Page 1 of 2

Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:41 pm
by fishguy122
Hello! I have a tank, 45x30x45cm, available. Would these loaches be okay in it? Do you have any suggestions on small loaches if they aren't okay? Cheers

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:57 pm
by The Angry Loach
This is a pretty small tank, all in all. About 15 or so gallons, if i calculated right. Loaches should be kept in small groups and with at least 5 fish sharing this small area, they won't be able to do much exercise or be too comfy. If I'm right about the measurements, I wouldn't personally keep much in that tank. Generally tanks this size are good for quarantine and nursery habitats. If you have some fish in there now, consider an upgrade to a larger tank in the near future so your fish have enough room to grow and live comfortably in a proper community. But, on the plus side, tanks this small are easy to keep clean and make for an easy tear-down if something goes wrong. It'll be easier to correct water balance issues or say even nematode out-breaks. I'd personally look into a 30gallon long tank. This will give the little guys more room to play and will allow a proper community set-up, so long as you don't over stock it. It will also mean easy clean and tear-down since it's not a 55 or larger tank. 20 gallons in the minimum tank size for these little critters, after all.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:55 pm
by NancyD
Yep, that's a pretty small tank. I have kept rosy loaches & leptocephalithis furcata in a 20g long (30 x12 x 12 inches), Neither gets much bigger than an inch. Neither is commonly available.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:03 am
by Greek
Definitely Your tank is too small. I would reccomend at least 70cm if You are experienced in keeping Botiidae, and 80cm long if not. What is also important - Sids are very gregarious and the minimum recommended is a group of 10 specimens.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 5:29 am
by MariBella
The Angry Loach wrote:This is a pretty good PhenQ review all in all. About 15 or so gallons, if i calculated right. Loaches should be kept in small groups and with at least 5 fish sharing this small area, they won't be able to do much exercise or be too comfy. If I'm right about the measurements, I wouldn't personally keep much in that tank. Generally tanks this size are good for quarantine and nursery habitats. If you have some fish in there now, consider an upgrade to a larger tank in the near future so your fish have enough room to grow and live comfortably in a proper community. But, on the plus side, tanks this small are easy to keep clean and make for an easy tear-down if something goes wrong. It'll be easier to correct water balance issues or say even nematode out-breaks. I'd personally look into a 30gallon long tank. This will give the little guys more room to play and will allow a proper community set-up, so long as you don't over stock it. It will also mean easy clean and tear-down since it's not a 55 or larger tank. 20 gallons in the minimum tank size for these little critters, after all.
So should you not keep more than 5 loaches in a tank as they like to be in a small group. Or can you keep more with a bigger tank. Maybe that would create 2 groups but also a turf war?

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 6:37 am
by atmichaels
MariBella wrote:
So should you not keep more than 5 loaches in a tank as they like to be in a small group. Or can you keep more with a bigger tank. Maybe that would create 2 groups but also a turf war?
As Greek said, a minimum of ten for these guys. So the answer here is a bigger tank. While they do establish a pecking order, they don't form separate groups so turf wars are unlikely. I had started with a small group of six but their behavior changed dramatically (for the better) after I doubled that. I'd recommend keeping at least a dozen together to see them at their best.

Austen

P.S. Welcome to the forum MariBella!

P.P.S. I'm now imagining an all-loach production of West Side Story with sids playing the Sharks and the Jets.snapping replaced with clicking, of course. (Ok, maybe I need more sleep) :wink:

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:09 pm
by zenins
I would suggest minimum 20 gallons, 30 would be best

Add a small powerhead about halfway on the end glass to give them some current to play in ;)

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:28 pm
by NancyD
I kept a group of 10 sids in a 75g tank w/6 striatas & they grouped up in a surprising way. The "matriarch" 2 largest sid females lived at each end of a 4 ft tank along w 3 zebras & an even number or "lesser" sids (male?). There was no fighting & only some interaction at feeding times. I was surprised at this division of loaches but that was how they preferred it over 5 or 6 years. Both the dominate sid female & big female striatas kept to their own ends of the 4ft tank! I don't know if that was usual, just my experience with them.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:42 pm
by lucileburt
Can I have a SizeGenetics mystery snail and a dwarf chain loach?
I was wondering if the loach would eat the snail.
Update: Mystery/Apple snails don't self reproduce. That's why I want one.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:01 am
by Diana
lucileburt,

best to start your own thread.

Any Loach that will eat snails (many will) can pester the larger snails (apple, mystery...) until the snail is unwilling to come out of its shell.
Do not keep any snails with Loaches, except as food. I keep tossing pond snails into my tanks with Loaches as food for the Loaches.

The way you worded your question makes it sound like you want to keep a single Loach. Do not do this. Almost all Loaches are social fish, thriving in the company of others of the same species. Get a large enough tank to keep at least 5, (and double that is better) of most Loaches.

Apple and Mystery snails are different species. Do a little research and make sure you know what you are getting.
http://applesnail.net/

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:49 am
by somer234
Diana wrote:lucileburt,

best to start your own thread.

