Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Freshwater Loaches > Redtail Botia

Redtail Botia,

Orange-Finned Loach, Blue Loach, Orange Fin Loach Family: Cobitidae

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Natural Redtail Botia Yasuhikotakia modesta
Botia modesta Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

   Being quite attractive, lively, and having a unique personality; the Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach is quite popular, a favorite species for many aquarists!

   The Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach is rather stocky with a bluish to grayish body, sometimes with a slight green tint. There is a dark vertical stripe at the base of the tail, though it is often rather indistinct. The fins are a bright orange to red color. As juveniles they can be an iridescent green marked with several narrow dark bars.

   Their natural coloring is most attractive, retaining its beauty with regular water changes and including brine shrimp or other crustaceans in their diet.

Colored Redtail Botia

Photo © Animal-World: Courtsey Ken Childs

 Obtaining dyed specimens of the Redtail Botia is not recommended.
Sometimes these fish are dyed a pink, green, yellow, orange, purple, or teal coloring; often having a blotchy appearance. It is reported that this is done by injecting dye under the skin and it will fade in a few months. These colorized fish are said to have health problems and often early deaths.

   This is one of the loaches that has the unique intestine that can act as a respiratory organ allowing them to absorb oxygen at the surface directly from the atmosphere. They also make audible clicking sounds.

   Though a bit aggressive, if they are kept in a school the Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach is a good community fish with larger more robust tank mates. They can get aggressive towards other fish even while demonstrating shy behaviors (hiding), if kept not kept with at least four of their own species. Other suitable tank mates include large gouramis, barbs, semi-aggressive cichlids and most other loach species. Avoid smaller fish and long finned fish, such as angelfish. They can be quite territorial bottom dwellers, so it is best to avoid competing fish such fish as Corydoras and catfish.

  The Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach is a long lived, durable, and undemanding fish. Provide lots of hiding and resting places in caves, rocks, and roots. A refuge for each fish is important. They thrive in a well planted tank but are avid burrowers in their pursuit for food, and will often uproot them. They will munch on snails and are good for snail control. Be sure the aquarium is covered as they are great jumpers.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loaches are found in northeastern India; Thailand, Vietnam, and the Malaysian peninsula. They are found in large rivers with muddy bottoms and in flooded fields.

Size - Weight:
   These fish reach up to about 8 - 10" (23 cm) in the aquarium. In the wild these fish can get up to 12" (30 cm).

Social Behaviors:
   Though they can be aggressive with tank mates, they are a timid nocturnal fish getting quite active at night. They are best in a community aquarium with other large, robust, and mildly aggressive fish. They need to be kept in schools (with a minimum of four) to feel comfortable and come out of hiding, as well as to reduce aggression towards their other tank mates. Especially suitable tank mates are gouramis, barbs, semi-aggressive cichlids and most other loach species. Avoid smaller fish and fish with flowing fins such as angelfish. Once acclimated they are quite active and lively.

Sexual Differences:
   Mature males are smaller and more slender than mature females.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish are mostly bottom dwellers, but will occasionally swim in the middle of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: soft to medium up to 15° dH
   Ph: 6.5 - 8.0
   Temp: 77 - 84° F (25 - 29° C)

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach have not yet been bred in the aquarium and they are not yet bred commercially.

Availability:
   The Redtail Botia or Orange-Finned Loach is readily available.

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Latest Comments
I have a bright orange tailed, light blue botia. I bought two in '92, a blue and a pink one, and it's now 2008 and the blue is still alive. That's 16 years. The pink one died about 4 years ago. It was highly hassled into submission by the blue one to the point that I think it starved. They both sleep on their side, giving the appearance of death. Since their colors faded from bright blue and bright pink, I assume they were dyed. I have been looking for the name of this species and have never found them in any shop. They permanently live under a large rock and burrow, messing up the undergravel filter, especially when I have other large fish/turtles in the tank. I had to move the turtle out for fear of it eating the 16 year old. I could never tell what sex they were. They looked the same. Julio Perez 2008-03-26
I have an orange finned loach that is a beautiful bright blue. I named him Blue when I got him over 12 years Ago. I never thought any of my fish would live that long, I have several other fish that I purchased with him that are still alive too. Blue has so much personality and I love that he has eyelids. He lays in a great big log with only his head inside (usually) and his body sticking out. He looks like a dog in a dog house. When I feed my fish algae wafers, he will dart out and collect several and take them into the log before the plecostomus can get them all. About five years ago I went from a 55 gal tank to a 150 and bought a couple of orange and black loaches. About a year ago one of them (I guess) outgrew the log he had stayed in and moved in with Blue. I love my fish! Paula 2007-08-31

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Author: Clarice Brough. CFS.