skunk biota vs. rams

[aquakev]

Well,

My skunk biota (Botia morleti) is harrassing my german rams. I just looked him up and it says it is semi agressive. When I purchased him he was labled as peacfull. He is about and inche long. Anyway, do you people think I will encounter problems and should remove him? He is in a 55g with neons, rummy nose tetras and rams.

 

[Menagerie]

When I purchased him he was labled as peacfull.

I have never owned one, but my understanding is they are semi-aggressive. If there are problems now, there will probably be problems in the future.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

I've got three.
Have got to quite like them. I haven't so far seen mine to be agressive, but they do hold their own.
It may sound odd, but mine click when they eat. Have you noticed this? Jeff

 

[patryuji]

A very tough botia indeed. When there are 3 or more they will mostly keep their aggressiveness to eachother (one dominant one chasing the others). In a large enough tank they will also keep to a certain small territory and only lash out at those who invade their territory. German Rams are too small and cannot defend themselves well enough to be in a tank with skunk loaches...but you do have a good size tank. Remember the ram will want to stay in the lower regions and so will the skunk. Expect the skunk to eventually get to 3 inches in length and if it is acting out aggressively towards your ram now it means the ram will probably be killed when the skunk is at full maturity/size. Skunk loaches will easily take over territory from yo-yo loaches and my yo-yos have killed one of my germans before I separated them into different tanks (the yo-yos and germans).

Skunks hide most of the time unless they don't have a hiding place, there is food out, or when they are chasing other skunks.

Most botia loaches click (their teeth) when eating or attacking a fish.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

Skunks hide most of the time unless they don't have a hiding place, there is food out, or when they are chasing other skunks.

Most botia loaches click (their teeth) when eating or attacking a fish.

Yup. That pretty much sums up my Skunks.
Luckily, they do spend all day chasing each other so I do get to see them! As to the clicking, I am glad I wasn't imagining things. Jeff