Bengal loach
Botia dario
moderatesemi aggressivebottom swimmerBotiidae
- Tank length
- 120 cmabout 4 ft (47 in)
- Group
- 5+
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C75–82 °F
- pH
- 6.8–7.5
- Adult size
- 12 cm5 in
- Lifespan
- 8–15 yrs
Needs a group of five or more to spread squabbles, plus caves and soft substrate; eats snails.Needs a group of five or more to spread squabbles, plus caves and soft substrate; eats snails.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Acei cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Brevis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Brilliant rasbora
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Caudopunctatus
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
Lambchop rasboraNo shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Multies
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Pindani
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Rusty cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Saulosi cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Similis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Afra cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Bengal loachAlligator gar may eat Bengal loach
Data used by the planner
| Temperature | 24–28 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.8–7.5 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Hardness (dGH) | 1–12 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Origin | Brahmaputra basin, India and Bangladesh | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Beginner friendly | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Activity | active | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Swimming level | bottom | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Temperament | semi aggressive | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Nips fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Long fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Territorial | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lives in groups | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum group | 5 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Diet | omnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lifespan (years) | 8–15 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Months to adult size | 18 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Safe with plants | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum tank length | 120 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |