New Loach-a-Holic!

[Angelology]

Hi everyone, my name is Amelia and I am from New Zealand.

I have been keeping fish for about 2 years now. I currently have a 5g Betta tank, a 65g Community tank, and a 120g Cichlid tank.

I have liked Loaches ever since my first fish getting into the hobby, Kuhli Loaches! In hindsight they were not a good fish to start with but nevertheless, my group of 8 did very well under my rookie care and are still kicking (or swimming at least) in my friends community tank (I sadly had to sell them when I moved but thankfully I know they are all doing well, and I can have them back if my friend ever decides he doesn't want them anymore).

My second Loaches were 4 Yoyo Loaches which I bought for a community tank. They ended up wreaking havoc and killing many of my community fish, and they put me off loaches for a long time. It took me nearly a year to decide to give loaches another go -- and I added 8 Dwarf Chain Loaches to my community aquarium. They quickly made their way to the top of my favourite fish list. Although they come with a hefty price tag and they are a diminutive size, they have more personality per inch than any fish I've ever owned.

So, I have now decided to try again with Yoyo Loaches and add a group of 6 or 8 to act as dithers and clean up crew in my 5-foot cichlids tank, and also to add a little burst of activity to an otherwise very lethargic tank.

Today I came home with what I THOUGHT were 4 Yoyo Loaches... only to discover that 3 of the "Yoyos" are actually Angelicus Loaches! A disappointing start into my new venture into re-attempting Yoyos but I shall not be deterred -- I will take the imposters back to the LFS tomorrow and request a swap for some actual Yoyo Loaches.

Anyway... nice to meet you all.

[DainBramage1991]

Please do not put loaches in with your cichlids, loaches and cichlids do not mix well. Your yoyos will likely be small enough (especially at time of purchase) to be viewed as a food item for most cichlids. Even if they are large enough that they won't get eaten, either the cichlids or, more likely, the loaches will be harassed to the point of stress constantly. Cichlids and loaches have completely different and incompatible behavioral patterns, as well as different water quality needs.

The best thing to do if you want to keep cichlids and loaches is to set up a specific cichlid tank, and set up a separate loach tank. In both cases, tank into account the specific needs of the fish you will be keeping in the tanks.

http://www.loaches.com/articles/why-loa ... i-cichlids

[Angelology]

Hi -- perhaps I should have specified, they're not Mbuna, they're SA/CA cichlids. I just have a couple of juvenile severums, a small firemouth and some sajica cichlids, they're not aggressive at I previously had them mixed with rasbora, tetras and cories and have had no issues -- the only reason they are now separated from the community was because they outgrew my 65g tank and I got tired of shredded plants. I have always heard loaches make fantastic additions to docile cichlid tanks as the loaches and cichlids leave each other completely alone.

As with the water quality, I was under the impression loaches like soft acidic water? I run this tank at around about 6.6pH and 27C.

So far the loaches have been in the 120g overnight and I've had no issues -- the cichlids and loaches completely leave each other alone. I feel really sorry for the lone yoyo though, he sits on his own while the 3 angelicus zoom around together. Are angelicus usually more outgoing than yoyos or is it just that he's on his own?

[DainBramage1991]

I have heard of people successfully keeping less aggressive SA cichlids with loaches, but it's still not generally recommended. They will compete for the same territory, and since their behavior patterns are so different, one or the other tends to get stressed.

As for water conditions, mixing South American fish with Asian fish can be done successfully. I have fish from both areas in my main tank, as well as some African synodontis catfish (from rivers, not the alkaline lakes that African cichlids come from). However, loaches need more water flow than cichlids are usually happy with. It is possible to achieve a balance that all can be happy with, but compromises will be needed.

As for your yoyo, he is likely acting that way because of a lack of companions. Yoyo's, like most other loaches, do best in groups of 3 or more. My own yoyos are outgoing enough, but they tend to stick to their own kind. Kubotais (angelicus loach), on the other hand, don't seem to care who they are chummy with. I have several of them, along with several rostratas and several histrionicas. All three of those species hang out together, and even play around with my clown loaches from time to time.

You may be successful at mixing cichlids and loaches, but I still recommend separating them if possible. I think that the fish will be generally happier, and possibly healthier that way, as you will be able to provide for their specific needs.

[Angelology]

I don't really see how it's any different from me keeping the cichlids in my community aquarium (where they were up until I got this tank a few weeks ago), which has a school of 10 Dwarf Chain Loaches in it -- this just happens to be a community aquarium with bigger fish in it. Are you therefore saying that loaches can not be kept in communities with carefully selected inhabitants, and I should rehome my Dwarf Chains also?

What you're also saying is that any fish with different behavioral patterns should not be kept together -- however if fish with the same behavioral patterns are kept together you are far more likely to encounter problems as they will end up competing. It's called an ecological niche -- no two creatures with the same ecological niche can coexist permanently in the same area, as they will end up competing with each other and one will inevitably die or be forced to leave or change it's niche.

Yes -- I am aware that the Yoyo requires a group. Hence why I bought four, and then realized upon getting home that 3 of the four were the wrong species. I will be taking the angelicus back and swapping for 3 more yoyos. I plan on having 6 yoyos all-up.

[DainBramage1991]

I wasn't looking for argument.

I was just trying to be helpful by stating the fact that loaches and cichlids are best kept in different tanks because of their different needs and behaviors. I didn't say that they COULDN'T be kept together, rather that they SHOULDN'T be kept together.

I hope that your fish will thrive and be happy.

[Angelology]

A shot of my loaches, with fat bellies after gorging themselves. They are making a serious dent in my MTS population, there are empty shells scattered everywhere.



Gotten really attached to the Polka Dots now and can't decide if I want to take back the lone yoyo for another Polka Dot or take back the Dots for 3 more Yoyos like I originally planned... Wish I'd looked in the bad before leaving the LFS and noticed THEN that he's bagged me up the wrong loaches.

[chefkeith]

They look lovely.