Suitable loach for semi-aggressive community?

[Cherrypie]

Hi all
Been lurking on and off for about two years now
Thought it was about time I signed up and said hello *waves*

I have a 300litre / 79US gallon semi aggressive community. I say semi-aggressive as it houses my Tiger Barbs and everything in the tank is worked around them. Currently there's 11 of them. I have no problems with aggression - if anything the Cherry Barbs do more chasing than the Tiger Barbs.

Sorry, I'll be clear - tank inhabitants are
11 Tiger Barbs
4 Cherry Barbs
2 old old Harlequin rasbora
4/5 ottos
3 or so pangio, of various types
and 1 yellow-tailed Y. modesta. I have only one as I was given him when I bought a 2nd hand tank as a spare and, although I have tried to rehome him to someone with a bunch of others he could live with, I've so far had no luck. Beautiful fish, had him for about 4/5 years now. He has his own cave. I rarely see him. And I feel the modestas are really too big for me to have a decent size shoal in there.

Keeping in mind my current inhabitants, what loach, if any, do you think would be suitable for my tank? I was considering sids for their relatively small size - I could have a nice size shoal, but perhaps they're not feisty enough? My Tigers don't bother anything though are of course very boisterous at feeding time. The tank is planted and has lots of bogwood creating caves, and is mature at over two years old. Maintained through weekly water changes. I don't dose ferts or use CO2. Gravel is part Fluorite, part smooth small gravel - but the Fluorite sunk below the regular inert gravel so no sharp bits on the surface of the substrate. My water is relatively soft and slightly acidic - or at least used to be, I ran out of tests a while back and haven't restocked

All opinions appreciated, even if you guys tell me there are no suitable loaches for my community

[Cherrypie]

Sorry, I should probably add that the tank sits at 24.5 - 25 degrees C

[PASoracco]

What are the tank dimensions? Unless you have over 4' in length I would agree that the modestas will probably get a little too big fully grown to have a full size, happy shoal. you do however want to consider one of the other moderately agressive botias, like skunk or eos, but steer clear of the very agressive ones like tigers; i feel like they would end up killing or harassing your other stock.

any pictures of your modesta? I've always thought the ones with distinct yellow tails are quite striking.

[Cherrypie]

Hi
Thanks for replying
My modesta for you -



This is the best I've ever gotten. He's very shy and very fast

Tank dimensions are 48 x 20 x 20 inches
Wouldn't skunk loaches potentially kill my kuhlis? Perhaps a bit too aggressive - or do they just get a bad rap?[/img]

[newshound]

modesta are far more agressive than a skunk loach.
and I think most botia are too aggressive for kuhlis.

[Cherrypie]

Wow - I honestly had no idea. I mean, I've done a bit of reading on them that says they're aggressive but this guy never poses any problems. Perhaps because he's out of what should be "normal" for modesta. My cherry barbs just swim in and out of his cave as if he weren't there
Seems like I've been lucky

[PASoracco]

and I think most botia are too aggressive for kuhlis.

i personally house myersi, black and regular kuhlis with darios, yoyos, clowns and kubs and heard about them living with histronica, rostrata, striata, etc. However, I don't know about modestas or skunks. hopefully someone with experience can chime in here.

I've done a bit of reading on them that says they're aggressive but this guy never poses any problems. Perhaps because he's out of what should be "normal" for modesta. My cherry barbs just swim in and out of his cave as if he weren't there
Seems like I've been lucky

Different fish have different personalities, and quite often, when a schooling fish is kept single species their behavior differs from the norm. I haven't personally raised modestas, but as you said, you may have just been lucky up until this point.

I used to have one tiger loach(syncrossus helodes) housed in my community tank before I knew any better and for years he a shy, but very well behaved fish. One day in a clicking frenzy, he started chasing and attacking my smaller yoyos. I got him out of the tank before he did any major physical harm, but one of the yoyos he cornered has suffered severely, and it obviously upset them for weeks. just because the fish has behaved a certain way in the past doesn't mean they always will, or something couldn't frighten or upset them into acting differently. like i said, I haven't raised modestas so I don't personally know their behavior, but they are categorized as semi-aggressive

[ScottMI]

I would go with Striata's in a group of five or more myself. Or maybe kubotia or something. They dont get to big at all. Both types are a beautiful loach and mine get along just fine with my kuhli's and other fish totally.
To me neither of what i mentioned are aggressive at all. THey can be annoying to other fish some but nothing bad really.

[PASoracco]

never had striata, but i would definitely worry about the tiger barbs picking on kubotai

[Sharkscott2]

I wouldn't worry about tiger barbs bothering straita or kubotai when they're in a good sized group and 11 would qualify in my opinion.

[Cherrypie]

I've actually never had problems with Tiger Barbs but I do keep them in a large-ish group. And I dont think they're going to be any trouble with loaches either.

But the modesta - will he act territorially towards other loaches? Or will he be fine if they stay out of his cave? Now that I've been alerted to possible outbursts from him, I'm concerned that putting other bottom-feeders in the tank will cause him to decide that he IS an "aggressive modesta" after all!

[Sharkscott2]

Can't say I know much about Modesta but back on the Tiger barb subject. I keep kubotai loaches with some 4-5 inch Arulius barbs which are very VERY active. And somewhat aggressive towards each other. But they leave the rest of the fish alone. My dad also keeps a school of a dozen tiger barbs and while he hasn't kept them with loaches he's kept them with small cories, small tetras, and gouramies without a problem.

[newshound]

i wouldn't worry aoubt the tigers except at feeding times ie grabbing food before the loaches.
when loaches mature they tend to get a little more grumpy
or down right nasty

[Bully]

But the modesta - will he act territorially towards other loaches? Or will he be fine if they stay out of his cave? Now that I've been alerted to possible outbursts from him, I'm concerned that putting other bottom-feeders in the tank will cause him to decide that he IS an "aggressive modesta" after all!

Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing until you try it. Personally, I would expect the loach to revert to type once there are similar shaped fish attempting to share it's territory. If you were able to find a home for the fish then you would have a whole lot more options available to you. There's an exchange site for South Wales that you may want to sign up for, similar to freecycle:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/SWTFE/

[Cherrypie]

Will do
Thanks Bully