View Full Version : Skunk Loach
OK, Petco had a sale so I rescued one of these guys. I got info on water parameters. What I need to know is if they are a shoaling fish like clowns. I got the last one and want to know if I need more.
The guy at Petco told me they do best in a pH of 2.5, they grow to 75 feet and eat whale carcasses. I don't believe him.
fishnthings
04-22-2006, 5:24 PM
they do grow to 75feet and eat whale carcases:grinyes:
KillerKlover
04-22-2006, 5:48 PM
:iagree:
slammer
04-22-2006, 5:55 PM
They will fuss and fight amongs themselves Ewurm...1 per tank unless it's a good sized tank with plenty of cover.
They will fuss and fight amongs themselves Ewurm...1 per tank unless it's a good sized tank with plenty of cover.
Hey thanks, I didn't want a shoal anyway, and he was the last one at Petco.
starrfish71
04-22-2006, 9:41 PM
I had one for along time with clown loaches- no problem. I put in a skunk botia, and it was dead and shredded in days. Very singular loaches, but fun and full of personality!
ewurm
04-22-2006, 10:21 PM
Aren't Skunk Botia and Skunk loaches the same thing?
dmarinko
04-22-2006, 10:23 PM
OK, Petco had a sale so I rescued one of these guys. I got info on water parameters. What I need to know is if they are a shoaling fish like clowns. I got the last one and want to know if I need more.
The guy at Petco told me they do best in a pH of 2.5, they grow to 75 feet and eat whale carcasses. I don't believe him.
They get like 6 in. and water at 7.5-8.0 pH mine is 3 in. long
dmarinko
04-22-2006, 10:24 PM
i have a clown loach that is 2.5 in long and almost got killed by my crayfish! The crayfish got him in a sleeper hold.
ewurm
04-22-2006, 10:35 PM
They get like 6 in. and water at 7.5-8.0 pH mine is 3 in. long
Thanks for the info!
Mourinho18
04-22-2006, 10:43 PM
The guy at Petco told me they do best in a pH of 2.5, they grow to 75 feet and eat whale carcasses. I don't believe him.
LOL, that's signature quality
He went to Loach College.
ewurm
04-24-2006, 12:16 AM
I thought when I bought this guy he would be boring as I have a few nice clowns, but as it turns out I really like it. Very interesting behavior. Well worth the couple bucks.
Pufferpack
04-24-2006, 1:04 AM
Just watch for small holes in other fish (clown loaches don't seem to get bothered). When I kept a single Skunk botia in with Queen botias, Zebra loaches, Dojo loaches and assorted other fishes, it constantly harrassed the Dojos and other fishes, to the point of killling one of the Dojos. I moved the Skunk to another tank and added 4 more, now they will occasionally scrap amongst themselves but don't bother any other fish in the tank.
I am only keeping it with barbs, Killies, corys, and a pleco.
danepatrick
04-24-2006, 9:40 PM
;)
http://loaches.com/species_pages/botia_morleti.html
qumqats
04-24-2006, 9:43 PM
I am only keeping it with barbs, Killies, corys, and a pleco.
HUH! a skunk loach and corys?
Bad combo, skunks are known to eat the eyes of corys. Corys are pretty much defense less and skunks are pretty aggressive as loaches go.
I had to put a cory down for this reason. He ended up with just one eye. I figured if I left him in the tank ( I didn't have another tank at the time ) he'd just end up suffering a cruel death.
Skunks are fun to watch chase and bully each other, but they sometimes start going after the other fish in the tank.
http://gallery.outel.org/albums/AquariaSkunkLoach/6c025_004.sized.jpg
I appreciate that, I will watch him, although he has behaved very well so far.
danepatrick
04-24-2006, 9:51 PM
Thanks dude, great link.
hey, isn't that what MFK is all about? :thumbsup:
hey, isn't that what MFK is all about? :thumbsup:
It is, and that's why I spend so much time here, I enjoy the people and their invaluable info. I also like MFK because I like to give people a hard time, and on the internet I can do it without getting killed.:ROFL:
danepatrick
04-24-2006, 9:58 PM
It is, and that's why I spend so much time here, I enjoy the people and their invaluable info. I also like MFK because I like to give people a hard time, and on the internet I can do it without getting killed.:ROFL:
hahaha. you hit it right on the head man! sometimes at work i just wanna punch people in the face or just be the biggest ass to them because of the ignorance they give off. fortunately i've only had one incident on mfk where a guy was trying to tell me a fish i had was something and it clearly, by means of several photos and opinions from others, wasn't what he was saying. i could've killed him.
ewurm
04-24-2006, 11:17 PM
I hate disinformation. Nothing worse than being malinformed. Glad there are so many people here that have kept so many different fish.
Oscar guy
04-24-2006, 11:36 PM
THATS HOT!!!!!!!!! I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!
ewurm
04-24-2006, 11:57 PM
THATS HOT!!!!!!!!! I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!
I really like mine. I think for two bucks it was a steal, plus I kept it out of the hands of Petco and their average customer. I don't normally buy fish there.
I like the nasty little boogers but as stated they get a bit more than 4" and are bad actors, they slash with the suborbital spines, if you keep more than one do it in a good sized planted tank and keep a bunch, they fight at first then settle down but you might lose one or two in the pecking order fights, they will kill dojos and even other bottom fish , I had one a little less than 4" kill a stinging fossilus catfish about the same size.
Mine has been on good behavior, he has lots of hiding places, and I think I will stick with one.