would adding loaches be doable

[diavids]

Hello, I am new to this site and I currently don't have any loaches so I thought I would find out if it would be doable before I head out to the LPS and get tempted. I have recently set up a 25 gal hex (floor space about 18 in and 24 in tall) I already have 5 pepper cories and 3 baby keyhold cichlids in the tank. For upper regions I added 3 danios and some growing out guppies. I'm not sure if these fish are going to stay or not. The ph is 6 to 6.5 (I try to keep it at 6.5) our local water is soft. I have a mixture of sand and fine gravel for the bottom,some plants, driftwood and rocks for caves. For filters i'm using 2 aquaclear 50 HOB and one internal. I'm using a couple pieces of glass for top so its not very tight, I keep the water about 2 inches from the top. I can't have fish that are known to be jumpers. I would consider loaches for my larger SA community tank instead, but my apple snails and others live in there. thanks for listening. dianne

[Ashleigh]

Unfortunately I would not consider hex tanks for any species of loach. Not only is your tank footprint fairly small, but loaches in general are highly active fish and require length in a tank, even the Pangio sp (Kuhli loaches) I wouldn't consider a tank less than 2ft in length as they are very active little things when they want to be . You say that you have a few cory catfish in the tank; I would think that they would require the foot print you have.

In saying all of this, a loach that does pop into my head is the Rosy loach Tuberoschistura arakanensis (species profile http://www.loaches.com/species-index/tu ... rakanensis ). It is quite a small species and Im not overly convinced that it requires a very large area. Although this is not a species that I personally keep, possibly some of the other members that keep this species could comment whether this would be a possibility?

Welcome to LOL


Ashleigh

[Diana]

Another vote against Loaches in such a tank.
The surface area is where oxygen/CO2 exchange happens, and in a tall, narrow tank there is less oxygen.
Loaches are high oxygen, fast water movement fish, and this tank is also very hard to get really good water movement in. (I have a very similar tank, and it is almost impossible. I ended up with a breeding pair of Angels ONLY in this tank)

[diavids]

thank you for your advice. I didn't think the tank would be large enough, especially with the cory's I have already there.

thanks
dianne