larger loaches

[MojoDex]

first post here so first off hi to everyone

im by no means a novice with loaches but i seriously doubt i know half as much as people on this forum ive kept my share of them but all the common types clown pakistani those types and that leads me onto my question

im looking for 2 maybe 3 loaches that will grow anywhere between 9-15 inches long i know everyone is thinking clown loaches already and this is my problem clown loaches for sale near me are around 2" long small enough to be food for my 15" ornate bichir(this will possibly max out closer to 22" and has already been known to eat fish 5" long for fun), i have a spare 4 foot tank that i can use to grow any loaches on before putting it in with my bichir but i dont have 5 years or maybe more to wait for a clown loach to grow and i cannot afford the huge price tag larger clown command over here in the UK

only other loach i can think of that get this size is the weather/dojo loach but to my knowledge there cold water and my tank is kept at a steady 78 degrees so any and all help is greatly appreciated

[Martin Thoene]

Hi! Welcome to LOL

One thought I had was Syncrossus berdmorei.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sy ... -berdmorei

They can grow quite quickly, but are unlikely to reach much over the lower limit you're thinking might be safe.

Others are

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/syncrossus-helodes (12")


The major problem I see is incompatability of the type of natural habitats that Polypterus onnatipinnis and any Loach species inhabit.

Polypterus inhabit oxbow lakes and marshy, slow-flowing areas while most larger loaches inhabit pretty fast-moving water. Here's a pic of a place that Syncrossus species were caught:



So basically, no Loach is going to be happy unless given loads of current and the Birchir won't be happy if you do that.

IMO, not doable as a sensible combination.

Martin.

[MojoDex]

basically i want something to big to eaten nice and active and snail control

the bichir is coming out of a tank over at my dads and in its life time its lived with pakistani loach clown loach and blue botia but since its lived with all of them (there all gone now big tank in the sky) the bichir has grown some 6 inches and i figured i know it didnt bother any of those loaches but size permitting it might now eat those species at the sizes they would be, non of the loaches ive mentioned were kept in what id say was a huge current just what the external filter created (eheim 2128) there was never any problems they were always long lived i think one pakistani was nearly 8 years old

the tank they will be going in will be running and eheim pro 3 2180 with 1700 litres an hour turn over now i havnt got this filter yet so i have ni idea how much current it will make but as you've said already i cant have to much current with the bichir but they arnt tottaly against current they can be found all over parts of africa even being found in the nile in some cases

surley there must be a loach of decent size that doesnt mind a mild current some must come from slow moving rivers

[palaeodave]

How about some catfish?

[mikev]

Other bad ideas are Y.Modesta ("Blue Loach"), Y.Lecontei, or perhaps some Leptobotia (?!).

In addition to the problem with the flow, you have to find a large-size specimen or spend long time growing them. It may be that Leptobotia's really don't need much flow, only oxygen -- I've seen L.taeniops that spent all its time under a rock, but with them you may also have a temperature problem. Of course, they are also not a common item, but probably one can find them with some efforts....the good thing is that some of them grow quite large.

(These are bad ideas .. but maybe ....)

I wonder if there is some large pleco that would eat snails.... Plecos tend to grow fast...

[angelfish83]

HONESTLY people was this post offensive? Come on...

[MojoDex]

Hi mojodex may I politely suggest that you try to type out your posts with punctuation please because you seem to write everything with out any punctuation whatsoever and indefinite run on sentences much as I am doing now and it makes it very difficult and annoying to read your posts so if you could do that it would really be appreciated thanks a lot and again welcome to loaches on line where we love loaches punctuation and proper sentence structure not to mention the occasional laugh we hope you have a good time here and heck maybe invite a few friends you never know what you'll learn next ok well I guess I'll put an end to this run on sentence but I hope I've made my point in a tongue in cheek kind of way see back there in tongue and cheek I really should have hyphonated the three words ok well thats all from me

you sarcastic ****** theres no need for that! have i come on and insulted anyone NO! have i made fun of anyone NO!

ive come here looking for some honest help and everyone else has obliged nicley not the answer i wanted but still a proper honest answer! and its gonna be people like you who stop people joining this board and staying here much like myself now!

this will be my last post so by all means ban me for calling that ***** exactly what he is!

to everyone else im sorry you answered me honestly and i cant ask for more than that even if it wasnt the answer i wanted so thank you to all the people who helped me out here and sorry for the language and insults above they are not meant for anyone else but angelfish83

goodbye loaches on line

EDIT: Swear words edited out by Emma.

[Mark in Vancouver]

Mojodex - with apologies, this kind of response (from Angelfish) is not acceptable on this forum. He has been warned before - frequently - by the forum moderators. He is apparently in short control of his senses and there is no reason to expect abusive responses on any normal given day.

