Botia Almorhae






Common name: Yoyo Loach, Almorha Loach, Pakistani Loach
Distribution: India, Nepal, Bangladesh.
Sexual Dimorphism: Females generally plumper all over than males and can get extremely fat when full of eggs. Males exhibit redness around barbels and mouth.
Maximum size: 6 inches
Water parameters: pH:6.5-7.5 Hardness: Medium Max dh: <12
Temperature: 76ºF to 82ºF(22-27.7°C)
Breeding: Not bred in aquaria, but mature females regularly fill with spawn


Botia Dario






Common name: Queen Loach, Bengal Loach, Geto Loach
Distribution: India, Bangladesh.
Sexual Dimorphism: Unknown. Females probably plumper.
Maximum size: 6 inches. (15cm)
Water parameters: pH:6.8-7.5. Hardness:Soft to medium. Max dh:12.0.
Temperature: 75ºF to 82ºF(24-28°C)
Breeding: Not known to breed in the aquarium


Botia Histrionica






Common name: Burmese Loach, Golden Zebra Loach, Silver Striped Loach
Distribution: India, Burma: the Salween basin. May occur in western Thailand
Sexual dimorphism: unknown
Maximum size: 5 inches (13 cm)
Water parameters: pH 6.5 - 7.2; Hardness: softer water. Max dh:
Temperature: 77-82F (25-28C)
Breeding: Not known to breed in the aquarium. Even cases of females becoming gravid are very rare.


Botia Kubotai






Common name: Polka-Dot Loach, Marble Loach, Cloud Botia, Angelicus Loach, Botia "Angelicus", Burmese Border Loach
Distribution: Burmese Border, Ataran River Basin, Myanmar.
Sexual Dimorphism: Unknown.
Maximum size: 5 Inches (13 cm)
Water parameters: pH:6.8-7.5. Hardness: Soft to medium. Max dh:20.0.
Temperature: 75ºF to 82ºF(24-28°C)
Breeding: Not known to breed in the aquarium


Botia Rostrata






Common name: Twin-banded Loach, Ladder Loach, Dohser (India), Gangetic Loach (India), Sergeant Major Loach
Distribution: India, Bangladesh, also Salween and Irrawaddy basin in China
Sexual Dimorphism: Females generally plumper all over than males and can get extremely fat when full of eggs
Maximum size: 8 inches (20cm)
Water parameters: pH:6.5-7.5 Hardness: Medium Max dh: 12
Temperature: 76ºF to 82ºF(22-27.7°C)
Breeding: Not bred in aquaria


Botia Striata






Common name: Zebra loach, Candystripe loach
Distribution: The clear mountain streams of Maharashtra and Western Ghats, India
Sexual Dimorphism: Mature females will have a rounder abdomen
Maximum size: 4 inches (10cm)
Water parameters: Soft and slightly acidic is best. pH: 7.0 or below, dH: <12 degrees
Temperature: 73ºF to 81ºF (23-27°C)
Breeding: There have been several accounts of females becoming gravid in home aquaria but no proven accounts of spawning have been documented


Botia Udomritthiruji






Common name: Botia species "Tenasserim River", Emperor Botia.
Distribution: Tenasserim River, Eastern Burma (now Myanmar)
Sexual Dimorphism: Female's abdomen plumper than male's.
Maximum size: 6 inches (15cm)
Water parameters: pH:6.0-6.5, Hardness: Soft, Max dh: 8 degrees
Temperature: 76ºF to 82ºF (22-27.7°C)
Breeding: Not bred in aquaria


Chromobotia Macracanthus






Common name: Clown Loach
Synonyms: Botia macracantha, Cobitis macracanthus, Chromobotia macracanthus
Distribution: Malay peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra
Sexual dimorphism: Mature fish deepen considerably and females tend to be bulkier. There are various theories about caudal fin lobe shapes being different, but these are inconclusive
Maximum size: 16 inches
Water parameters: pH 6.5 - 7.0, Hardness: aim for softer water, Maximum DH: 12
Temperature: 78ºF to 83ºF (25-30°C)
Breeding: No confirmation of natural breeding in the aquarium. Some forced reproduction through the use of hormones on fish farms in the tropics is rumoured. It is known that they are raised by such methods in the Czech Republic