Edit Botia dario

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Name

Scientific name

Botia dario

Described by

Authority Hamilton, Year 1822, Bracketed

Family

Botiidae

Common names

Bengal Loach

Photograph credits

All 10 credited

Summary

The Bengal loach, Botia dario, is a botiid loach from the middle to lower Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages in northern India, Bangladesh an…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

130mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 45 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 23–26°C, pH 6–7.5

Hardness

1–10dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Barak, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Gaylegphug

Writing

Etymology

Not written yet

Distribution

Found throughout much of the middle to lower Ganges and Brahmaputra river drainages in northern India, Bangladesh and Bhutan. In India it's been recorded in th…

Habitat

Little information is available but presumably a riverine species and considering parts of its range are among the wettest in the world likely to be migratory …

Aquarium size

Base dimensions of 120 ∗ 45 cm or equivalent should be the minimum considered.

Maintenance

All botiids need a well-structured set-up although the actual choice of décor is more-or-less down to personal taste. A natural-style arrangement could include…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

While Botia spp. appear to be chiefly carnivorous they will also eat vegetative matter if available, often including soft-leaved aquatic plants. The natural di…

Behaviour and compatibility

Not especially aggressive but don't keep it with much smaller fishes as they may be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour. Slow-moving, l…

Not especially aggressive but don't keep it with much smaller fishes as they may be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour.

Slow-moving, long-finned species such as ornamental bettas, guppies and many cichlids should also be avoided as trailing fins can be nipped.

More suitable tankmates include peaceful, open water-dwelling cyprinids, while in larger tanks members of Barilius, Luciosoma, Balantiocheilos and Barbonymus become options.

In terms of other bottom-dwellers they will do well alongside most other Botia and in very large tanks, Chromobotia macracanthus. Some cobitid and nemacheilid loaches are also possibilities as are members of Epalzeorhynchos, Crossocheilus and Garra and many catfishes.

As always, thorough research prior to selecting a community of fishes is the best way to avoid problems.

Botia spp. are gregarious, form complex social hierarchies and should be maintained in groups of at least 5 or 6 specimens, preferably 10 or more.

When kept singly they can become withdrawn or aggressive towards similarly-shaped fishes, and if only a pair or trio are purchased the dominant individual may stress the other(s) to the extent that they stop feeding.

That said they seemingly require regular contact with conspecifics, a fact exemplied by a number of behavioural rituals which have been recorded consistently in aquaria (see ‘Notes’).

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Where does this come from?

My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

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DOI

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Title

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Authors

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Year

Journal or publisher

Pages

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Anything worth adding

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Sexual dimorphism

Sexually mature females are normally fuller-bodied than males.

Reproduction

Not known to have been bred in the hobby as with the majority of botiid loaches though some, including B. dario, are being produced on a commercial basis via t…

Notes

Following Grant (2007) this species is included in the B. dario complex of closely-related species within the genus alongside B. striata. Members are character…

References

12 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References