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Botia Kubotai behaviour

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Nilet699 
#1 ·
2 of my Botia kubotai spent a good while tonight spinning together. Now i've tried to look it up, but cant really find any definitive info on this and what it represents.
All other botia's were also chased off if they tried to become involved or got too close to the spinning pair etc.

So, is this fighting? Spawning? Playing? Or something else?

If its relevant (i doubt) this is also at the end of the longest period i've had between water changes, it was a week yesterday and i'll be doing it tomorrow whilst i have the afternoon off,making it 8.5 days at end. Small amount of brown algae in my still new tank, and all test levels are normal, 0 0 approx 1-5
 
#2 ·
The whole "spinning" thing is a social behavior. Think of it as a way of establishing a pecking order. This is something that comes naturally with a group and isn't something to worry when you have a normal shoal size.

It's very common to see loaches challenge each other over and over again, and the top "Loach" can change from week to week depending upon growth, who has more confidence and who has the most skill to keep up the challenge and win. All my loaches do this, and the best advice I can give is make sure there are no sharp objects they can get hurt on.

During the spinning phase of a challenge they can become quite blind to what is around them.
 
#3 ·
Well said. This is indeed a fascinating behaviour to sit and observe; my B. kubotai will spend well over a couple hours doing this when the mood strikes them.

This is one of those things that makes the hobby so interesting and rewarding; when fish feel so "at home" that they behave the way they were intended.

Byron.
 
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