I would not like this one idiot to represent the normal sort of exchange on the loach forum. I will encourage the other moderators to take steps to remove his access to this forum.

Again, I and the other moderators sincerely hope you continue to use what is normally an excellent resource for loach enthusiasts, and to forget this jerk's post altogether.

We are sorry for any offense caused.

[grizzlyone]

While Angelfish might have made his point in a more tactful way, I have to at least agree with his premise. I had a hard time reading the original post because of the lack of punctuation...and if you are asking for help, its much easier if you get your point across clearly, otherwise people won't make the extra effort required. Its sort of like when you type in all caps.


I'll apologize if you feel like you've been insulted, but this is not a commercial enterprise, none of us are customer service representatives and keeping a message board is much like herding cats.and getting insulted and mad at Angelfish is like being mad at a cat if it hisses at you. So, chill out and just listen to the people without having a chip on your shoulder.


Kevin

[Martin Thoene]

I agree with Mark.

angelfish83's reply should have read:

Hi mojodex may I politely suggest that you try to type out your posts with punctuation please.

......and then hopefully gone on to something more constructive.

You cannot use the word "politely" and then go on and on in a similar style. That is impolite.

I find non-punctuated posts intensely annoying to read. I think it shows not necessarily a lack of knowledge of punctuation, but possibly laziness in punctuating, or a general lack of respect for the reader.

Therefore, if you find it an annoyance you ask politely and, if for whatever reason, the person initially posted that way, they may (out of respect) change their style. Respect is a mutual thing. You have to give it out to get it back.

Sometimes we are guilty of caring too much about Loach welfare and getting on other's cases about their fishkeeping style. That's passion-driven and within reason understandable and acceptable. This isn't.

Self-editing is to an extent the way we punctuate our thought processes into acceptable speech or text to others. Pablo (angelfish83) has shown a consistant pattern of lapses of self-control in that area and has used the excuse of "I'm not good with people" and "I can't help it".

As he knows full well that he was placed on a "One strike and you're out" basis some time ago and that had no specific qualifying period or cessation date, there is but one option at this time.

Mojodex, while I caution you about using swear words, I do understand your anger, so we would not summarily ban you for such. Unlike Pablo who was warned on multiple occasions about profanity before this point in time.
It's pretty stupid to get yourself kicked out for a post that doesn't even contain a swear word.
It would appear it was intended a joke, but fails miserably in that desire because the originator just doesn't "get" how to word something properly for that desired effect. It's just rude.

We try to help and educate here. Some people fail to learn certain things. As has been explained to Pablo before, the moderators here are not babysitters and aren't here to hold hands. This isn't kindergarten.

Martin.

[shari2]

may I politely suggest that you try to type out your posts with punctuation please

this is what his post begins with now. Has it been edited?
The attempt at what he assumed was humor clearly backfired. Given that it was nearly 4am his common sense had probably already gone to bed without him...

Forum communications are frequently fraught with fundamental foibles. How to convey humor is one of them. What one finds funny others may find offensive. Words alone do not always come across as we intend them. Nevertheless, when that occurs (as it clearly has here), a speedy apology and clarification is required to keep hard feelings from taking over.

So--where are you devilfish?

[Martin Thoene]

I do not believe the post was edited. I know that someone else edited Mojodex's reply due to the use of unnaceptable language.

Martin.

[Emma Turner]

That was exactly how the post looked when I stumbled across this incident earlier, no editing to angelfish83's response by me, I just edited out a couple of MojoDex's reply words with ***'s.

Emma

[newshound]

I would not like this one idiot to represent the normal sort of exchange on the loach forum. I will encourage the other moderators to take steps to remove his access to this forum.

hey I did not think that the response angelfish gave was out of control.
It was a gentle smarten up IMO.
Sure he mixes it up but that is hardly out of control.
Maybe he should change to "devilwiththebluedresson".

[Mark in Vancouver]

There are people who post here with all kinds of different abilities with English, and some people who post using po-mo computerese spellings. Others are used to posting on forums where brevity is highly thought of. Other people just can't punctuate well. The point of the forum is to offer sound advice to anyone who seeks it.

Our friend Angelfish has been asked several times to make a point of not being abusive on this forum. What seems casual to him may cause offense to others. I think it would be a shame to turn off any new poster from this forum because of poor etiquette or even badly translated tongue-in-cheek, well-meaning responses.

On the OT forum anything goes. This is a moderated forum, and we need to maintain and cultivate a welcoming environment for all who post here seeking advice about the lovely loach.

The moderators don't want to come off as a bunch of cops, and we don't want to be put in the position where posts are edited or removed, or where certain posters need to be chastised or banned. The thing is, Angelfish has been down this stony path before. He's got to get it together and show some respect, particularly to new posters.