The Redtail Botia Loach (Botia modesta) a.k.a. Yasuhikotakia modesta, is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Blue Botia,  is collected throughout the lower Mekong River basin in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam and the Chao Phray and Mae Klong drainages in central and western Thailand. Redtail Botia Loaches are common throughout their […]

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The Batik Loach (Mesonoemacheilus triangularis aka Nemacheilus triangularis) more commonly known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Zodiac Loach, is found in the Manimala river and the drainages of other river systems on both sides of the Western Ghats mountain range, in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India.   It is commonly found […]

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The Panda Garra (Garra flavatra) or “Panda Loach” is endemic to the Rakhine Yoma/Arakan mountain range in Rakhine state, western Myanmar (Burma) and although incorrectly labeled as a loach; is often sold to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Clown Loach, Panda Loach, Banded Butterfly Loach, or Rainbow Loach. Although the Panda Garra and it’s […]

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The Lohachata Botia Loach (Botia lohachata) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Yoyo Loach, Almorha Loach, Pakistani Loach, Reticulated Loach, and Y-Loach. Because only a single juvenile specimen was used to originally describe Botia lohachata, the validity of the species has never been fully resolved.   Grant in 2007 considered it as […]

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The Yo-Yo Loach (Botia almorhae)  is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Pakistani Loach, Reticulated Loach, Y-Loach and Almora Loach.   Although it is named for the district (Almora), Uttarakhand State, India where it is found, it is also called the Pakistani Loach, which is actually a misnomer, since it is restricted to […]

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The Red Tail Zebra Loach (Schistura mahnerti) is a species of the stone loach family Nemacheilidae that inhabits the fast flowing, well oxygenated streams of Thailand and  Myanmar. Schistura mahnerti are found in the Salween River which flows from the Himalayas eastward and forms the border of Thailand and Burma.   In the Salween River […]

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The Gold Zebra Loach (Botia histrionica) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Burmese Loach, Golden Zebra Loach, Asian Loach, Silver Striped Loach and Burmese Zebra Loach. The Gold Zebra Loach is found from the Indian state of Manipur, Yunnan Province, China (in the upper Ayeyarwady River basin), and throughout much of […]

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The Kuhli Loach (Pangio kuhlii) is nocturnal snake like loach that is found in Thailand, Borneo, Sarawak, Indonesia, Malaysia, Java and surrounding areas of South East Asia and are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Coolie loach, Prickly eye, Slimy loach, or Leopard eel. Kuhli Loaches are a social species that are […]

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The Tiger Botia Loach (Syncrossus hymenophysa) is also commonly called the Green Tiger Loach, Banded Loach, Green Tiger Botia, Tiger Botia or Zebra Loach and is highly prized by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts for their beauty, rarity, and scavenging ability. The Tiger Botia Loach is found in the Musi River basin, South Sumatra province, Sumatra, […]

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The Jaguar Loach (Yasuhikotakia splendida) comes from a handful of localities in the Xe Pian river, a tributary system of the Xe Khong ,which itself drains into the Mekong river main channel, in the Champasak and Attapeu provinces of southern Laos. The Jaguar Loach (Yasuhikotakia splendida) is more commonly referred to as the Yellow Tail […]

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The Zebra Botia Loach (Botia striata) is also called the Zebra Loach, Tiger Loach, Lined Loach, or Candystripe Loach. It is a peaceful shoaling species that is found in the clear mountain streams of Maharashtra and Western Ghats, India. The Zebra Botia Loach is similar to Botia rostrata, the “Seargent Major Loach” in appearance. The […]

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The Horseface Loach (Acantopsis choirorhynchus) of Southeast Asia is found in the rivers, streams and backwaters of Singapore Malaysia, Borneo, Burma (Myanmar), Java, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam. The head and nose of the Horseface Loach is elongated and “horse like” in appearance and like many other loaches, it has a thin, elongated body that is […]

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The Dojo Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) is also known as the Weather Loach, Oriental weatherfish, Chinese Weatherfish and Pond Loach. These remarkable fish are called Weather Loaches or Weatherfish because of their habit of becoming extremely active when there is a change in the weather, possiblly due to barometric pressure changes. Dojo Loaches are bottom dwelling […]

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The Dario Botia Loach (Botia dario) is found throughout much of the middle to lower Ganges and Brahmaputra river drainages in northern India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.  Botia dario are collected wild from the rolling mountain streams of Bangladesh, situated just south of the Himalayas.  The area is criss-crossed with clear mountain streams that feed three […]

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  The Black Kuhlii Loach (Pangio sp.) aka “Java Loach” is only one of over 100 species of loaches in the Cobitidae family.   The Java Loach (Pangio oblonga) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Black Kuhli Loach or “unbanded loach“, the Chocolate Kuhli Loach, Cinnamon Loach and Black Khliwaus. The […]

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The Angelicus Botia Loach (Botia angelicus) has recently been reclassified as Botia kubotai, and is known as the Angelicus Loach, the Polka Dot Loach and the Burmese Border Loach. The Angelicus Botia Loach was discovered by collectors in western Thailand along the Myanmar (Burma) boarder in the Ataran River (Kasat River) in the Salween River […]

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The Clown Loach (Botia macracantha) is a peaceful schooling fish native to the inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of  Sumatra and Borneo. In their native habitat, the Clown Loach is found in fast moving streams with water temperature ranges between 77 and 86 °F, a pH between 5.0 and 8.0, and water hardness […]

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Loaches are shy, active scavengers that are frequently kept by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts in community aquariums to help clean up the botton of the tank. They are semi aggressive, easy to keep, generally peaceful, and spend almost all of their time rooting around the bottom of the aquarium looking for tidbits of food. In their […]

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