From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Yoyo Loach
Botia almorhae
- Temperature
- 19–27.5 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7.5
- Min. tank size
- 243 L
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Botia almorhae |
| Family: | Botiidae |
| Origin: | South Asia (rivers of northern India, Nepal, Pakistan) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 16.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | semi aggressive |
| Min Group: | 6+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains, and a taxonomy that is genuinely unsettled — the same situation as the kuhli loach and the siamese algae eater. Botia almorhae in the strict sense is something of a mystery. No pictures of live specimens appear in any scientific publication, and it has possibly never been seen in the aquarium trade. The name persists on shop labels regardless, and we use it here because that is what people search for. The fish actually sold as yoyo loaches are most often Botia lohachata, or the undescribed forms known as B. sp. "Kosi" and B. sp. "Teesta". They differ in the detail of the barring and in how the pattern breaks up with age, and they are traded interchangeably. Hybrids have appeared in the trade, which compounds the problem. For a keeper this rarely matters — the requirements are the same and they coexist happily. Other botiids are worth knowing as alternatives. The zebra loach (Botia striata) stays around 8 cm, the dwarf chain loach (Ambastaia sidthimunki) around 6 cm, and the polka dot loach is smaller again. All give the same social, playful behaviour in a fraction of the tank. |
| Lifespan: | 10-15 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium
- Min Tank:243 L
- Substrate:Soft sand; caves and hiding spots
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Moderate to high (clean, oxygenated water)
Yoyo Loach (Botia almorhae) is a species of fish in the family Botiidae. It is native to South Asia (rivers of northern India, Nepal, Pakistan). The yoyo loach is named for a pattern it grows out of, and it is probably not the species on the label. Juveniles carry a series of alternating "i" and "y" shaped black bars — hence the name. As the fish ages those bars break up in a process sometimes called anastomosis, resolving into highly variable yellow spotting, so an adult looks nothing like the juvenile you bought. The taxonomy is genuinely unresolved. The appearance of Botia almorhae in the strict sense is something of a mystery — no pictures of live specimens appear in any scientific publication, and it has possibly never been seen in the aquarium trade at all. The fish in shops are most often B. lohachata, B. sp. "Kosi" or B. sp. "Teesta". It reaches 160 mm standard length, wants a 243-litre tank and a group of six or more, and lives a long time. It is the sensible alternative to a clown loach — but only just.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- semi aggressive
- Keep in
- Groups of 6+
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Yoyo Loach
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