# Keeping Botia and Loaches with Cichlids



## il0veCichlids (Nov 9, 2009)

Heyy, I just got 2 Botia/Loaches today and they seem to be doing fine in a 30 Gallon fry tank. Alot of rock work and fake plants. One of them is a Zebra Loach(Botia Striata) and the other is a Emperor Botia (Botia udomrithiruji) . The fry are kenya fries around 20-30 of em and i have a 2 inch Livingstoni in there too as well as an albino and a peacock. So i was wondering if they would do good in the tank. They havent been nipped at yet and are doing good. and i noticed they seem to be hiding alot. are they going to be okay? they are bigger then the fry.


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

Botia Loaches will mix with almost any cichlid....if anything, be more worried about your cichlids. The Botias have a sharp spine under their eye that folds down. And they aren't afraid to use it....a note from personal experience----watch your hands when you net them!

Botias are nocturnal, so you won't see a whole lot of them, except at feeding time. Feed them a sinking pellet food a few times a week---after you turn the lights off, so your cichlids don't eat it first. Botias really love most meaty/ frozen foods. All Botias are a little slow growing. They also like to lay on their side and/or back and play dead...so don't worry if you see yours do that.

I've never kept the "Emperor Botia" before so I can't comment on that species. Botia Striata should do very well, once it acclimates to your water.

My personal favorite Botia is the "Red Fin Botia," Botia Modesta. They have thrived in every tank that I have ever put them in...and they are very long-lived.


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## il0veCichlids (Nov 9, 2009)

alritee thxx mann, i found him and moved him into a 10 gallon tank will cichlid **** (smaller) and im waiting till i buy 2 more and then ill put all 3 in the 30 gallon again. Thx for all the info! hes very active in the 10 gallon! never hiding


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## Lesley (Sep 20, 2003)

I've had a Striata (striped) loach in my cichlid tank for about eight years now... cute little guy that gets along with everyone, but takes no **** even from the biggest cichlids.
I'd be wary of adding yoyos though... although I love them, they're terrible pests and fin nippers.


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## lethalcustoms00 (Dec 27, 2009)

yo yo botias do bestt in cichlid tanks when they are kept in groups up at least 4 of more. i have been doing it that way for years with no problems. they arent any harder on the cichlids than the cichlids are on them. i catch them teasing some of my bigger africans quite often. they will did for leftover food, love snails, and are a blast to watch. and yes, be carefull of that little blade under the eyes


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## Lesley (Sep 20, 2003)

They're little buggers though... mine is relentless with teasing. He recently started a new trick, one that's going to get him moved soon: nipping inside the gills of bigger fish.


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## lethalcustoms00 (Dec 27, 2009)

ok thats a dirty trick. mine will team up one behing the biggest fish, bump him , and duck away. when the african whipped around the yo yo is gone except another is already behing him to bump him agian and so on and so forth


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## spraycaint123 (Dec 14, 2009)

No worries!
For the most part I wouldn't worry, I had a black khuli loach in with an auratus and a few others for close to 4 years with no problems.


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## Lesley (Sep 20, 2003)

Yah, kuhlis don't bother anyone at all. I keep forgetting that I have two of them. They live beneath the gravel and rarely come out.
My two clowns get along fine with cichlids, they just ignore each other.


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## spraycaint123 (Dec 14, 2009)

Lesley said:


> Yah, kuhlis don't bother anyone at all. I keep forgetting that I have two of them. They live beneath the gravel and rarely come out.
> My two clowns get along fine with cichlids, they just ignore each other.


I know what you mean, I had one long ago and moved all my fish into a larger tank and forget I had the loach! I kept the rocks in the tank and just sat it in my closet, then a few days later heard what sounded like something throwing gravel around, so I looked and there he was wiggling around on the rocks.


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