Botia Dario
$4.00
Approx. 2.5″
The body of the Dario Botia Loach is tan and black in color, and like other Botia loaches can be identified by their four pairs of barbels protruding from the mouth area. The entire body and fins of this Loach is barred with alternating stripes of both tan and black, which gives the fish its unique look.
The Dario Botia Loach is an active, semi-aggressive, social, bottom dwelling scavenger that enjoys the company of its own species and other semi-aggressive fish. Like some other Loaches, they frequently school with others of their own species, size, and age and in the aquarium should be kept in groups of 4 to 8 fish.
Dario Botia Loaches are inquisitive and seem to enjoy exploring their surroundings. They are shy of bright light, prefer low light conditions and love to hide in caves, holes in banks, plants,driftwood, nooks, and tight crannies, especially when they sleep. They are reclusive during the day and become most active towards dusk.
In the aquarium, be sure to provide Dario Botias with plenty of cover in the form of rocks, wood, flower pots and aquarium ornaments. Natural style arrangements should include a substrate of sand or fine gravel, plenty of smooth water worn rocks, smooth pebbles, and driftwoodroots or branches.
Dario Botia Loaches will squeeze themselves into any tiny gaps or crevices they can find, so items with sharp edges should not be placed in the tank. Any gaps or holes that are small enough for the fish to become trapped in should be filled in with aquarium silicone sealant. Because they are jumpers, a tight fitting cover is a must for these loaches.
Dario Botia Loaches come from streams and require currents in the aquarium. They are intolerant to accumulations of organic wastes and need spotlessly clean water to thrive. A good filtering system and a small power head will achieve the desired well oxygenated water and moderate current conditions they require.
Since Dario Botias are subject to low light conditions in their native habitat, lighting in the aquarium should be relatively subdued. Plants like Microsorum pteropus (Java fern), Taxiphyllum barbieri (‘Java’ moss
) or Anubias spp. that grow well in low light conditions, will benefit the fish, and when attached to driftwood or other tank furniture will provide additional shade for the fish.
Dario Botia Loaches will easily adapt to and should only be introduced to stable, biologically mature aquariums. Weekly water changes of 30-50% tank volume should be considered routine maintenance.
The Dario Botia Loach is a grazer and requires small amounts of food several times a day. Young Dario Botia Loaches will eat most high quality commercially prepared foods but older fish may be more finicky. Feed them a varied diet of freeze dried bloodworms, brine shrimp and a quality flake or pellet food. They relish snails and will feast on them with gusto.
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 72-86° F, KH 8-12, pH 6.0-7.5
Max Size: 6″
Color Form: Black, Tan
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: Social with peaceful, open water dwelling cyprinids
Origin: India, Bangladesh
Family: Cobitidae
Lifespan: 5-8 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate
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Clown Loach
The Clown Loach (Botia macracantha) is a peaceful schooling fish native to the inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
In their native habitat, the Clown Loach is found in fast moving streams with water temperature ranges between 77 and 86 °F, a pH between 5.0 and 8.0, and water hardness between 5 and 12 dH. For a good portion of the year, monsoons force the Clown Loach into blackwater river areas and murky water conditions encountered when the plains become flooded.
Clown Loaches get their name from their bright colors. The main body is light to bright orange with three wide black, triangular, vertical bands that gives it it’s unmistakeable appearance. The front band runs from the top of the head through the eye, the middle band runs between the head and the dorsal fin and wraps around the body, and the rear band wraps around the caudal and anal fins around the body. Clown Loaches are wide bodied fish that have a large moveable spine set in a groove below each of the fish’s eyes that is used for defense and holding onto rocks in swift currents.
Clown Loaches are shy fish and benefit from having live plants and river rocks in the aquarium to hide amongst. They appreciate having caves, holes, driftwood and other hiding places strategically positioned around heavy aquarium plantings.
The Clown Loach is one of the “must have” fish for tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. They get along well with most other members of a community tank and have some interesting habits like swimming upside down or on their sides, and laying on their sides and “playhing dead” on the botttom of the tank. This is normal behavior for these fish.
Unlike most nocturnal loaches, Clown Loaches are active during the day but need cover, and shy away from bright light. Because they are schooling fish, they do best in groups of 6 or more individuals and need a large tank with good water movement. When kept in groups smaller than five, they will spend a lot of time hiding. Since they grow up to a foot long in their natural environment, a 100 gallon tank or larger is not inappropriate to keep these fish happy. Clown Loaches are susceptible to Ichthyophthirius (ich) or white spot disease when stressed or subjeted to rapid water temperature changes.
Clown Loaches should be fed several small meals throughout the day instead of only once a day. They are omnivorous and will eat a variety of foods like vegetable flakes, “Pleco tablets”, live, frozen, or freeze-dried worms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, and banana or other plant matter. Botia macracantha are voracious eaters of those nuisance snails that sometimes sneak into your aquarium on live plants.
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons Care Level: Moderate Temperament: Semi-aggressive Aquarium Hardiness: Very Hardy Water Conditions: 72-86° F, KH 8-12, pH 6.0-7.5 Max. Size: 1′ Color Form: Black, Orange, Red, Tan Diet: Omnivore Compatibility: Good community tank fish Origin: Indonesia Family: Cobitidae Lifespan: 15 years + Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner
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