Some new little friends

[Christmasfish]

Got some cute little Botia today for algae duties and clean up. I know later they'll not be so darling and not pick so well. But good for now....
I am giving them a 24 hr adjust into the QT. As soon as there is more tank water and than shop water in the bag). The store pH is somewhat diffferent and baser.
They were free, I couldn't resist.
Will they enjoy the parameters and temp of the anabantid enviroment I am creating? Or will they just "adjust" to it.

The 8 gal QT tank is at 83 with a dash of salt. It has been cycled earlier. Just big ugly "river" rocks that are easy to clean, a mini-filter and a fake log.
The 10 tank they are going in has Ammonia-0
Nitrites- .08 and dropping
Nitrates- 10ppm and dropping
UGF with a wimpy substrate, ,living plants and fake bogwood. It is kept at an even 81 temp. My 7.5 pH changes like never.The KH fluctuates a littlem (.02 ioncrements up/dwn). Mildly acidic.
The tank mates for this tank are a large betta female and a small gourami female.

What can I expect from these lil guys later?

 

[grimlock3000]

Botia loaches eat algae?

 

[Christmasfish]

New lil budsd

These do. While they are juvenile. Skunk Botia. The lfs gave em to me. They are omnivores and lean to the green while little. they'll be snail munching food stealers later. ^.^
He is going to give me 3 more when we have larger tanks.
They were picking at the rocks, plants., even digging in the gravel...
I don't have a big algae prob so It won't break my heart when they move to debris cleaning crew phase.....
But as far as being in micro community of mostly asian species, I just wonder whose had them and what personality they display.

They are cute for now!

 

[Fruitbat]

Actually pretty much all Botia species will OCCASIONALLY nibble on algae but I'd hardly call them an algae eater. My Botia almorhae will, on rare occasions, much on the algae wafers that I drop in for my Farlowella. If anybody is trying to keep an algae problem under control then Botia species probably are NOT going to be their best choice. If you can get some Hillstream Loaches, Gastromyzon or Pseudogastromyzon, they would definitely be a better choice.

 

[Christmasfish]

nibblers are all I really needed. I don't neeed algae eaters, just eaters of algae. They are supposed to lean more toward scrap and what-not once they are like over an inch.
The gourami need a cleaning crew that the plaa ghats won't snack on.
No snail or ghost shrimp left in any tank containing the wild females.
but the wild dwarf is a real piss-ant and his crew needs to be fast on their feet for sudden lunges. And they can't be edible size for the betta girls.
I am supposed. to get a handful more later.
They were free and they are cute.
My baby tank needs algae eaters. but the fry are vulnerable. It would need to be a pretty strict vegan. And I don't want to lose the mystery fish.

Are hillstream loaches fry snatcher? how big do they get? Are they fast enough not to be vulnerable to a fast bully?