intro and new tank

[bookpage]

Just wanted to say hi and tell everyone a little about myself and my new tank.

I am 66 years old. I kept fish for 15+ years back in the 60s and 70s. This one is first I have had in 30 years. I have always liked loaches and now I have my own loach tank. It is a planted 75 gallon with Eco Complete. I am using two canister filters; a Cascade 1200 and a Rena Filstar XP3. It has the following fish:

3 - Yasuhikotakia modesta - red fin loach
4 - Yasuhikotakia morleti - skunk loach
4 - Botia almorhae - yoyo loach
4 - Botia kubotai - polka-dot loach
8 - Chromobotia macracanthus - clown loach

I'll try and post some pictures of both fish and tank a little later. Glad I found this website and forum. Hope to learn a lot from everyone and hopfully give some back.

Rayburn from Hewitt, TX (very close to Waco)

[helen nightingale]

hello, and welcome along this is a great place to learn about loaches and people have so much combined expereince with all of them. i have learned lots here

it would be great to see some photos of your fish, we are nosy and like seeing other people's loaches. it sounds like you have got some beautifull loaches in your tank. you may have some interesting times with your mixture of species though, as a word of warning. did you realise the skunks in particular can be very agressive? have a look here:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ya ... ia-morleti

do you have plenty of hiding places for the loaches in case the skunks are feeling a bit on the grumpy side? they are such nice looking little loaches

[Auntsally]

Hi I am new to this forum too and am finding it very friendly and knowledgable! (except for me). My story is like yours. Kept fish in the seventies and now returned. Your tank sounds great. Love to see it!

[Blue]

I can't believe the skunks and modestas are mixed with the clowns, kubs and yoyos. I tried the skunks with my yoyos and ended up with two dead yoyos a few months ago. I really regret what I did.

[bookpage]

Here a few pictures of my fish and one of my new tank.












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[starsplitter7]

What a beautiful tank!

I love the peek-a-boo shot #2.

[bookpage]

That is the only shot I have been able to get of any of my modesta.

[NO.9]

nice photo , nice tank and nice fish.....

[Mark in Vancouver]

Those are some very good photos. Several of them should have been in the Loach Book.

[helen nightingale]

the orange glitter across the skunk is absolutely beautifull

they are very healthy looking little yoyos too.

[mickthefish]

very good looking fish and tank bookpage, i'd love to see a pic of the tank in a few months when the plants start to bush out please.

are all the loaches fairly young?, as i'm thinking the same as Helen, them skunks can be nasty little buggers when the mood takes them.

mick
ps, and i think your pics are really good too.

[helen nightingale]

i'd love to see a pic of the tank in a few months when the plants start to bush out please

yes please

but no more skunk photos! yours are so beautifull, and i have spent the last year trying to convince myself that i cant have a tank for them. you are making me dribble, i am very enviuos

[bookpage]

I would like to thank everyone for their comments and for your kind words about my pictures.

Just a short note about skunk loaches. I know that there are later books and articles about them, but Braz Walker in his 1974 book on Sharks and Loaches; he says, "Although it is often described as completely peaceful, Botia Horae despite its size can be quite aggressive, especially to its own kind, unless plenty of hiding places are available."

I watching my four skunks, they only seem to chase each other most of the time and I have not seen them be 'quite aggressive' to any of the other fish. Your mileage may vary.

Rayburn

P.S. BTW, I knew Braz Walker as he lived in Waco were I grew up and still live very close to. He was really a remarkable man and knew a lot about tropical fish.

[helen nightingale]

i think the important this is that you know you might see aggression, rather than be caught unawares. i am glad they are behaving themselves. you are right about your mileage may vary

that last photo you posted, of the whole tank, if that was taken when all the loaches were in it, then you must have a good amount of hidey places. some people think some of us here are mad for having tanks that look empty of fish at times, as they are all tucked up somewhere. it can definately save some punch ups though daft fish

[tariesindanrie]

Pardon my stare there, Rayburn, but your tank is stunning!!! Welcome to LOL!

Beautiful fish and your pics are jaw-dropping. I agree with Helen, that shot of the shimmery skunk is really something. I have very mixed feelings about my 'punk loaches' right now, but it's hard to hate 'em when they can look so pretty... I am amazed you have had such luck with yours in your community tank!

Quick question- is your substrate that 3M product or what is it? It looks great.

Kate