there. They all came in the same shipment." Ever confident in her fish knowledge, she had indeed pointed to a yoyo loach (b. almorhae), and then to a golden zebra (b. histrionica). So far 1 out of 3 on species identification. Can you see why I don't usually shop at this store?

At this point my better judgment kicked in and I decided to leave without the fish. I did end up getting the driftwood I needed, at the other store of course. Over the next 2 days, I kept thinking of that little kubotai (ok, I'm a sucker for a pretty loach), and worrying about the poor conditions at that store - or even worse, where the poor thing might end up.

Today I had some errands to run, so I went back into the awful local LFS and looked for the little loach. To my great relief I saw that he was still there and still healthy looking. There were different employees in the store today, but I think that they were pulled from the same pool as the others. After waiting for 15 minutes for someone to approach me, I hobbled over to the counter and got their attention (this is after they had walked by me several times, doing their level best to ignore me while helping several other customers who had come in after me). Thanks for that, I appreciate the great service.

"I'd like the botia kubotai you have in the tank over there," I said, fully expecting the blank look that appeared on the young woman's face. "I'll point to it." Is it bad that I expect people to have at least a rudimentary idea of what they are selling?

Well, to make a long story slightly less long, the new kubotai seems to be making friends with all of my golden zebras and yoyos, and as far as I can tell so far is happy and healthy in his new home. Time will tell. For now, I feel like I've rescued him - I hope that I am right.

Thanks for sharing that story! It was an interesting read. I definitely know what you mean about needing to have that fish!

I also know what you mean about those shops and the people "running" them.

At least you got the happy little guy and gave him a great home!

Also... PICTURES! We need photographic evidence.

I wish you could have rescued my Botia kubotai from me.

24 hours later and you'd never know that he hadn't been in my tank all along. He's been "adopted" by all 8 of the other loaches and is just as energetic, playful, and (apparently) happy as the rest of them.

I'll attempt to post an image (hope this works):


I'm sorry I couldn't get a better pic, but loaches just don't like to pose for pictures.

He is so cute!

Thanks! I think he's cute also.

You know how they say no good deed goes unpunished? I just noticed 3 distinct white spots on his tail that weren't there yesterday... Now I have to treat my tank for ich (I don't have the space or the means for a quarantine tank at this time, but I think it just got higher up on the priority list).

Oh, well. Hopefully I caught it early enough that it won't spread to the other fish.

Good luck for all your fish.

I can't pass a fish in need and not do something. I bring home the maimed, injured, sick, and pop them into the hospotal tank. About 50% make it. But I feel better. I have also put them in main tanks in a pinch, but try not to.

I was at the store the other day, one I should never visit, and asked what an extraordinary pleco was. He was green with orange spots and about 6". I was told he wasn't a pleco. I said, of course he is. They said, no he isn't a catfish. I said, yes, he is. Now I know he is a phantom green pleco. Amazing! I may be the owner of one very soon. I will post pictures in freshwater if I get him.

Not a catfish? I wonder what it was that they thought he was...

I just looked up what a phantom green pleco is (not having heard of one before), and if I were you I'd grab that gem before someone else does. What a beautiful pleco! I hope you do post pics (if you get him), I'd like to see what he looks like.

As for my little kubotai, he is looking healthy and happy. The ich spots went away the next day, and there's no sign of it infecting any of the other fish, thankfully.

Keep vigilant with the tank. I hope all your fish continue to be healthy and happy. Thanks for the rescue. I am sure the Kubotai thanks you.

One person on the staff knew that he was a catfish and what he was. The other staff told me he couldn't be a catfish because he was in the wrong tank for a catfish. I assured him he absolutely was a catfish, pleco of some sort. I had never seen one before. He sold for about $45, which I thought was a great price. I am very lucky, because a gentleman in my fish club has one he wants to give me. I may get one for free. He will move into my 75 gallon catfish, oddball tank.

