Loaches Online Forum

My Clowns rarely hang out with my Yoyos. I generally limit each tank to one Loach species. As Shari points out, each species has its own aggression level, and within that species each fish has its own personality. There are also some habitat differences among the various species, though many do over...

Hi Setsuna, the set up you describe would be the minimum water flow I would suggest for a river set up. Are you using some other filter, as well, or are the powerheads equipped with sponge filters?

I would do another water change. Try really hard to keep the Nitrates under 20 ppm, and if you can get it closer to 10 ppm that will be even better. I have noticed all sorts of problems with my fish when the Nitrates approach 40 ppm, and if this is the reading after the water change, your Nitrates w...

The difference between Imperial Gallons and American gallons is not nearly as great as that between liters and either sort of gallons. By the time a tank is decorated with gravel or sand, rocks and ceramic castles, there is less volume (no matter which units you are using) so the difference in gallo...

Hi, Koko A 65 is plenty big enough for quite a while. Many sites do say 6", because many Clown Loaches do max out at about 6" when they are in aquariums. They grow reasonably fast when they are young, then slow down. I have mine in a 72 gallon tank with Discus and several other fish that thrive in t...

I start with a minimum of 10 times the tank volume for a filter (Canister or HOB) then add a powerhead. In the summer I add an air bubbler for more water movement. This is the least that I would suggest. The higher flow rates that Martin and Emma suggest sound great for river and stream fish, a bit ...

Hi, Avee
What kind of Loaches do you have?
How long have you had them?

What is the water chemistry in the store's water? pH, KH, GH? Does this match your water? Even the simple dip-stick tests can help in this matter: Get the Q-tank ready with relatively soft water. Float the bag in water the same temp as the tank to equalize the temperature. Dip-stick the store water ...

Add only as much Bio Spira as you add fish. Keep the rest in the fridge, I believe it can be kept up to 6 months. Add a little each time you add fish to minimize the minicycle that happens as the nitrifying bacteria grow to match the new waste load.

I do even larger water changes than that, regularly. Part of the idea is that conditions in the aquariums do not drift too far away from tap water chemistry, so after only a week, the tank is similar enough that I can do large changes. I do not use Activated Carbon, Ammonia removing crystals (or oth...

Hi, 2 Many Tanks. I have a few ideas, and some thoughts. I do not know if these are linked to the deaths in your tank. You were in the hospital when the first deaths happened? And the fish were not removed? Decaying fish produce much more ammonia and use more oxygen decaying than when they were aliv...

Depending on the exact nature of the current sponge filter, you might also fit the sponge part over the intake of the aquaclear filter.

I have an XP3 on a 45 gallon lowend brackish tank, and the water level is low in that tank (for a mudskipper). The filter does not create too much water movement, and is quiet. I had the spray bar above the water surface, and that drove the bubbles under the water and into the filter, so it will bel...

I have young Clowns and young Discus in a 72 gal. bowfront. 3 of each. Temp 82*F, pH 6.5, KH 3. Tank has oak bark that is still releasing tannins. Pool filter sand substrate, live plants. (Mostly Java Fern tied to the oak bark) Other tankmates include Brochis splendens , Prionobrama filigra , Farlow...

No photos, sorry, kids have custody of the camera, and I am permitted visitation only when the batteries are dead. As for the knowledge, I am a mod at Fish Geeks and this Q comes up a lot, and I have done my research. My own tanks have: RO water with peat for Discus Neutral or slightly acidic, mediu...