new loach owner....help!

[driratlan]

hi, i own 2 loach fish - a clown and a red tailed loach. i received them out of the blue - came home one day and there they were in my 20 gallon goldfish tank (i keep two 1-inch goldfish) as a surprise.

ive read up about them as much as i could and will transfer the fish to a bigger tank once they start growing. ive read that both species are very active in groups but i currently don't have the means of buying and housing 5+ of each kind. would they be able to live together with the goldfish and keep each other company? or am i better off finding someone to give them to?

thank you in advance - i really want them to be happy

[raving_wayne]

both of the loaches your speaking of require much different water conditions to the goldfish for example the gold fish is a coldwater fish and both loaches require a much higher temp, i would advise to pass them on if you have no means of supporting there needs at present m8. they really do need to have to correct temp aswell as company of there own kind...

rave

[StrangeSavant]

That's what I thought. I'm not aware of any loach that is "aggressive". It's not like they're cichlids.

I need a new heater for my tank... I got one that said it was for 30 gal. but on its lowest setting my tank is 80 degrees.

[helen nightingale]

sorry, but you really do need to rehome both the loaches.

not only do they need quite warm water, but they also need lots of space. a clown loach tank really needs to be 6 foot long, longer if possible! a smaller tank will not last them all that long, and if you keep them in a small tank when they are young, that is when you can stunt their growth.

i am not sure exactly which other species you have, but i have seen some loaches sold as "red tailed loaches" that are agressive/boisterous species. is it like this?:

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

skunk loaches can be very agressive, and even though they dont get that big, can more than look after themselves if they are kept with much bigger but calmer species - so you do get agressive loaches. some pet shops dont realise these species are so "evil"

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-eos

[andyroo]

By red-tail, do you mean Y. modesta?
If so they tend to be a bit more animated and grumpier then clowns, so the web-wisdom is to not put them together (though i'm doing fine with it at the moment, as are others). That grumpiness may limit your choices for tank-mates a bit in future- or you could generate a nice tank of animated rascals, which is also fun.

80C is fine... for the loaches.
Give the goldies away, keep the loaches. Choose your favourite of the pair, take the other back and build a school of the choice over a couple of months.

Both species want a school of >5, get the best part of a foot long and live for a good couple of decades. If you decide to keep both you'll need >5 in each crew, and 100+gallons by the middle of 2010. Both species are bright and full of personality, unlike dim-bulb goldfish (i'm gonna get grief for that ). Like high-maintenance aquatic labradors. Trust me, it's well worth it.

A

[Diana]

OK, andy, here is your grief:
Golds can be quite personable pets, too, learn to recognize their owners and can learn do tricks.

However, the basics of this post are quite true.

All threes species will outgrow a 10 gallon tank (roughly 40 liters) before they are more than a couple of months older. A 10 for any of them is not more than a temporary tank for quarantine, medication etc. until they are cleared to go into a larger tank.
I would not start either of these, large loaches or Golds in a tank much smaller than a 20 gallons (80 liters) as young fish, and be prepared to move up to at least a 4' long (1.2 m) tank (45 gallons (120 liters) or larger by the time the fish are 3" long (8cm).
Perhaps a year or so in this tank, and then into a much larger tank.

I currently have Goldfish in my 250 gallon (roughly 1000 liters) pond, and Clown Loaches in my 125 gallon (500 liters) (6' long/ 2m) tank.

Their needs as far as water chemistry are quite at odds, too.
Optimum temperature for the common, comet or Shubunkin Gold is in the upper 60s*F to mid 70s*F. Optimum temp for Clown Loaches is about 80*F. Fancy (Distorted body) Golds seem to do better in slightly warmer water, but still not 80*F.
Metric: Golds= upper teens *C, low 20s for the fancies; Clown Loaches uppermost 20s*C

[andyroo]

Thousand pardons, i thought we were starting with 30 gallons.

So, there you go Driratlan,
For a little tank, stick with.... guppies and tetras and plants and and snails and little things, max size about 2", though maybe a little longer for less energetic and eel-like stuff. Google "nano" and "river-tank" aquariums. Can be very beautiful, and very rewarding, but you certainly will need to re-think your current stocking.

Or, commit.
Spend a little money on a 2nd-hand bigger tank and do yourself up right- and enjoy the hobby.

A

[Diana]

The 20 that they are now in might not be too bad for a short while, but not these fish together because of the different temperature needs. Choose either the Loaches or the Golds, knowing that the Loaches will ultimately require a much larger tank, and more of the same species.
2 tanks would work, too, of course.

[starsplitter7]

You can see why so many of us have so many tanks. I have 9 up normally, ten with the Q-tank.

[driratlan]

thanks everyone for the advise.

i ended up giving both the clown loach and red tailed loach away to a better home. am keeping the goldfish <3