Comments: This is a Premium Pet Fish, and we never see Premium Fish like this in any of the live fish stores or in the online fish stores that we visit.

Premium Pet Fish are more energetic, hardier, and have brighter colors with a beautiful metallic sheen.

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Origin: These Loaches are caught in the jungles along the border of Myanmar and Thailand, in Southeast Asia, and these fish now live in aquariums throughout most of the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums Angelicus Loaches can grow to be about 6" long, including their tails.

Rarely very old female are even bigger.

Behaviors: Angelicus Loaches are active swimmers and quarrel gently with each other but are rarely aggressive.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include Barbs, Rainbowfish, Danios, Gouramis, and many other small to medium size aquarium fish.

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Temperature: They live well from about 75 to 80+ degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable at about 78 degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Flakes when very small and small Premium Pellet Food when larger.

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Water Conditions: Angelicus Loaches seem to be tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.

Probably a pH of about 6.5 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US has a higher pH and is harder but seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8. We ship them in this water.

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Aquarium Size: It is probably best to house these fish in at least a 30-gallon aquarium, when they're less than 3" long, but a bigger aquarium is almost always better for the fish.

Allow at least 3-gallons of water for each Angelicus Loach under 3" long. They grow at a moderate rate and at about 3" should move into a 40 to 60-gallon aquarium.

Decor: Angelicus Loaches do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

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Live Plants are beautiful and improve the water quality. Angelicus Loaches seem to do better in aquariums with live plants.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.

A Penguin 200B Filter in an aquarium with 30-gallons of water is OK to start with a few Angelicus Loach that are less than 3" long.

At 3" long Angelicus Loach should move into a 40 to 60-gallon aquarium with at least one Penguin 350B Filter.

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The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Angelicus Loaches can live for quite a few years, if they're fed premium food and kept in a very large enough aquarium with very fresh water.

Gender: As they mature females become larger and plumper than males who are raised in the same group.

Breeding: There've been a few reports of Angelicus Loaches spawning in aquariums, but it's rare.

Popularity: Angelicus Loaches are rather rare but should become more popular.

Names: The scientific name of Angelicus Loach is Botia kubotai.

Variations: There are distinct populations, one on Sumatra and the other on Borneo, which have been separated for millions of years and may by now be different species.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.