Edit Ambastaia sidthimunki
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Name
Scientific name
Ambastaia sidthimunki
Described by
Authority Klausewitz, Year 1959
Family
Botiidae
Summary
The dwarf chain loach, Ambastaia sidthimunki, is a small botiid loach from the Mae Klong basin in western Thailand and the Ataran drainage …
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
60mm, standard length
Tank size
Minimum length 80 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm
Water
Temperature and pH
Temperature 20–30°C, pH 5.5–7.5
Hardness
1–12dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Community-safe
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Myanmar, Thailand, Ataran, Kasat, Mae Klong
Supporting text
Etymology
Ambastaia: Named for Ambastai, a river in Ptolemy’s (ca. 90-168) Geographikê Hyphêgêsis (Handbook of Geography) that is today considered to be the Mekong. sidt…
Distribution
Type locality is given as 'brooks of northern Thailand' or 'Loom district, Yom River', the latter of which probably corresponds to the Yom river in northern Th…
Habitat
Images we have seen from the Ataran basin depict relatively slow-flowing sections of forested, seemingly well-oxygenated headwaters with clear water, a mixed s…
Aquarium size
For long-term maintenance an aquarium with base measurements of 80 ∗ 30 cm31 ∗ 12 in or equivalent should be the smallest considered.
Maintenance
All botiids require a well-structured set-up although choice of décor is more-or-less down to personal taste, with A. sidthimunki one of the few representative…
Water conditions
Temperature: 20 – 30 °C68 – 86 °F pH: 5.5 – 7.5, though pH at localities sampled in the original description was measured to be 8.0. Hardness: 1 – 12 dGH
Diet
Although Ambastaia spp. appear to be chiefly carnivorous they will also eat vegetative matter if available, often including soft-leaved aquatic plants. They ar…
Behaviour and compatibility
This species is generally considered to be an excellent choice for the community aquarium, but caution should possibly be exercised since conflicting observati…
Sexual dimorphism
Sexually mature females are normally fuller-bodied and grow a little larger than males, while adult males develop slightly elongated snouts plus noticeably fle…
Reproduction
A. sidthimunki is farmed commercially for the aquarium hobby via the use of hormones but reports of breeding by private aquarists are more-or-less unheard of, …
Notes
This species was unavailable to aquarists for several years prior to the turn of the century, and when commercially-produced stock first came onto the market p…
References
References
16 on this profile