Loaches Online Forum

Hi, all! After many years of nothing but bettas after losing all my fish while moving cross country [losing my golden dojos about did me in!], I'm finally going to wade back in! My mind is a little blown by all the research I've been doing and all the competing opinions, so I'd love to hear what you all think. All I'm currently settled on is a bristlenose pleco. I was planning on adding like 12 Kuhli loaches... but I'd really rather have Golden dojos. I'd ideally like to have them with a blood parrot and some dither fish. I know the dojos and the blood parrot will grow and eventually need at least a 55g... but what do you think about having them together as babies? My huge concern is that it seems like the blood parrot low end temp is the high end temp for the dojo.

So that would be... 29g
1 bristlenose
1 parrot fish
? dojos
? dither fish

Appreciate your thoughts!

What is a parrot fish? If you mean a parrot cichlid, please refrain from supporting thos who created such a miserable creature.

It derived from Amphilopus labridens or A citrinellus, a slender, fast swimming fish, into a thing with bend spine, not closing opercula which is not able to even breathe properly, let alone swim.

If you mean a parrot cichlid, please refrain from supporting thos who created such a miserable creature. It derived from Amphilopus labridens or A citrinellus, a slender, fast swimming fish, into a thing with bend spine, not closing opercula which is not able to even breathe properly, let alone swim.

I sometimes wish there was a like button on this forum.

Generally saying a 29G tank is rather small and I wouldn't be planning on all those fish. I'd skip the bristlenose too. "Dither" fish only apply to a tank setup where the main inhabitants need a distraction of some sort. I think that 29G is too small even for dojos. I'd stick with micro fish of some sort. It will save you the headaches of overstocking and dying fish in the long run.

In a 29g I would go with much smaller fish. For loaches I'd go with 6-8 kuhlis OR sidthimunkis & a small schooling fish like rasboras or tetras, say 10 or either. IF you really "have to have" a BN pleco (female for size preference) then only 6 of either loach species with lots of hiding places.

Your plan is quite a lot for even a 75g...& I agree that "parrot cichlids" are not a type of fish to be encouraged. Hybrids are a fact in our hobby, but shouldn't be kept. If your heart is set on dojos, wait until you have at least a 4ft tank for, say, 3 & a few dithers of compatible size & temp. requirements.

It's hard to choose between the reality of a 29g & the "hope" of a larger tank "soon"; so many things can happen effect to our plans. Get fish you can house NOW. Young fish should grow pretty fast with good food & water changes, you likely won't have time for a "next tank" in fish growth & most life plans. Think hard!

What would you suggest for a 55g with dojos and a bristlenose?

Well, I'd go with a few Dennisonii barbs OR a lot whiteclouds (10 or 12), 3 dojos & a BN & call it good. But wait until you actually have a 4 ft tank...like I said, life can get in the way of our best laid plans. Good luck!

As I continue to research and explore options, I'm considering changing things up entirely. Buying a 55g and going with ? kuhli loaches,1 bristlenose, and a bunch of tropical little guys like tetras? Obviously I want to do things right by the fish

That sounds much better!

Any suggestions? So much conflicting information out there, and I've read through a lot of the old threads on this forum as well. Rachel O'Leary suggests at least 12 kuhlis, and with 1 bristlenose, maybe one centerpiece, and then the little guys... where does that put me at what numbers to buy? Or could I even do this in smaller numbers for the little ones in a 29? Seems like everyone has way different opinions!

The bigger the tank you can house and afford, the better to start with, even if you've never had a tank before.

For the 29G a school of khuli loaches will do well, especially on their own or with some smaller top dwelling school. I've kept them in a fully planted tank and also in a tank with leaf litter and driftwood only and they do well either way. I would not house a bristlenose with kuhli loaches. The bristlenose can be pushy and rough. Mine once stood on top of a corydora and was literally trying to kill it away from the food. In a bigger tank it would be fine but a 29G is too small for a pleco of any kind. They'd just get too pushy a bit like housing a large dog in an apartment.

Well, my experience with a BN pleco & kuhlis is different from Loach's...but mine were in a 4ft tank. Yes, a BN can be pushy, but they don't really harm other fish IME. It may be that mine was a female in a 4ft 40g; & male in a 75g.


In a 55g 4 ft tank I would be happy with 10 or even 15 kuhlis with a BN. & maybe a pearl gourami plus 10+ smallish rasboras; harleyquins, espies or red tailed (all the same species)...& call a 4 ft tank stocked... But a 29g needs much lighter stocking...even in the short term...

The common Ancistrus are rather easy to seks - males develop a mustache, females don't. this starts @ 6 cm, but all males are recognizible @ 8.

Not this is partly due to selective breeding, thus a) this does not autyimatically go for other species and b) a large female may develope som bristles.

Females are not territorial, males are. I have 1 female combined with 6 sidheymuncki and 6 Petruichthys brevis, which goed very well. In fact it goes so well I increased the latter group to 10. the tank measures 75 * 70 * 30 cm, length * witdth * height. It was build to order.

In my experience a male Bristlenose will try to dominate and will stress other bottom feeders.

What temperature would be the lowest a kuhli could go? It doesn't seem like they're compatible with the white clouds?

I found out that constant 21 C is too cold. White cloud minnows can stand temps as high as 22, perhaps 24 C - but better not al year long.

There are much better combinations, for instance Trichmopomus heteromorpha, Boraras and so on