Loach selection

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mack
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Loach selection

Post by mack » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:15 am

Hi,
What Types of Loaches would be suitable for a 30 gallon 38in long 16in high 17in high. I was thinking of a large School of Dwarf Loaches. Also some Kuiles. But are there any other species which I might want to choose instead of these?
Cheers,
mack
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

Diana
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Post by Diana » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:00 am

You want to look at the smallest of Loaches, like you have been doing. One of the other smaller, community tank Loaches would be Zebra Loaches.
That shape of tank (long, not too high) would also make a decent river tank, if you wanted to look into some of these sorts of Loaches.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:44 am

Hi,
Could you give me some more information about the river tank.

Cheers,
mac
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

Mike Ophir
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Post by Mike Ophir » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:36 pm

I would also look at Botia rostrata and Botia dario possibly.

Mike
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Diana
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Post by Diana » Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:21 pm

http://www.loaches.com/articles/river-t ... old-design

Here is how to build a manifold that ensures fast water movement that mimics the fast flowing streams that these fish are native to.

http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstr ... -fast-lane

Here is an article that describes many of the Loaches that come from the faster moving water.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:00 pm

Hi,
Thank you Diana for your help.
I shall look into it all.
And cheese for the help so far. :wink:
mack
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:13 pm

Hi,
Will the Filtration system work with a reasonably planted tank?
I have already set the tank, up with water, gravel, and have instilled a Fluvul 304. Yet to start planting.

Now would this filtration be any good. Or should I do something about it. Now just so you know I will be adding Harlequins, Redline Barbs, Dwarf Rasboras. And also I want the tank to be nicely planted with real plants.

Now is there any problem with what I want to do?

In my 48 gallon Planted tank I have a Fluvul Internal 4/Plus Filter.
So far the the Loach population is in good health. They are all active, and I think the Golden Zebra Loaches have spawned. But nothing Survived. The tank has been up and running for around 4-5 months. Is this filter okay? It is doing a great job though.

mack
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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mistergreen
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Post by mistergreen » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:49 pm

have you thought about hillstreams?

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:09 am

mistergreen wrote:have you thought about hillstreams?
From what I have read Hill-Stream Loaches like a temperature of around 16-20'c.
Well the rest of the fish I want need a much higher temperature.
So I think that rules that out.

But thank you for the though anyway. :D
mac
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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Ashleigh
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Re: Hi,

Post by Ashleigh » Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:03 am

mack wrote:
mistergreen wrote:have you thought about hillstreams?
From what I have read Hill-Stream Loaches like a temperature of around 16-20'c.
Well the rest of the fish I want need a much higher temperature.
So I think that rules that out.

But thank you for the though anyway. :D
mac
Most of the Hillstream loaches are reccomended to be kept between 22 up to 27 degrees C depending of species. You would have to flick through the species index to find exactly what species would fit into your temp range.

If you mean Redline Barbs as in Puntius denisonii, 37 inch tank is far to small, even at 3-4inches they are very skittish fish and need ample room so it might be best to consider a slightly smaller barb species.

A 30g would certainly make a lovely tank for a large group of Pangio sp I have around 40-50 all in together and its a sight to watch them all interact with one another. They also love to hang in large groups from bunches of plants so a planted tank would be ideal :)


Ashleigh

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mack
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Re: Hi,

Post by mack » Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:32 pm

t

If you mean Redline Barbs as in Puntius denisonii, 37 inch tank is far to small, even at 3-4inches they are very skittish fish and need ample room so it might be best to consider a slightly smaller barb species.

A 30g would certainly make a lovely tank for a large group of Pangio sp I have around 40-50 all in together and its a sight to watch them all interact with one another. They also love to hang in large groups from bunches of plants so a planted tank would be ideal :)


Ashleigh
Hi,
Sorry if I made a mistake with the Writing of Barbs.
I actually bent Red-line Rasboras. They grow up to around 5cm. Anyway I have already bought them and they are living in my 180lt tank.

I shall look into the Pangio.
Most of the fish suppliers dont have a large selection of fish in NZ. So I will have to have a good look around for them, or any Loach in that matter.
Cheers,
mac
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:35 am

Hi,
Well I have been doing some research.
I already have Golden Zebra Loaches. So I see there are quite a few of them. So most of these I can get from my local fish supplier.


Anyway these are the Loaches I can get form him.

Angelicus Loach
Dwarf Loach
Golden kuhli Loach
Kuhli Loach
Lohachata Loach
Striata Loach

I personally would like the Dwarf Loaches. But I am not to shaw yet.
It is mainly because I would want around 8 of them and the price is not to nice. Nearly $15.00 each.

So of all these Loaches which ones would be better chose for my tank?

mack
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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mack
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Hi,

Post by mack » Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:31 pm

Hi,
If I where to build one of these river manifold filter, I dont have to run any other type of filter? Just the manifold.

Well if that is the case, and I do make one, my tank is 38inx36inx17in. [LxHxB] How many power heads would I need.

Or is the Fulvul 304 Canister filter alright for Loaches. I would prefer not to build this because the tank has already started to cycle. So I dont want to remove the gravel and all the rest of the things. Plus money is relatively tight at the moment.

mack
I was once open minded, but my brain kept falling out

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helen nightingale
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Post by helen nightingale » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:28 pm

do you know the species of dwarf rasboras you have? i would be very wary of putting them in a tank with a river tank manifold, or any tank with high current, as a general rule. some of the dwarf species come from swampy ground, or lakes, where there is normally still water. mine were certainly happier when i replaced my very oversized filter for a much gentler one.

Also, i would have second thoughts about the harlequins and the red lines in a river tank. harlequins are very tolerant fish, and naturally come from a wide variety of habitats, but not as fast flowing as the fish that generally inhabit the hillstreams, and they do inhabit relatively still waters.

keeping the fluval, and lots of real plants would be great for them. with some broad leaved plants you might see some breeing behaviour.

the dwarf loach (y sidthimunki? or nigrolineata?) or striata would be good choices.

sorry, i am not 100% sure which fish are the golden zebras. do you know the scientific name? (i have heard of striata being called zebra loaches, but dario and the syncrossus species might also be called zebra loaches)

Diana
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Post by Diana » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:42 am

I would not do a hillstream set up with a planted tank. In the real streams the plants in such a place are more often algae stuck to the rocks and plants that grow on the banks and trail into the water. The water is moving too fast for submerged aquatic plants to really thrive. In an aquarium you could plant some low, tought plants in between the rocks, but it really would not be a fully planted tank.

A fluval 304 on a tank of around 30-40 gallons is a bit higher than moderate water flow, OK for plants, and average community fish, and the Loaches that are not from hillstreams.

Zebra (striata)
Dwarf (sidthimunki)
Angelica (kubotaia)
Kuhlies (several species)
would all work in the tank so far- The Rasboras with the red line... R. bororapetensis? A nice schooling fish, good in a community, willing to come out front and be seen. A good dither for shy fish, too.

You can run a couple of power heads with sponge filters and a canister filter and combine the flow to create a hillstream tank. Set up all the intakes to filter and sponges at one end, and outlets from the filter and the power heads at the other. My 20 long has a power head and an Ehiem filter. I would probably add another PH before calling it a real hillstream tank, but the fish like it.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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