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Loaches
/ Botiinae / Banded Loach
Banded Loach, Tiger Loach, Barred Loach
Botia helodes | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description:
An elongated, flat-bellied fish with an arched back.
The head is long and pointed, and the
caudal fin is forked.
The back is olive green to brown and the flanks are mossy green to brown.
The flanks are marked with 11-12 yellow,
transverse stripes.
These run from the apex of the back to the lower parts.
Beyond the end of these stripes are
irregular brown spots.
The belly is whitish.
The fins except for the caudal, which is striped, are colorless.
Size/Length: To 8" (20 cm)
Similar species: Banded Loach ( B.
hymenophysa) of Borneo, Java, Malaysia, and Sumatra; and the Banded
or Zebra Loach ( B. striata
) of India.
Habitat: Widespread in streams and rivers in Southeast Asia; Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
S: bottom
Aquarium: A tank measuring 36" (91 cm) with a capacity from 35-45 gallons (123-170 L) is sufficient
for smaller fish.
Adult fish require a 48" (122 cm) tank with a volume from 50-55 gallons (190-209 L).
The
tank should be well-planted with anchored plants, and leave open swimming areas.
Provide a retreat for each fish using
rocks, roots, wood, tubes, or an over-turned flower pot.
Use a fine gravel substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.9), 4-15 dH (10), 75-86°F (24-30°C)
Social behavior: A territorial and aggressive species which preys upon small fish.
This Loach should be kept in groups
in a large tank with plenty of refuges.
The crepuscular species is timid during acclimation.
Territories are defended aggressively.
Combine
with robust species that are equal or larger in size.
Suggested companions: Cichlasomines,
Chitala ornata,
Barbus schwanenfeldi, Trichogaster, large
Danios, Silver Dollars, Headstanders, Scleropages.
FOOD: Live; small fish, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans; tablets; plant matter.
A voracious
bottom feeder.
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unknown
Breeding potential: 10.
Has not been accomplished in captivity.
Remarks: Once acclimated this species become diurnal.
At feeding times, this Loach makes clicking
sounds.
Difficulty of care: 5.
This species is not suitable for the normal community tank due to its aggressive behavior.
It
requires live foods in its diet.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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