Just bought some loaches for the first time ever to deal with a growing snail problem, initially I wanted a group of Botia Striata. I located some on the internet phoned the store up to check and drove the 25 or so miles to get them. I bought all that the fish shop had 5 loaches but when I got home I discovered that only 3 of them were Botia Striata's the other 2 are Botia Dario's (queen loaches). In the fish shop they were moving so quick that you just couldn't tell. Anyway because the shop is so far away and because they all seem happy together I've decided to keep the Dario's. They are striped in not an unsimilar way to the striata's only thicker bands and have distinctive black marks on their tails and dorsal fins and slightly smaller. At the moment they are all swimming together all of the time and are currently in my quarentine tank. I have three questions.
1/ I have read that loaches often house internal parasites and that it is best to treat them prior to adding them to an established tank, can anyone recomend a treatment for this or has experience of this happening, what should I look for?
2/ Will the Striata's and the Dario's continue to live in mutual harmony? I relly hope they do as they make a lovely active shoal together and I have two species for the price of one...
3/ Has anyone kept Botia Dario's before and do they like snails?
1/ I have read that loaches often house internal parasites and that it is best to treat them prior to adding them to an established tank, can anyone recomend a treatment for this or has experience of this happening, what should I look for?
2/ Will the Striata's and the Dario's continue to live in mutual harmony? I relly hope they do as they make a lovely active shoal together and I have two species for the price of one...
3/ Has anyone kept Botia Dario's before and do they like snails?