Any Loach that will eat snails (many will) can pester the larger snails (apple, mystery...) until the snail is unwilling to come out of its shell.
Do not keep any snails with Loaches, except as food. I keep tossing pond snails into my tanks with Loaches as food for the Loaches.

The way you worded your question makes it sound like you want to keep a single Loach. Do not do this. Almost all Loaches are social fish, thriving in the company of others of the same species. Get a large enough tank to keep at least 5, (and double that is better) of most Loaches.

Apple and Mystery snails are different species. Do a little research and make sure you know what you are getting.
http://applesnail.net/
I kept a group of 10 sids in a 75g tank w/6 striatas & they grouped up in a surprising way. The "matriarch" 2 largest sid females lived at each end of a 4 ft tank along w 3 zebras & an even number or "lesser" sids (male?). There was no fighting & only some interaction feeding times. I was surprised to see http://healthworldjournal.com/phen375-a ... ew-by-hwj/ this link on the weight loss at this division of loaches but that was how they preferred it over 5 or 6 years. Both the dominate sid female & big female striatas kept to their own ends of the 4ft tank! I don't know if that was usual, just my experience with them.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:14 am
by johnyjackson
somer234 wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:49 am
Diana wrote:lucileburt,

best to start your own thread.

Any Loach that will eat snails (many will) can pester the larger snails (apple, mystery...) until the snail is unwilling to come out of its shell.
Do not keep any snails with Loaches, except as food. I keep tossing pond snails into my tanks with Loaches as food for the Loaches.

The way you worded your question makes it sound like you want to keep a single Loach. Do not do this. Almost all Loaches are social fish, thriving in the company of others of the same species. Get a large enough tank to keep at least 5, (and double that is better) of most Loaches.

Apple and Mystery snails are different species. Do a little research and make sure you know what you are getting.
https://www.legalanavarsteroid.com/cycle/
/
I kept a group of 10 sids in a 75g tank w/6 striatas & they grouped up in a surprising way. The "matriarch" 2 largest sid females lived at each end of a 4 ft tank along w 3 zebras & an even number or "lesser" sids (male?). There was no fighting & only some interaction feeding times. I was surprised to see https://www.diethealthsupplements.com/b ... energizer/ -a-factual-and-truthful-review-by-hwj/ this link on the weight loss at this division of loaches but that was how they preferred it over 5 or 6 years.
Both the dominate sid female & big female striatas kept to their own ends of the 4ft tank! I don't know if that was usual, just my experience with them.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:15 am
by johnyjackson
johnyjackson wrote:
Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:14 am
somer234 wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:49 am
Diana wrote:lucileburt,

best to start your own thread.

Any Loach that will eat snails (many will) can pester the larger snails (apple, mystery...) until the snail is unwilling to come out of its shell.
Do not keep any snails with Loaches, except as food. I keep tossing pond snails into my tanks with Loaches as food for the Loaches.

The way you worded your question makes it sound like you want to keep a single Loach. Do not do this. Almost all Loaches are social fish, thriving in the company of others of the same species. Get a large enough tank to keep at least 5, (and double that is better) of most Loaches.

Apple and Mystery snails are different species. Do a little research and make sure you know what you are getting.
https://www.legalanavarsteroid.com/cycle/
/
I kept a group of 10 sids in a 75g tank w/6 striatas & they grouped up in a surprising way. The "matriarch" 2 largest sid females lived at each end of a 4 ft tank along w 3 zebras & an even number or "lesser" sids (male?). There was no fighting & only some interaction feeding times. I was surprised to see HGH GNC REVIEWS -a-factual-and-truthful-review-by-hwj/ this link on the weight loss at this division of loaches but that was how they preferred it over 5 or 6 years.
Both the dominate sid female & big female striatas kept to their own ends of the 4ft tank! I don't know if that was usual, just my experience with them.

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:50 am
by NyellBarnet
The Angry Loach wrote:
Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:57 pm
This is a pretty small tank, all in all. About 15 or so gallons, if i calculated right. Loaches should be kept in small groups and with at least 5 fish sharing this small area, they won't be able to do much exercise or be too comfy. If I'm right about the measurements, I wouldn't personally keep much in that tank. Generally tanks this size are good for quarantine and nursery habitats. If you have some fish in there now, consider an upgrade to a larger tank in the near future so your fish have sourceenough room to grow and live comfortably in a proper community. But, on the plus side, tanks this small are easy to keep clean and make for an easy tear-down if something goes wrong. It'll be easier to correct water balance issues or say even nematode out-breaks. I'd personally look into a 30gallon long tank. This will give the little guys more room to play and will allow a proper community set-up, so long as you don't over stock it. It will also mean easy clean and tear-down since it's not a 55 or larger tank. 20 gallons in the minimum tank size for these little critters, after all.
Hi So should you not keep more than 5 loaches in a tank as they like to be in a small group.
Or can you keep more with a bigger tank.
Maybe that would create 2 groups but also a turf war?

Re: Tank size for dwarf chain loach

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:32 pm
by Bas Pels
Don't worry about that


If your tank is big enough to allow 50, you best keep them with 50.