Description
Polka Dot Botia – Charming, Playful, and Distinctive Loach for Your Aquarium
Add a touch of whimsy and charm to your aquarium with the Polka Dot Botia (Botia kubotai), a delightful loach known for its striking appearance and lively, inquisitive nature. Named for the distinctive white spots that cover its dark body, this vibrant species will bring an eye-catching contrast to your tank, along with plenty of character and movement.
The Polka Dot Botia features a beautiful pattern of white or yellowish spots on its black body, giving it a polka-dotted look that is both attractive and unique. These loaches are naturally curious and energetic, constantly exploring their environment, foraging for food, and interacting with other fish. While they can be playful, they are also peaceful, making them great additions to a community tank when housed with similarly peaceful species.
As bottom-dwellers, Polka Dot Botia will help keep your aquarium clean by scavenging leftover food, detritus, and algae from the substrate. They are social creatures that enjoy being in small groups, and they thrive in aquariums that provide plenty of hiding spots and structures to explore.
Key Features:
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Striking Appearance: Beautiful polka-dot pattern on a dark body, making the Polka Dot Botia a visual standout in your aquarium
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Energetic & Playful: These loaches are lively and constantly moving, adding dynamic behavior to your tank
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Peaceful & Social: Prefers being in small groups (3 or more) and gets along well with other non-aggressive fish
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Natural Scavenger: Helps maintain a clean tank by consuming leftover food and detritus, making it a beneficial addition to your aquarium’s ecosystem
Care Guidelines:
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Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons for a small group (3 or more)
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Water Temperature: 74–82°F (23–28°C)
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pH Range: 6.5–7.5
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Diet: Omnivorous – enjoys sinking pellets, live or frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp), and plant matter like algae wafers
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Lifespan: 5–8 years with proper care
Tip: Provide plenty of hiding places, such as rocks, plants, and driftwood, as Polka Dot Botia loves to explore and seek shelter. A soft, sandy substrate is ideal to protect their sensitive barbels while they scavenge the tank floor. They also appreciate a tank with plenty of swimming space to showcase their playful behavior.
The Polka Dot Botia is a wonderful addition to any freshwater aquarium, offering both beauty and personality. With its unique appearance, social nature, and cleaning abilities, this loach will quickly become a favorite in your tank.
Click & Collect
FREE COLLECTION FROM OUR STORE
Place your order online and select Click & Collect at checkout.
Livestock will normally be bagged when you arrive, helping to minimise the amount of time animals spend packaged. If you’d prefer your livestock to be ready beforehand, simply contact us in advance.
Local Delivery
DELIVERED BY TROPICAL SUPPLIES • WITHIN 25 MILES
Order from our in-store range and have it delivered directly to you using our own local delivery service.
Minimum order: £50
Local Delivery Charges:
Up to 5 miles — FREE
5–10 miles — £10
10–15 miles — £15
15–20 miles — £20
20–25 miles — £25
Distances are measured “as the crow flies” rather than by road.
Once your order has been placed, we’ll contact you to arrange a suitable delivery date and time. We often combine nearby orders into efficient delivery runs, so local delivery may take a little longer during busy periods.
Ordering a large aquarium?
Please make sure someone is available to help unload the aquarium from our van when we arrive.
Dry Goods Delivery
FREE UK Delivery Over £75
Spend £75 or more on eligible dry goods and receive FREE UK delivery on orders weighing up to 20kg.
A great opportunity to stock up on food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other aquarium or reptile essentials while saving on delivery.
Free delivery applies to eligible orders up to 20kg and excludes livestock, aquariums, terrariums and other oversized items.
Qualifying orders will automatically show the FREE UK Delivery option at checkout — no discount code required.
Standard Parcel Delivery
Our standard parcel delivery charges are calculated according to the weight of your order and the available delivery service.
Orders placed before 12 noon may be dispatched the same day on our current dispatch days.
Express Pallet
75–500kg • Usually 1–3 working days
Designed for large and heavy orders that cannot be sent using our standard parcel service.
Please note: We currently dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Adding Something to an Existing Order?
If your original order hasn’t been dispatched yet, simply place the additional items as a Click & Collect order and leave us a note asking us to combine them with your existing order.
Available to Order
See something you want that we don’t currently have on the shelf? Many of our products can be quickly sourced from our suppliers.
Products marked Available to Order are not currently held in stock at our store but are available for us to order on your behalf.
Most items arrive with us within a few days and usually no longer than a week, depending on supplier availability.
Once your item arrives with us, we’ll either dispatch your order or let you know it’s ready for collection, depending on the delivery option you selected.
After receiving your order, we’ll check availability with our supplier. If there are any issues or expected delays, we’ll contact you to let you know.
Nationwide Livestock Delivery
Have your new livestock delivered safely to your door using our specialist livestock delivery service.
Minimum livestock order: £50
Thursday Delivery — £24
Order by: Wednesday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Wednesday afternoon
Delivered: Thursday before 1pm
Friday Delivery — £24
Order by: Thursday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Thursday afternoon
Delivered: Friday before 1pm
Saturday Delivery — £29
Order by: Friday, 12 noon
Dispatched: Friday afternoon
Delivered: Saturday before 1pm
Add Dry Goods to Your Livestock Order
You can include suitable dry goods with your livestock delivery, making it easy to add food, treatments, filter media, accessories and other supplies at the same time.
Please note: Livestock deliveries cannot include frozen food or heavy items such as gravel, sand or other unsuitable bulky goods. These items must be ordered separately using an appropriate delivery method.
Already Placed Your Order?
No problem. If your livestock order hasn’t been dispatched yet, place another order using Click & Collect and leave us a note asking us to combine it with your existing order.
Payment & Security
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