Loaches Online Forum

Ok, I went to the store and here are the results



I ended up getting some shale because I could deploy it quickly. Just a rinse and it's pretty much ready to put in. I built up the pile in the middle and made a small pile over where the loaches like to hide before.

Here is a close up



He's a happier loach now. After I put it in they were all worked up, digging and exploring. The large loach disappeared for a little while but he is coming back out and doing some sort of dance I've never seen. straight up to the top and back down in a vertical column. I don't know what it means but he able to hide.

Thanks for all the feedback. Let me know what you think.

you should remove the rainbow rock. really.
I know they are pretty, but they leach.

Which one is the "rainbow" rock? do you mean the big rock in front of the bubbles?

The large loach disappeared for a little while but he is coming back out and doing some sort of dance I've never seen. straight up to the top and back down in a vertical column.

That sounds like a much happier loach.

You could also try eggcrate available at any home improvement store - lighting or insulation department. You can use wirecutters to trim it to the configuration you need to fit around equipment going in or out of the tank. If your loahces are bigger than the grids this may help keep them in the tank and still allow you better access to the tank and better air circulation. HTH!

The rainbow rock is the big one on the right. Some companies call them rainbow rocks, for example see http://www.petco.com/product/7723/Felle ... _ite=79367

The ad says that it is safe for all aquariums, but my understanding is that they do leach minerals and thus increase the TDS (total dissolved solids) in your water which can be a bad thing over time.

Do you have the rocks glued together so they won't shift with the digging fish? They should be glued into place so they don't shift and crush your fish.

I buy my driftwood in the reptile section of most pet stores. I also get it at reptille shows where it is much less expensive. I also use coconut huts. They are cheap, the fish like them and they release a bit of tannins. Unfortunately, they aren't pretty. But my tanks are for my fish.

The ad says that it is safe for all aquariums, but my understanding is that they do leach minerals and thus increase the TDS (total dissolved solids) in your water which can be a bad thing over time.

I haven't seen anything to indicate that this would leach and raise my TDS but even if it were I do a water change of 26.3% (10 Gal.) every other weekend. wouldn't that compensate?

Do you have the rocks glued together so they won't shift with the digging fish? They should be glued into place so they don't shift and crush your fish.

I don't have them glued together. What I ended up doing was placing some smaller rocks deep in the gravel almost of not touching the glass. I think placed the larger rocks across it and built up from there. I'm thinking of building up a larger pile and gluing the rocks so I can safely build it up vertically to give the fish some more places to hide.

I'm looking at getting some wood from my local fish store because he sells all his wood either directly out of the tanks in his store out out from a pond in the back so each piece of wood sits at least 6 months in water before being transferred to an aquarium.

I have those rocks in several tanks and have not noticed a rise in GH, KH or TDS.

If there is anything at all then the small water changes are enough to remove it.
I would worry that the small water changes are not enough of a water change, especially if done so infrequently.