Loaches Online Forum

I seem to be one of the few problems having trouble with these guys nipping. I've caught them nipping my Rainbowfish and actually lost a couple of ember tetra and threadfin Rainbowfish in my tank which I'm not starting to suspect might be due to these.

Has anyone else had issues, I have 10 in a 240l community tank.

I didn't have these issues myself. Is it down to one individual or several? If one you could remove it. Or, keep them in a species tank - I think they would be worth it.

Is it Ambastaia sidheymunckey? I never know "common" names, And frankly, I don't even try to find them. If you want my advise, I'd suggest you take the trouble of finding the correct Latin name

Yes they are Sidthimunki
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/ambas ... ms.422205/

Would seem some else had some issues too and yes I've seen more than one individual at it sadly.

However

Sorry phone messed up and wouldn't allow me to continue.

I have recently reduced my feeding regime as nitrates were rising rapidly, a chap in my lfs said this might be what is causing the problem. Today I've been watching them closely after giving them a good feed last night and this morning. I've not seen any nipping, just the usual jostling.

Perhaps that was the cause, I guess time and close observation will tell.

redshark1 wrote:I didn't have these issues myself. Is it down to one individual or several? If one you could remove it. Or, keep them in a species tank - I think they would be worth it.

Glad to hear you've not had issues. How many of this loaches did you have and what fish were they housed with?

They are such odd bods, they were harassing fish mid water but completely ignore my Stiphodon Gobys who hang on the bottom a lot in traditional loach territory lol

I've kept sids a few times over the years but never with long finned or very small fish. They can be a bit "boisterous", I wouldn't put nippiness beyond their normal rowdy/playful behavior...especially if underfed.

I hope you can find good tank mates for them, they are wonderful loaches. I kept them with harlequin, espei & red tailed rasboras in a (US) 75g most recently. But also with cardinal tetras & corydoras in a smaller tank as I recall.

Mine are together with Sundanio sp, of 2cm max. I never see any problems with regard to agression. In fact, I´ve once put a few baby swordtails in thier tank, @ 6 mm, which grew out to beautifull specimen, without any losses

God I must have bad luck. I've seen them nipping one of my large Rainbowfish again today. They haven't done any damage but I saw him jump so to speak.

However they didn't pursue him like they were the other day and seemed to have calmed down, he just happened to be in the way.

I've been watching like a hawk and none of my little fish have gone walkies or been damaged recently which is a relief. I'm actually setting up another 200l to movey slower moving more delicate species like Threadfin.

NancyD wrote:I've kept sids a few times over the years but never with long finned or very small fish. They can be a bit "boisterous", I wouldn't put nippiness beyond their normal rowdy/playful behavior...especially if underfed.

I hope you can find good tank mates for them, they are wonderful loaches. I kept them with harlequin, espei & red tailed rasboras in a (US) 75g most recently. But also with cardinal tetras & corydoras in a smaller tank as I recall.

I reckon I'll sort it with a little extra food and I'm going to move the delicate species to another tank (total excuse for a new tank).

Just want to ask one other question. Ate these loaches territorial? It's just someone I work with said they were and I'd not read anything like that with the exception if they haven't formed a group and you add more at a later date their can be some fighting between their own kind.

P.S. They seem to be behaving themselves better for now.

Mine are not, and I did add to the group. Still, if you have 3 or so, that is, not really a group, fish cvan behave differently than expected. Many fish are either very agressive or very shy when kept eith too few

I last kept 8 sids with 6 striatas & they divided themselves into 4 sids & 3 striatas at each end of the tank. No fighting but not much interaction between the 2 groups except at feeding time. There seemed to be 1 large fat female of each species in both groups.

The first time we kept them we had just 2 sids (the last before they were red listed). They seemed to be M & F & hung out in the open all the time. Other times I've had them they hid quite a bit. Rarely have I seen the head to tail, loss of color territorial spats as many loaches do.

Of course you need more tanks...& more loaches, lol.

They are not territorial (they do not mark out and defend an area) but they have a pecking order (some fish are dominant over others within the shoal). Mine were in a smaller community tank with other small fish such as tetras, pencilfish, ram, bumblebee goby, female fighter etc. They were one of the best fish I've kept. They did not die in my care, I sadly had to give them up.

I'm really puzzled with the whole thing but these little beggars are definitely biting. I saw one nip an Angel and it visibly jumped!

I've been feeding them loads too, probably overfeeding now and although they are definitely behaving better I do randomly see one swim up every now and again and lunge at guys.