thoughts on adding loaches to a new tank!!!

[bigtank123]

I have 1 250L fish tank (66 gal) and it is heavily planted with 4 angelfish, 2 praecox rainbows, 2 turquoise rainbows, 1 siamese algae eater, 6 corydoras catfish (able to be transferred if necessary), 1 pearl gourami and 1 black ghost knifefish and I was thinking of adding some more fish, the tank is heavily planted, with large lava rock and driftwood scattered around and want to add a clown loach or some botia loaches or a red tail black shark.

Thoughts???

-Thanks

[redshark1]

Hi, this sounds like a nice tank. Any pictures please?

Why do you want to add more fish may I ask? You appear to have a most satisfying selection already.

One day I got to a point where I was happy with my tank and where I had got to with it. I was satisfied and boy is that a good feeling. Maybe you are still travelling to this point?

As you probably know your knife fish will require rehousing to something much larger.

Clown Loaches are shoaling fish and we don't advise keeping them singly for this reason. For a much larger aquarium than yours we advise a minimum shoal of 6, the more the better.

I love Red-tailed Sharks but they can chase other fish and also need a bigger tank.

My brother had Botia sidthimunkii and they were brilliant for smaller tanks but maybe a different character to your existing fish. They'd probably be swallowed by a knifefish given time though.

Anyway, its your decision and whatever you decide I wish you all the best!

[Diana]

I would not add something as big as a Clown Loach- they are social, and need more of their own kind.
I would look into something perhaps 4" or so (10cm).
How about Botia kubotai?

Research the temperature needs of your fish, too.