Loach ID confirmation please

[starsplitter7]

ID Confirmations please.

I am so excited that I can post pictures now.

This loach I picked up as a Polka Dot Loach. Could you tell me the species? I have three who have lived me over 6 months, they are about 3" long, get along well with each other and others. Two Spotted Cories at the top of the picture. I didn't know one had a ragged Dorsal fin, so I will check him tomorrow. The two dark circles at the left of the picture in the sand are the heads of my banjo catfish. My croaking catfish is under the sand too. I plan to turn the entire tank to sand substrate, but wanted to make sure the fish would like it and that I could clean it.


Another shot of the mystery loach hanging out with a Panda Cory, the Bristlenose Catfish and my Yoyo with the cool tail.


Another shot of the cool Yoyo and the back end of a Dario a.k.a. Queen Loach. Confirmation anyone? Please.


Another Botia Dario I think? With one of my pregnant Mollies. She's usually not at the bottom, but I had just fed them and she's a super piggy.


Thanks. Sorry the tanks are such a mess. I have been treating for ick and doing massive water changes. Luckily I think everyone will be fine.

Tanja.

[Rocco]

Hey Tanja, nice fish.

I'm not too sure what your polkadot loaches are but I'm pretty sure those are botia Dario.

How big is that tank and what are you keeping in there in terms of species and number?

[The.Dark.One]

The first one looks like a Schistura beavani or corica (more likely beavani). Need to see a side shot really.

The others are dario and one of the almorhae complex.

[starsplitter7]

The first one looks like a Schistura beavani or corica (more likely beavani). Need to see a side shot really.

The others are dario and one of the almorhae complex.

Thank you so much. I am happy to know I really do have B. dario.

The one that has me stumped is the Schistura beavani or corica? I will work on a side shot. They are not cooperative. I probably took 200 pictures last night. From the descriptions on loaches.com, these guys look like Schistura corica (lighter with spots, aggressively territorial), but they act like Schistura beavani (striped, mine have spots -- but mine easy going, not overly territorial). I'll work on some more pictures. Thanks again, Tanja.

[starsplitter7]

[sic]I'm not too sure what your polkadot loaches are but I'm pretty sure those are botia Dario.

How big is that tank and what are you keeping in there in terms of species and number?

Hi Rocco, Thanks for the help. Glad to know those are Botia dario. I'll try to get pictures of my "Polka Dot Loaches".

Tank size and species number? Unfortunately, Rocco, I made the same mistake that many beginner fishkeepers (I have only been doing this two years and only found loaches.com 5 months ago) make: I have very mixed, slightly over populated tanks.

Fortunately, I do have 7 tanks. The tank in the loach pictures is a 55 gallon and the fish are all very young and small, except for the danios and the farlowella. I do my best to keep compatible species together (personality, temps, water type) and in the right numbers. I have all my loaches in groups of three or more, expcept I only have 2 Tiger loaches (another tank), because there were only two, and I hadn't found loaches.com yet. Luckily they get along with each other and their tank mates. I keep a very close eye on them.

With my Cories I have them in groups of 3 or more per species and then they also school doesn't matter the exact species.

Since I made the mistake of mixed tanks and a bit of extra bioload, I clean my tanks twice a week and I have my tanks double filtered. I plan to upgrade all my tanks to larger tanks as my fish grow. I am doing my best with what I know.

[The.Dark.One]

Thank you so much. I am happy to know I really do have B. dario.

The one that has me stumped is the Schistura beavani or corica? I will work on a side shot. They are not cooperative. I probably took 200 pictures last night. From the descriptions on loaches.com, these guys look like Schistura corica (lighter with spots, aggressively territorial), but they act like Schistura beavani (striped, mine have spots -- but mine easy going, not overly territorial). I'll work on some more pictures. Thanks again, Tanja.

If you are struggling the best thing to do is to catch it out and photograph it in a small show tank.

[Rocco]

[sic]I'm not too sure what your polkadot loaches are but I'm pretty sure those are botia Dario.

How big is that tank and what are you keeping in there in terms of species and number?

Hi Rocco, Thanks for the help. Glad to know those are Botia dario. I'll try to get pictures of my "Polka Dot Loaches".

Tank size and species number? Unfortunately, Rocco, I made the same mistake that many beginner fishkeepers (I have only been doing this two years and only found loaches.com 5 months ago) make: I have very mixed, slightly over populated tanks.

Fortunately, I do have 7 tanks. The tank in the loach pictures is a 55 gallon and the fish are all very young and small, except for the danios and the farlowella. I do my best to keep compatible species together (personality, temps, water type) and in the right numbers. I have all my loaches in groups of three or more, expcept I only have 2 Tiger loaches (another tank), because there were only two, and I hadn't found loaches.com yet. Luckily they get along with each other and their tank mates. I keep a very close eye on them.

With my Cories I have them in groups of 3 or more per species and then they also school doesn't matter the exact species.

Since I made the mistake of mixed tanks and a bit of extra bioload, I clean my tanks twice a week and I have my tanks double filtered. I plan to upgrade all my tanks to larger tanks as my fish grow. I am doing my best with what I know.

Yeah, we all make that boo-boo, I did too. I started with 3 baby black ghost knifefish and 5 glow light tetras in a 50 gallon tank. To be fair to the BGKs, they didn't eat the tetras. I just realized that I had to upgrade my tank pronto so I got a 75 gallon. My bgks quickly outgrew it so now they're in a nice pond with my clown loaches. I see them every night when I go out with a flashlight and they come out at feeding time.

Its funny because I always whistled at feeding time and now they respond to the whistle (both the clowns and the BGKs)

[starsplitter7]

That's so cool your loaches and Knives recognize you and your whistling. My LFS owner tells me that our fish know our voices. Pretty cool.

And pretty nice you have a pond for them. I would be afraid I would have a heron or woodstork in there having lunch on my fish.

[starsplitter7]

If you are struggling the best thing to do is to catch it out and photograph it in a small show tank.

Tonight two out of three of my mystery loaches sat sideways so I could photograph them.

I am worried that the first loach appears to have scraped its side, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of infection. I will keep a very close eye on him and do more water changes.



Note the Banjo cat front and center under the sand.


Here's the second loach -- note he's sitting on the banjo.





Note that these loaches are more spotted than striped. But their personalities are mild. They like each other and other fish. But there's lots of hidey holds. They like the sand, but they sit on top, not underneath.

Thanks for any ideas. Tanja.

[mickthefish]

i would say they are S corica tanja.

mick

[starsplitter7]

Thank you very much. Looks like I have S. corica. I notice you just picked up ten of them. What is your expereince with them? Could you tell me the difference between S. corica and S. geisleri? Mine look more like corica, lighter more blurred blotches.

However, I am still concerned about the aggression/territorial nature. Have you noticed that? I realize I have a large tank, but I would think they would disperse. More often than not they are in the same 6" square area together -- often side by side. I have never seen aggression between them or with others. They do not have any aggressive tank mates. The Pleco is a bull in the china closet, but not very aggressive.

[mickthefish]

tanja, the two main differences as far as ive read the coricas are found in india and the geisleri hail from thailand,
the other difference is in the size with the coricas being the largest.
as far as visual differences the geisleri seem to have more rounded blotches whereas ours look as if the are elongated stripes.
the reason i know mine are coricas is i know the guy who sent them over, and as far as i know he only exports indian fish.

i read what emma said about their aggression but so far they are babes, and most of the time they are all in a loose shoal, the fish that are in with them are softies , ive watched them for some time and i haven't seen them bother the other species as of yet.

mick