Red Tail Botia Help

[danny_sims]

Hi everyone
Was in the local fish shop today and saw some red tail botias at £4.25 each so i bought two with the intention of increasing the poulation at a later date.
got them home and they settled in well for half an hourand then i found one burried beneath the gravel so i helped it out and then found another burried so also helped that but now i can only see one and i cant find the other.
they seem to get stuck how can i help them?
i would say that the gravel is small to medium and around 3-4inches in depth,
please help.

 

[Carlovel1]

They are probs settling , what other fish do you have in your tank?
All loaches are extremely active and curious. My friend's Weather Loach ofter disappears under the gravel or behind the filter.

 

[england]

Probally trying there hardest to hide, i was given a blueish coloured botia by lfs who couldnt handle the aggression, so ive had it probally 6months and seen it only a handful of times , because of the layout in the tank he wizzing around under all the rocks etc, can go weeks without seeing him...So fish will hide alot, as stated what other fish do you have?

 

[danny_sims]

They are probs settling , what other fish do you have in your tank?

will they not die if they burrow and then get stuck? (will they be stuck or just lying in it?
2 red tail botia's
2 x rainbow sharks (they are swimming side by side lying together and not fighting)
1 x albino BN
1 x gibicep pleco
8 x red platties
2 x bala shark
2 x dwarf gouramis
2 x xl mollies
2 x lleporinus
3 x pink tetras

still cannot see it and i dont want to shuffle the gravel and kill it

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Given they are new, I would leave them to it for now. If anything serious happens aggression wise, hopefully you will see it as your main tank will not be "hidden" in the garage (like mine is)!

Red Tail Botias are lovely looking loaches, but be wary how they do in your community, as they have a reputation for being spiteful little sods as they get older

 

[danny_sims]

found it wedged between 3 rocks so removed them and now its all fine.

 

[england]

Can you see them now? do they look unwell?
If not then i would leave them to get on with it, seriously some fish like to hide, some people rearly see there fish like collie loaches, plecs and other fish like that, like i said i can go weeks n weeks without seeing mine,

oh thats the one ive got, evil little blighters....But mine has met his match and gets along fine in my tank of snakeheads

 

[danny_sims]

they look fine they are being chased by the reinbow shark and told of by the little BN plec.
i have large slate rocks in the tank and one piece of bog wood.
i dont really like the bog wood.
where is the best place to get little pots from and also can you get them in any other colour than terrocota (spelling?)
i have got a new idea for hiding places.
danny
i dont have any plants.

 

[england]

That could pose a problem as things mature, bristlenoses are aggressive as are rainbow sharks to a degree, what size is you tank?
Its easy to create hiding places, i shall find a link with mine in the snakehead tank, slate and rock,

 

[england]

Go to a garden centre, you can pick up terracotta pots cheap, slate also from a garden centre can be very cheap indeed, cut it up and use multiple peices, i hide terracotta pots in the gravel and cover with rocks and slate,

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/266795-nellys-ornate-snakeheads-tank-update/page__p__2210111__fromsearch__1&#entry2210111

 

[danny_sims]

hi nelly
the pics look great.
i had made some caves from the slate i have around 15 pieces.
tank is 300 litre aqua one. good filteration.
also a good tight lid as they like to jump.
i will get some tomorow and have a change round.
i didnt know that the bristlenoses were aggresive... would it be ok within my livebearer tank? only 120 litre though.
after a read on the interne it seems as though botia's are best kept in groups of 6 or more. is this true?
danny

 

[Carlovel1]

They are probs settling , what other fish do you have in your tank?

will they not die if they burrow and then get stuck? (will they be stuck or just lying in it?
2 red tail botia's
2 x rainbow sharks (they are swimming side by side lying together and not fighting)
1 x albino BN
1 x gibicep pleco
8 x red platties
2 x bala shark
2 x dwarf gouramis
2 x xl mollies
2 x lleporinus
3 x pink tetras

still cannot see it and i dont want to shuffle the gravel and kill it

For a 300 litre tank you are overstocked. The Bala Sharks and the Leporinus grow way too big.
Also, it will be normal for the rainbow shark to chase around the red tailed botias, TBH I would take back the Red Tailed Botias just to avoid aggression issues. Eventually the rainbow shark may kill the red tailed botia.

 

[england]

Yeah agree with carlovel1, what i ment was bn plecs are terratorial and agressive ammounst bottom dwellers, the gibbicep plec you will deff need to rehome, also bala's, my old gibbicep was maaaahosive along with my very big bala sharks,

 

[danny_sims]

its all going to be part of a 6x2x2 setup soon.
all the fish are only young. and the biggest is the leporinas at 3 inches.

 

[Carlovel1]

Should be ok then