Polka Dot Loach (Botia Kubotai)
Polka Dot Loaches can be reasonably boisterous and are best kept in communities of fast-swimming, strong, small to medium-sized fishes. It would be more beneficial for other fish if you avoid keeping them with any long flowing finned species.
These loaches are a very social species and must be kept in shoals of 5 or more to proceed with prosperity. These fish can be hardy under the right conditions. However, they are not recommended for beginner aquarists because of their need for pristine water, and they do not possess scales.
The Polka Dot Loach sports yellow-spotted horizontal black stripes that are interlarded with yellow spotted vertical bars. They have dramatic colour changes as they mature with no two fish having the same pattern. The black stripes and bars widen, and there are many different variations in the size and number of spots.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Botia Kubotai |
| Other Names | Burmese Border Loach, Angelicus Loach, Marble Loach, Cloud Botia |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Botiidae |
| Genus | Botia |
| Origins | Myanmar, Thailand |
| Temperament | Semi-Aggressive |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom - Middle |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 5+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 8 - 12 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.5 - 6.9 |
| GH | 1 - 10 |
| TDS | 36 - 179 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 75 - 82℉ 23.9 - 27.8℃ | |
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Polka Dot Loach will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.
Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.
It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.
This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.
Tank Mates
1 interesting tank mate ideas for the Polka Dot Loach could include:
Sexual Dimorphism
It is easy to differentiate males from female Polka Dot Loaches.
Sexually mature females are generally more full-bodied than males with a curved snout whereas males have an elongated nose with noticeably fleshier lips.