Ladder Loach (Botia rostrata)

From The Aquarium Wiki

Contents 1 Alternative names 2 Sexing 3 Tank compatibility 4 Diet 5 Feeding regime 6 Environment Specifics 7 Behaviour 8 Identification 9 Pictures 10 External links

Alternative names

Twin-banded Loach, Ladder Loach, Dohser, Gangetic Loach, Sergeant Major Loach

Sexing

Females are plumper than males.

Tank compatibility

A peaceful fish that should be kept in groups in peaceful community tanks. Should not be kept in groups of less than 3 or 4.

Diet

Will accept most foods including pellet and flake as well as live/frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia. May also eat small snails. Green stuff is an important part of all Loaches' diets and so they should be fed blanched vegetable diet a couple of times a week, suitable examples would be zucchini (courgette), cucumber and lettuce but some like things like broccoli, sprouts or de-shelled peas.

Feeding regime

Feed once or twice a day. Be careful to avoid overfeeding these fish.

Environment Specifics

Prefers a spacious well-filtered tank with dense planting and plenty of hiding places.

Does not tolerate ammonia or nitrite very well.

Behaviour

A peaceful Loach that likes to be in groups, however, in a group they will develop a hierarchy and less dominant fish will need places to hide to avoid being bullied.

Identification

This fish has a creamy base colour on its body with several irregular dark brown vertical twin-bands with blue-grey colouring in between. Not to be mistaken for Botia almorhae, Botia kubotai or Botia striata.

Pictures

Botia rostrata

Botia rostrata

External links

• Fishbase
• Loaches.com