Botia kubotai

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Polka Dot Loach
Polka Dot in a shop tank
Species	Botia kubotai
Difficulty	Moderate
Min. Tank Size	56.781 liters 56,781.177 mL 15 US Gallons (56.8L)
Size	4.724 in 10-12 cm (3.9-4.7")
pH	6.8 - 8
Temp.	297.15 K 75.2 °F 534.87 °R 301.15 K 82.4 °F 542.07 °R24 -28 °C (75.2-82.4°F)
Water Hardness	2-10
Stocking Ratio	1:1 M:F
Availability	Uncommon
Diet	Omnivore Pellet Foods Flake Foods Live Foods Other (See article)
Life Span	3-4 years

[edit] Alternative names

Polka Dot Loach, Burmese Border Loach, Myanmar Botia, Clouded Botia, Marble loach, Polka Dot Botia, Botia "Angelicus", Angelicus Loach.

[edit] Sexing

No known way to tell externally.

[edit] Breeding

They were not known to breed in captivity until recently. The secret it seems is to have them in a large tank with at least 10 others with plenty of bogwood with crevices so they can pair off and spawn.^[1]

[edit] Tank compatibility

These are quite a boisterous species and will do better with other loaches even if not of the same species (e.g. clown loach etc) They are sometimes known to bully smaller and weaker fish if not kept with other loaches. They will eat fry so be careful breeding other fish around them. They can often be seen interacting with each other.

[edit] Diet

They will eat pretty much anything that is going! Sinking cat fish pellets are good for the staple diet and then they like to be fed live foods once or twice a week to keep them healthy. They will happily eat dried flake foods if any sinks down but there is no guarantee they will get enough, especially if there are other types of fish in the aquarium.

They like to have a well planted environment with bogwood so that they can browse on the leaves. If there is any algae available they may eat that but it is rare as they prefer the plants. It is important that they get enough vegetables in their diet and so it would be a good idea to feed them with suitable vegetables about once a week even if there are plenty of plants, just to make sure.

Suitable vegetables include lettuce, courgette, cucumber, spinach, some will eat more obscure things like broccoli or sprouts. To prepare these, they need to be softened by placing them in water in the microwave or by boiling for about 2 minutes in a saucepan.

• When this fish is enjoying it's food, a clicking sound can be heard like with other loaches.

[edit] Feeding regime

They should be fed like any other fish: 2-4 times daily in small amounts. They can often be heard to make a strange clicking sound when they are enjoying their food.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Prefers a sandy substrate, or if kept on gravel then it needs to be very smooth to protect the barbels, and some hiding places including caves. They have been known to hide at the back of the internal filters of tanks: if you think you have lost them...that's probably where they are.

[edit] Behaviour

These fish can be quite timid when first introduced into the tank but they will soon come out more, especially when it's feeding time. They do like to hide away anyway though and even though it sounds ironic, the more hiding places for them there are; the more you will see them. This is because they will feel more secure as there is a place for them to 'run' to close by all the time. They tend to stay on the bottom of the tank. These fish are incredibly social and can often be seen interacting in their groups.

[edit] Identification

This type of loach is easy to identify by the spots on it. There are no other loaches like it.

Juveniles have markings that are more like stripes and these merge together as the fish gets older.

[edit] Pictures

[edit] References

1. ↑ PFK Online August 2008 - Breeder Mark Duffill from Middlesborough in the UK.

[edit] External links

• Fishbase
• Loaches Online
• PFK Article - Free subscription required.
• Animal World
• Wikipedia
• PFK Article - A fishkeeper's guide to botiine loaches.
• Aquahobby - Burmese Border Loach.
• Aquatic Community
• Badmans Tropical Fish