blue bocilia

Botsia Modesta or Blue Bocilia, also known as Red-tailed Botsia, scientific name Yasuhikotakia modesta, belongs to the Cobitidae family. Peaceful fish of medium size. Easy to keep, compatible with many other calm species. This set of qualities makes it a good candidate for a general aquarium.

Habitat

It comes from Southeast Asia from the territory of the modern states of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It occurs in the middle and lower reaches of the Mekong River, as well as in the basins of the Chao Phraya (Chao Phraya) and Maeklong rivers. Inhabits almost the entire length of the rivers mentioned above and in temporarily flooded coastal areas during the rainy season. It prefers regions with a moderate current in the main channel of rivers and tributaries, where in the daytime it finds shelter among pitfalls, tree roots. With the onset of dusk, it goes in search of food.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 200 liters.
• Temperature – 23-28°C
• Value pH — 6.0–8.0
• Water hardness – soft (2-12 dGH)
• Substrate type – sandy
• Lighting – subdued
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – moderate or weak
• The size of the fish is 20–25 cm.
• Nutrition – any drowning
• Temperament – peaceful
• Content in a group of at least 5 individuals

Description

Adult individuals reach a length of about 25 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. Females are somewhat larger than males, so it is problematic to distinguish them, especially in a group of different ages. The body coloration is monochromatic gray-blue, which in favorable conditions becomes bright blue. Fins and tail are orange.

Food

Refers to carnivorous species. In the wild, it feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, small crustaceans and other zooplankton that live at the bottom of rivers. In the aquarium, sinking foods should be fed, for example, dry flakes, pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia. You can also use pieces of earthworms, mollusks. Important – herbal supplements must be present in the diet, otherwise the fish will damage small-leaved plants.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

Aquarium sizes for a group of 5 fish should start at 200 liters. The design is arbitrary, subject to the following conditions: soft sandy substrate, the presence of shelters and subdued lighting. Live plants are welcome. Preference should be given to rooting shade-loving species.

Optimal conditions are achieved with moderate or low internal flow, in clean and oxygen-rich water. To do this, in addition to a productive filtration system, it is necessary to update part of the water (30–35% of the volume) weekly with fresh water and regularly clean the aquarium from organic waste.

Behavior and Compatibility

In comparison with relatives, this is a peaceful and calm fish. Compatible with many types of similar or slightly smaller sizes. Manifestations of aggressive behavior are possible only with a single content, so you need to purchase at least 5 individuals. It is desirable to bring the number of Blue Bocilia to 10 or more. It is worth noting that they are prone to biting off the long fins of their aquarium neighbors.

Breeding / breeding

In the wild, spawning peaks during the rainy season from May to July. Which is preceded by migration upstream the rivers. At the end of the fish come back. Bocilia are in constant motion, sailing hundreds of kilometers in a year along the riverbed. Parental instincts are not developed, so the eggs are left to themselves immediately after spawning. They drift with the flow. Some of them cling to coastal vegetation, which later becomes a refuge for fry. The other part dies in open water, being eaten by other fish.

Breeding in home aquaria is extremely rare. On commercial fish farms, offspring are obtained by hormonal injections. In addition to artificially bred fish, there are still specimens caught from the wild on sale. In some villages, local residents consider the collection of coastal aquatic vegetation with eggs attached to them to be a kind of craft. The eggs collected in this way are sold to buyers from the same fish farms.

Fish diseases

Health problems arise only in case of injuries or when kept in unsuitable conditions, which depresses the immune system and, as a result, provokes the occurrence of any disease. In the event of the appearance of the first symptoms, first of all, it is necessary to check the water for the excess of certain indicators or the presence of dangerous concentrations of toxic substances (nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, etc.). If deviations are found, bring all values ​​back to normal and only then proceed with treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the Aquarium Fish Diseases section.