Boga labeo
Labeo boga
Also known as Boga, Red gill violet shark
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–81°F
- 20–27°C
- pH
- 6.5–7.8
- Adult size
- 11.8 in
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 106 gal
- 400 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Origin
- Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, South Asia
Overview
The Boga labeo is an active, grazing river fish for the bottom of a large tank. It needs a keeper with some experience.
Did you know
The Boga labeo is a long-distance traveler. It is potamodromous, making predictable spawning migrations of more than 100 kilometers up and down its home rivers.
Caring for the Boga labeo
Keep the Boga labeo in a large tank of at least 106 gal (400 L), with plenty of broken-up territory. Add sand or fine gravel, smooth stones, rock and driftwood for it to work, and leave some open floor.
Give it steady flow and clean, well-oxygenated water. It suits a broad range of 68 to 81°F (20 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. It works the bottom and lower water, rasping surfaces for algae and biofilm. Feed sinking wafers, pellets, blanched vegetables and some frozen foods.
The Boga labeo is mostly peaceful toward unrelated fish, and it is fine alone or in a group. It can be pushy with its own kind and with similarly shaped labeos, so choose tank mates with care. Sturdy, fast midwater fish make the best company. Its spawning in aquariums is undocumented.
Good to know
Labeo boga is a silvery river cyprinid with a violet sheen and the down-turned, scraping mouth typical of its genus. It shares the genus with rohu and mrigal, major farmed carps that feed much of South Asia.
In the wild
The Boga labeo lives across the Ganges and Brahmaputra plains, in large rivers and their connected still waters. It grazes hard surfaces there.
Common questions
What size tank does a Boga labeo need?
A Boga labeo needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Boga labeo need?
A Boga labeo is comfortable at 68–81°F (20–27°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.
What does a Boga labeo eat?
A Boga labeo grazes algae and biofilm by rasping hard surfaces. Feed it sinking wafers, pellets, blanched vegetables and some frozen foods.
How big does a Boga labeo get?
An adult Boga labeo reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
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