Bocia the histrionics

Botia histrionica or Bocilia histrionica, scientific name Botia histrionica, belongs to the family Cobitidae (Loaches). Peaceful friendly fish with an original body pattern. Compatible with many other types. It is easy to maintain and does not require large time and financial investments. May be recommended for beginner aquarists.

Habitat

It comes from Southeast Asia from the Irrawaddy River basin, which flows through the territory of modern Burma, as well as the Indian state of Manipur and the Chinese province of Yunnan. It lives in sections of rivers flowing among the tropical forest, with a relatively slow flow. The characteristic habitat has a sand and gravel substrate, with many snags and leaf litter, but clear running water.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 240 liters.
• Temperature – 22-28°C
• Value pH — 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness – soft (2-10 dGH)
• Substrate type – rocky or sandy
• Lighting – subdued / moderate
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – moderate / weak
• The size of the fish is 11–13 cm.
• Food – any, preferably sinking food
• Temperament – peaceful
• Content in a group of at least 5–6 individuals

Description

Adult individuals reach a length of about 11–13 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, they differ in size. Females are somewhat larger than males. Coloration consists of alternating wide bands of dark and light colors. In young fish, the colors are saturated, yellow and brown. With age, the color fades, and dark stripes turn into irregular patterns.

Food

Unpretentious to the diet. In a home aquarium, you can serve all types of food: dry, frozen and live. Be sure to have herbal supplements. These can be spirulina flakes or pieces of homemade vegetables and fruits, such as melon, cucumber, spinach, apples, etc. With a lack of plant components, the fish will damage the leaves of aquarium plants.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal aquarium size for a group of 5-6 fish starts at 240 liters. The design is arbitrary if there are sufficient places for shelter. Typical decor elements include sandy or rocky ground with large boulders, snags in the form of tree roots and branches, and several hardy plants. The level of lighting is subdued, so shade-loving plant varieties, mosses or ferns should be preferred.

Successful keeping is possible under the following conditions: maintaining high water quality with suitable hydrochemical values, regular removal of organic waste (uneaten food residues, excrement, plant fragments, etc.). The presence of a moderate current is recommended, but not required.

Behavior and Compatibility

A peaceful, mobile fish that can actively swarm at the bottom in search of food, and stay in place for a long time, pressing itself into some kind of shelter. This behavior is normal. Compatible with many non-aggressive fish of similar size. It is worth avoiding the introduction of species with long veil fins. They may suffer from the actions of Bocilia histrionics, in addition, they will not be comfortable in conditions of moderate water flow.

Breeding / breeding

At the time of writing, no cases of successful breeding of Botius histrionics in a home aquarium have been recorded. Fish are bred on a commercial basis in large fish farms using hormones.

Fish diseases

By their nature, non-ornamental fish species that are close to their wild relatives are quite hardy, have high immunity and resistance to various diseases. Health problems can be the result of inappropriate conditions, so before starting treatment, check the quality and parameters of the water. If necessary, bring all values ​​back to normal and only then begin treatment, if necessary. Read more about diseases, their symptoms and methods of treatment in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.