Modesta Natural Habitat

[Midwater]

This is where I got a bunch of modesta fifteen years ago. The spill gate at a main canal in central Thailand.

They are not the usual modesta with red tails, these are more yellowish. Maybe each canal and river system has a slight variation.

They were quite big when I got them, and have not grown much since. They get on well with the red tail modesta.

The guy with the blue shirt and net was catching them as they flew through the gate.

All those that I did not get would have been sold at the market as food.

 

[A201]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a big fan of the Modesta Botia & keep a group of them.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Sounds to me like you got some yellow finned loaches. They are often confused with red tail loaches: https://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-lecontei

Easily mistaken for Y. modesta, Yasuhikotakia lecontei is a less heavily-built loach. Young particularly have a flatter belly profile and the whole body is proportionately longer than in Y. modesta. Another factor that confuses identification is that some populations of Y. lecontei may have reddish fins instead of the more common yellow. Young may have vertical thin barring along the flanks which disappears as they grow.

Nice to hear that you got them 15 years ago and that they are still around.

 

[Midwater]

Sounds to me like you got some yellow finned loaches. They are often confused with red tail loaches: https://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-lecontei

No, definitely not. They are exactly the same as modesta, except more yellowish fins. Leconti are smaller and not as robust. I have had a couple and the modesta beat them up.





(All these pictures are a bit old. My phone now takes terrible pictures.)

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

No, those pictures aren't too bad. If the fins are just yellowish w/no other difference, I agree you most likely got a color morph.

 

[cockroach]

No, definitely not. They are exactly the same as modesta, except more yellowish fins. Leconti are smaller and not as robust. I have had a couple and the modesta beat them up.

Thanks for sharing. Is there any chance to get pics of their habitat above the spillway to see where they came from? Maybe underwater pics?
I am not a big fan of modesta because of this!. But in the right setup with good tankmates they would probably shine.

What size tank are they in and what do you feed to have them live so long?

 

[Midwater]

Other side of the spill gate:


You can look at the terrain from google maps. It is a combination of industrial and agricultural, with many large infrastructure canals emptying to the east of Bangkok.

 

[Midwater]

What size tank are they in and what do you feed to have them live so long?

It is a 5' X 2' X 2' with a 5' X 2' X 2' sump filter full of pumice (You can never have too much biological filtration).

The main tank has two partitions (I did not have room for two tanks when I moved), the smaller partition has the Aree and smaller loaches, and the larger tank is full of assorted cichlids and many larger loaches.

I feed them with sinking carp food and supplement with assorted live food including flying termites.

 

[cockroach]

Other side of the spill gate:

View attachment 1483873
You can look at the terrain from google maps. It is a combination of industrial and agricultural, with many large infrastructure canals emptying to the east of Bangkok.

Thanks for the pics. I asked for this as I am relatively sure I was in this area near Bangkok a few years ago. Unless many places look similar to this which I think they might.

 

[Midwater]

Peeking out from the wood: