Loaches Online Forum

I would like opinions about the best loach for the tank I am planning. My thoughts are Sids, Skunk or Kubotai. Information about tank to be... 65 gal - footprint is rather odd at 18" x 36". Will have dark sand substrate with lots of wood and some rocks. Would like some type of small pleco in there.. possibly a rubber nose or some other one under 4" not yet decided upon. Temp will be around 77-78* F. Will do probably 2 small powerheads for flow and obviously a canister filter (Rena xP3? haven't bought it yet). SO really likes the skunks, I like them all. Would any of these fit better than the others or does it not matter? I read the species info.. but it does not give super specific information so .. any opinions from keepers of these species is welcome! Obviously, I will cycle tanks first, and there will be a group of them - though how many I suppose depends on which one I get. My LFS HAS kubotai and skunks, and will order fish for me if I decide upon sids. Thanks!

i think skunks are a bit aggressive. i have sids and kubotai together with clowns in a larger tank and they do fine. the temps you suggest may be a bit on the cool side for them although in winter my tanks get down to maybe 78F but i think others generally recommend a bit higher like 80-82F. the striatas that i have seem to have done well with the slightly lower temps of 78-80. that's about all i have to offer on those fish.

Well - I really have no plans for other fish except maybe a pleco - so would aggression really be a problem? Would they bother a pleco? My clowns could care less about my plecos, and vice versa. I do see now that skunks lowest temp is 79* - so that may be pushing it for me in the winter, even with heaters the tanks are a degree or two cooler. The kubotai and sids said 75 - 82 * for temp, though? So 77-78 does not seem cool for them? This is why I am asking for help in deciding, though!

Forgot to mention - quickly - that water out of my tap is a bit high, but in my 125 gal - the pH stays around 7.2 and is medium hardness. If I am forgetting anything else - just ask!

what i was saying was merely what i recall others saying a few years ago when i was posting here regularly.

also the same about the skunk(s). what i CAN say i experienced and i still don't know the reason was that my striatas and kubotai seemed to show aggression towards each other. this was when the tank was new and i've since separated them so i don't know if, once used to each other, they'd be fine. i'm sure others have kept them together just fine.

the other experience i had and this regarding temperature was that my clowns did fine in the higher temps, even when i had to elevate for ich early on but the striatas did not to well at all and i had to move them (for medication) and then left them where i could keep their temp a bit lower.

i suspect that within reason whatever your fish acclimate to as long as it is consistent should be ok...nothing extreme from recommendations but if a bit lower perhaps it's okay. my clowns certainly have done well in their slightly lower than recommended temp. but that being said keeping the water clean is, imo, the most important!...again, given there are no extreme deviations from recommendations.

abaigael04 wrote:Forgot to mention - quickly - that water out of my tap is a bit high, but in my 125 gal - the pH stays around 7.2 and is medium hardness. If I am forgetting anything else - just ask!

well my loaches have been in tanks where the pH is 7.8...for several years now but it's consistent. i once embarked on lowering it but it would rise within a week so i gave up on that....at the time most folks were saying consistency was most important. the GH of the local water is 4-5 so not terribly hard.

oops.. sorry. misunderstanding. I only plan to have ONE of these species.. just can't decide which. So.. they only need to get on with each other and a pleco...
Consistency is more important, I agree... and I do nothing to change my ph in my tanks, it is just because of the wood I have in there that it happens naturally and stays that way.

abaigael04 wrote:oops.. sorry. misunderstanding. I only plan to have
Consistency is more important, I agree... and I do nothing to change my ph in my tanks, it is just because of the wood I have in there that it happens naturally and stays that way.

you are fortunate to have nice lower pH water...even with tons of wood in mine the pH moves not!! : )

sorry about all the interspecies talk...i just got carried away i suppose!!

yes - I think they changed the water as mine used to stay at 7.6 - 7.8, too. I will not complain, though! I do love all the loaches but think I will keep only one to this tank as it is not that big. Who knows what I will do with my 125 in the future? If things go according to plans and my clowns get a 200+ tank in a few years... more loaches and plecos... I guess I should wipe skunks off the list?

so sids or kubotai? i have both and find them both to be interesting. you are going to have a group of them, right? i've lost two sids..one early on for i don't know what reason and i had one recently jump to a place that i thought would not be possible to get to and so it perished as well. the lone remainer now is very hidden much of the time. if i had a place to take it i would as i think it's not comfortable alone although it seemed quite content with only the other one around. the tank is a 110 with clowns (5), kubotai (3), one dario and one rostrata (by default only one of each)...they are a happy crew! pity you don't live near me as mine must find a new home!!!
: ((((((((

indeed.. I love both of those loaches, both are very pretty and I am sure have plenty of personailty! Hence my plea for help in this decision! That is to bad about the jumping... I have 4 clowns out of 2 batches of 3... (I have 4 more in QT right now to add to the group)... the 2 that I don't have.. I don't know where they are... never found a body ANYWHERE but moved the tank and KNOW they are not just well hidden...
They will indeed be in a group - of 7-8 ... maybe more if I get sids (as they stay smaller), but the sids will take longer to acquire due to their price.

hiya my personal opinion would be go for the kubs they are fantastic i have 4 which share my 450litre tank with clowns, modestas, striatas, yoyo's and pangios and to be honest they all get along fantastic, but the kubs do love to play in mine for some reason they dance all over the tank and are awesome to watch in the evening with the lights off in the room. my kubs get along fine with my 2 leopard plecs and 2 clown plecs also.

but it has to be said if your having a species tank then you must decide on whats best for you really, if kubs are your fav then go with kubs if sids are then go with sids,


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