To save or not to save? This is my question...

[Eika]

Hello LOLers,

I'm hoping to find some good advice and valid opinions on whether or not to 'save' a botia kubotai from an lfs, and this site of all places is surely the place to ask!

The situation is: there is a single (healthy looking) adult botia kubotai that is living under a tiny piece of driftwood in the local store. I asked one of the shop workers about him, and apparently he was part of a display that was taken down a few months ago: they had forgotten all about him until the display tank was emptied, whereupon he was put in a sale tank and there he still resides . As he has been there for a few months now, and it is (as franchise pet stores go) a fairly respect-worthy shop in my experience, this seems to be the true story.

'Ninja' as we refer to him, was the first one of these loaches I or my mum had ever seen, and we were struck by his beautiful patterning, so we went home and did a bit of research first (you have no idea how difficult it was to persuade my mum not to impulse buy ). The only tank I have available is a 140 litre (120x40cm footprint) river tank that was set up for my hillstream loaches but has a fairly mild turnover of 13 times per hour. It's layout is mainly large rocks and driftwood, though I've just spent a bomb ordering lots of java ferns for it So while it isn't the perfect planted tank for him, and I wouldn't be able to get any more kubotais (it's already filling quickly and I don't want to overstock) surely that would be a better life than the tiny, bland tank he is in now? Or should I leave him where he is?

Additional details: tankmates would include 4 gastromyzon loaches, 5 harlequin rasboras, 3 small comet goldfish (temporary! Their pond is in progress! ) and a few white cloud minnows. Temp around 22-23C, weekly/biweekly water changes, 3 stage filtration. The substrate at the moment is half very fine gravel and half 5-7mm gravel, which I may replace with sand if you think that would be too harsh on his barbels.

So this is my dilemma, should I rescue Ninja from his lonely sad life or wait in he hope hat somebody else might be able to give him a better home than me? Any advice or shared experience would be appreciated!

Eika

[chefkeith]

I wouldn't. You'd need to put the kub in a quarantine tank for about a month before adding it to that river tank, otherwise you risk infecting all the other fish with deadly pathogens. The only way I'd do it is if I set up a new bigger tank and got more kubs. It's just not worth rescuing lone fish, especially loaches, if you don't have a large enough tank for a group of them.

[Eika]

Thanks Chefkeith,

You sound like the voice of reason but I've been thinking about him all night! We do have a spare 2ft tank he could quarentine in, I forgot to mention that before. Do you think the tank would be big enough for a group 2 or 3 kubotais if the only other fish were 4 hillstreams and 5 harlequin rasboras? It isn't actually 'stocked' yet, I just had plans of getting more rasboras/minnows, but if I could keep a small group of kubotais in there instead I'd happily sacrifice the initial plan. Would the tank be big enough for them then?

[mattyd]

I also think you shouldn't. They are really also a social loach. If you wanted him, the best you could do without more oh his own species would be get some sidthimunki loaches (dwarf chain loaches) or zebra loaches or pakistani (yoyo) loaches.

Maybe let us know what area of the world you are in. It is possible that someone might live within a few hours drive of the store who has a few others and could add Ninja to their own collection... or perhaps someone else knows of some kubotai loaches at stores not that far from you that you could buy to keep him company.

And 22 degrees C is too cold for the kubotai loach. I would say 26-29 degrees is better for them. Although the species blurb on them on the main loaches site suggests that 24-28 is okay... but personally, I wouldn't let the water get down to 24.

Matt

Brisbane, Australia

[plaalye]

I agree with Chefkieth in response to your original post, but if you can get a few more, and quarantine the group before adding them to the main tank, I'd say sure. Without the goldfish your tank sounds fine though a bit on the cool side. You might consider moving the white clouds and upping the temp a bit.

[Eika]

Thanks all,

Mattyd that's a great idea, I'm in Auckland, NZ at the moment and will ask around, there may well be somebody near here who just hasn't seen him in there (other than about 3mm of a nose tip, he's invisible to the world under that log!).

I'm in this for the hillstream loaches really, so could never change my tank to suit botia's very well - if the temp is too cold as well then it's definitely not the best place for him. I'll ask around at one of the very good lfs's to see if he can find a better home, thanks for the advice everybody

[plaalye]

"I'm in this for the hillstream loaches really, so could never change my tank to suit botia's very well"

I keep gastromyzons at mid to upper 70s. They are not cool water fish.

[starsplitter7]

I would set up a quarantine for him, find some friends for him, and then prepare setting up a tank for him and his buddies. This explains why I have 11 tanks, and I will have two more very soon.

[Eika]

Plaalye - I mean in terms of flow, layout (relatively few plants etc) as well as temperature. Though from what I've read, Gastromyzons are sort of intermediate between cool and tropical waters so personally I wouldn't keep them above 24C - which by the sounds of things wouldn't be suitable for Ninja

Starsplitter7 - Haha, I've gone down that path with guppies recently (big mistake! They are now banned from the house ) but as I'm just about to finish college I need to start saving for a gap year, so no more tanks for me.......yet! If Ninja is still here when I get a job, I'll be following your lead

[plaalye]

Have a look through this blog. You'll see temps from 25-30c in natural habitat.

http://borneosucker.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... ucker.html

[starsplitter7]

I have a tank of "feeder guppies", so you can imagine what kind of fish keeper I am. These guys live out their spoiled lives living with bamboo shrimp and panda garras.

[rixons]

Hi there,

I am also in Auckland and keep clown, yoyo, kubotai. Is this fish in Auckland? If so where? I might go take a look.

Tim

[mattyd]

yeah, Tim... You should have a look and buy him if you agree it is a Kubotai. If it isn't in Aukland, then it might still be worth thinking about buying and having shipped. The weather at the moment should be good over your way for shipping fish.

[rixons]

Went there today, but no polka dots to be seen. I asked, but fish guy is off sick. Maybe the fish has already been saved.

[Eika]

Sorry for the lack of response, I've been away for a while. I had a look in there too Tim, and was able to talk their 'head of fish' guy who says Ninja was sold quite recently. Thanks for trying, and thanks again to everybody's shared viewpoints