# Looking for an Interesting centerpiece fish for a 10 gallon full of Micro Fish.



## joecrouse (Feb 3, 2014)

Specifically some of the botia loches coming out of Laos and Cambodia and Burma.Does any one have any significant experience with them as of yet. 
I am seeing some of these on Aquabid and they look COOL. 

Right now I have a pretty solid Tank full of "micro fish" (dwarf corys, bumble bee goby and Pencil Fish. The biggest fish in there is a Male Beckfordi Pencil Fish an inch and a quarter long. 

Its a 10 gallon tank but even with 10 fish in it It looks empty because they are all tiny and with the powerful filter I got on it (Aqueon 50) and the enormous number of plants in it I have PLENTY of filtration. 

I should have room for something akin to a center piece fish something colorful and unique, and one of these smaller botia loaches sound Ideal given I also have a HERD of Bladder snails, Mystery snails, and Rams Horns that they can predate on should they so chose. 

Quite literally a herd enough that I had to ADD very small coral bits to the water as the snails were pulling enough calcium out of the water to acidify the water.


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## FishyFriend (Oct 20, 2014)

Botia loaches need to be kept in groups & they're very active fish, not suitable for a 10 gallon.
What species of cory do you have & how many?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

How about a male scarlet badis, or a male emperor gudgeon?


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## joecrouse (Feb 3, 2014)

a scarlet badis isnt going to handle the flow in the tank. I had one in there previously I it got tossed around so much it was always stressed and it died they need slow current this is quite fast. The gudgeon looks like it would be HUGE given its almost twice the size of the next largest fish in the tank. (120mm) where as the pencil fish are barely 75mm. 

though the gudgeon would look pretty sweet in with my OTHER gobys and my two giant Danio.


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## joecrouse (Feb 3, 2014)

FishyFriend said:


> Botia loaches need to be kept in groups & they're very active fish, not suitable for a 10 gallon.
> What species of cory do you have & how many?



dwarf corys (tiny little twitchy things) and 5 of em.


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## joecrouse (Feb 3, 2014)

also good to know that even though they are small those botia need groups and a lot of room to range.


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## Robbie (Jan 13, 2015)

Donno know much about these but maybe you can find info if it interests you: Freshwater Puffer fish (Tetraodon biocellatus)


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## FishyFriend (Oct 20, 2014)

Figure eight puffers are low end brackish fish & are best kept in a species only tank


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## Robbie (Jan 13, 2015)

ohh ok...nvr mind then


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

Peacock gudgeon


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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

I love biota loaches, and settled on yoyos because I loved cowns but do not want big fish. Yes, they are very social fish who must be in a group of at least 5 or 6. They are highly playful, somewhat destructive to some plants (some plants are delicious to them while they leave other plants alone). They are omnivores so they eat both meat and plants. They also like digging in mud or fine sand. They need plenty of nooks and crannys to explore. They are quite entertaining to watch, but a 10 gallon is not big enough.


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