Description
Botia lohachata is a loach of about 15 cm from northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, with an elongated body and a reticulated pattern on a pale ground. It lives in streams with rock and gravel bottoms, and like the other botiids is social, active at dawn and dusk and a keen snail eater.
It needs a group, a long tank with current, hiding places and fine sand or gravel, and it has a spine below the eye that snags in nets. The IUCN considers it of least concern.
Behavior
Social and active, it does better in a group of five or more, where tension is spread. It is rather peaceful in temperament, but strong and fast, and can bother slow or long-finned fish.
It lives well with danios, barbs and other fast, robust fish of the middle and upper levels.
Avoid housing it with slow, sedentary or long-finned fish, and with shrimp and snails that are to be kept.
Habitat
Botia lohachata lives in the north of the Indian subcontinent, in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, in streams with rock and gravel bottoms.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
It is oviparous, and in the breeding season it forms distinct pairs. No further details of its breeding are known.
Diet
An omnivore that forages on the bottom, snails included.
- Staple: quality sinking pellets or tablets.
- Supplement: frozen mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or tubifex, and snails.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–30 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 26–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 27–30 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–30 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 24–29 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 26–30 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 27–30 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
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They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
The care values (pH, temperature and hardness) come from a single source: none of the other accepted sources records them for this species.
Water: FishBase gives pH 6-8, 5-12 dH and 24-30 °C. Size: 15.4 cm TL. Distribution: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Litres per fish, tank sizes and lifespan: the profile's own judgement. The sources consulted do not give them.
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