Botia's With Malawi's?

[GOT FISH?]

I took my common pleco back today, looked like he had been nipped a few times....I had asked the local guy about tank mates he said I can add red tail botia with my malawi's but he didn't have one of size yet....Anyone have this combo or something similiar? what combo's are working for you in your tank?

 

[tophat665]

I took my common pleco back today, looked like he had been nipped a few times....I had asked the local guy about tank mates he said I can add red tail botia with my malawi's but he didn't have one of size yet....Anyone have this combo or something similiar? what combo's are working for you in your tank?

Malawis require hard, alkaline water. Botia modesta needs slightly acidic to just over neutral water, and prefrs hardness no more than 12 dgh. Also, they get 7" long and aggressive. Also, B. modesta likes to be in a group of 3 minimum, 5 to 7 optimum - so that's a whole lot of bioload. Maybe they could hold their own in a malawi tank, but I would guess that they wouldn't live all that long.

 

[GOT FISH?]

Thanks for the reply, do you have any suggestions?

 

[adambrum]

most of the synodontis family work very well as they are really tough ,the synodontis njssae is the native catfish of malawi but are difficult to get the other catfish that works is the bristle nose.