Loaches Online Forum

I've noticed our Pakistani loach, for the past few days, has been rushing to the top of the tank at feed times and has been feeding up the top with our guppies and such. He seems to be getting just as much food as anybody. Because he eats at the top and then after a couple minutes eats off the floor like our other bottom feeders. So I'm confused at his behaviour. Has anyone else experienced this or know what he's doing?

Not unusual, and there is nothing wrong with it. Your loach learned that there is another way to feed and perhaps he likes guppy food (flakes) better.

I see this all the time with various botia species, including your b.almorhae.

I've had that behaviour when I bought some pellets and they were floaters not sinkers. The Clown Loaches learned that if they wanted the food they would have to take them from the surface. That they did and it quite noisy and spectacular (or should that be splashtacular?).

Another ditto: Most Loaches are adaptable fish, and are quite willing to take the food from wherever it is.
Fish do not know that you add certain food for just certain fish. They cannot read the labels.

They also cannot read the books where they are defined as "bottomfeeders".

But they can read feedingtime from a nearby clock, to go and wait near the surface for the first bits of any food.

Yoyos are very inventive in getting extra food. One of mine goes around checking every feedingpipe above the water. When he sees bits stuck in it, he paddles himself out of the water to get it, eats it, then goes to the next pipe. Every day. The others sit below him to snap up loosened scraps.
Just an example from my tank, but to me, this kind of unexpected behaviour is one of the reasons to keep loaches.