Next to loaches, catfish are my great love.

Free is always the best price.

I think we may have similar tastes in fish, Starsplitter7. I've always been a fan of both loaches and catfish, and some of my most memorable fish have been of those persuasions. If I had to pick out my favorites of all time, I would probably say the 6 dojos I had that would eat out of my hands, then my 2 monster channel catfish, and then my electric catfish; in that order. Sadly, they are all long gone (20 years ago) and I no longer have the tanks I once had, so having a collection like that again is unlikely.

However, I am quite happy with the 9 loaches I have now. I also have a nice, fat yellow-marbled syno (Synodontus schoutedeni) that I'm very happy with along with a small school of corys and a clown pleco, so my catfish needs are met - for now.

If I had tanks big enough, I would love to try the cats you mentioned. Today at my favorite store, they had wild cats that came in with feeders. Since I don't know native cats well, and they were less than an inch, I was afraid to try them. They would hit 4 inches and eat my tank.

I tell people I have the taste of an 8 year boy when it comes to fish. Weird and strange oddball, that's what I like (nothing pained, dyed or inflated please).

I picked up some adorable "Hummingbird Tetras". Definitely not tetras. They are south American darters. Very cute and energetic, and act like they own their quarantine tank. They have a checkerboard design with a pink sheen. They dogpile and follow each other.

I also found companions for my lone Sid. About time. Florida is a wasteland for finding loaches.

I agree, you have to be very careful with unidentified catfish. Some are as gentle as they come, but others will eat anything that fits into their mouths - no matter how important it was to you. Some also tend to get very BIG, as I found out when I was a kid. My channel cats outgrew their 55 gallon tank in a couple of years (by outgrew, I mean they were 18" long! I was a kid, please forgive my mistakes) and I had to give them to a friend who put them in his 125 gallon tank.

Odd and unusual fish always catch my attention, which is why I was sad to leave behind a beautiful ropefish at the LFS (the good one) the other day. I just don't have a place for large, aggressive fish right now.

Nice find on the darters, I don't know anything about them but they sound like interesting fish. Sorry to hear about your trouble finding loaches. I haven't taken advantage of it yet, but the LFS has offered to order me anything I want. I may test them on that soon - my son wants kuhliis for his tank and they don't stock them.

Depending on how small your fish are, you would have nothing to worry about with a ropefish. I have had one for years. He was about 7" when I got him. He's now about 13" and the width of my pinkie finger and an absolutely lovely resident of his tank. I would worry about him with small shrimp, neon tetra sized fish and fry. I have mine eating shrimp pellets, cocktail shrimp, blood worms. . . no live foods. I have all my carnivores off live foods.

I worry more about the rope fish, because he is so thin. I am always afraid someone will chomp him in half, but these fish have been togehter a long time, and don't really look at each other as a snack. He lives with a bichir, a tiretrack eel, 2 sleeper gobies, and some catfish.

The darters are great. Remind me of a goby. We have darters in our rivers here, and they show up in bags of feeder fish. They are incredibly cute. Sit on the pectoral fins, Very interactive and watch their owners. Not at all shy. Used a flashlight to look at them int heir tank at the store, and they swam to the light. They hover when they swim. http://www.azgardens.com/p-888-hummingbird-tetra.aspx

Thanks for the information, those darters are interesting. I always like to see fish that have personality, which is probably why I like loaches so much.

Unfortunately, even if I dared put a ropefish into my tank with my other fish (which range in size from 1 inch to just under 4), I would risk overloading a tank that is already on the verge of being overstocked. Someday, perhaps, but not until I can get a bigger tank.

I agree. Not a good idea to overload the tank. I think even 1" fish would probably be safe from the ropefish, if you kept him fed. I have overstocked tanks, and do a lot of water changes. But it is better not to have overstocked tanks. It is a left over from me being a stupid beginner keeper. If I could do it over, I know how to do it right.