Sand Loaches?

[cheeseb0y]

I picked up two roughly 1.5" fish labeled "Sand Loaches." They are a long thin fish with a reddish body and black markings. I would have gotten more, but that's all they had. I will try and get pictures soon, but they're small fish, my camera sucks, and they move around a lot.

Anyway, does anybody have any guesses as to what these are?

[fishorama]

I've seen similar listed loaches to this http://www.loaches.com/species-index/aborichthys-elongatus Have a look at the species index

[Lupin]

Do you have pics?

[cheeseb0y]

These are the best I could get. They don't show the color accurately. I'll try and get more once they're settled in.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c41/chsby/possloach01.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c41/chsby/possloach02.jpg

[Lupin]

Looks like Nemacheilus masyai to me. It's skinny though.

[plaalye]

Have a look a this one.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/nemacheilus-pallidus

[cheeseb0y]

They look like they could be juvenile Nemacheilus pallidus or Nemacheilus masyai. I'll probably find out once they've put some size on.

I also plan on seeing if my LFS can get anymore, because Loaches like groups.

[Lupin]

The two species have been confused plenty of times.lol

[cheeseb0y]

Any idea what this type of loach eats? I mostly feed New Life Spectrum Community, and if they're snail eaters, there are plenty of Ramshorns and Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

[bluekrissyspike]

good find. they sure are cute!

[Dwarf Puffers]

One of the fish stores I visit in Halifax whenever I'm up had a lot of loaches that looked exactly like yours, several hundred, in with a few black kuhlis. They were 1-1.5" long, some even less, and you could see dozens of heads and bodies sticking out of the driftwood that was in with them. The :swear: person getting them out threw the driftwood around the tank, he must have killed a few of them.

Last time I was up they didn't have the lights on in that tank, though they have 3" oscars in it now. They've probably been eaten. Good luck with yours, I really wanted to get some.

[fishorama]

I'll just guess nemacheilus, some are very similar but all are cute. Good luck.

Bloodworms are probably the favorite loach food. You can slice off shavings while they're still frozen if the worms seem too big for the fish. My small loaches love Hikari micro pellets & Ken's color bits. I also feed NLS thera?

[Lupin]

As far as I know, only the loaches of the botiine genus are recorded to eat snails. When you look at their mouth structures, this does not make them snail eaters.

[cheeseb0y]

I picked up some California Blackworms today, and the Sand Loaches love them. Admittedly, that's not saying much, because almost all fish love Blackworms.

[cheeseb0y]

Are all loaches happiest in groups? They seem active and non-stressed. If they should be kept in larger groups, god only knows when my LFS will get them in again. The guy who does the fish ordering is watching for them for me, but i'm not hopeful, since that was the first and last time I had seen them there.

[Jeremy Smith]

All loaches like being in groups? Yes and No. Some like to be together if they can get away from each other, an example of this is the Schistura group. They need places to be away from each other, other wise the arguments can become dangerous. Some Nemacheilus do, have similar trates .Depending on wich sp you have. Imop if there are plenty of hiding places, they should be fine in a group. Some Nemacheilus are found in the wild in groups of 20 or more. Great find hope you enjoy them, most of them have interesting personalities.

[cheeseb0y]

I turned the light off for a few hours last night. and when I turned it back on, there were no loaches to be seen. I think the two mostly likely causes are:
1) they are hiding. They are two tiny fish in a well planted 29 gallon with a lot of non-plant hiding places..
2) they died and the Malaysian Trumpet Snails consumed the bodies.

I'm hoping that they're still alive and well.

[fishorama]

Many loaches will dig under the substrate if they can, usually under a rock edge etc. Make sure the decor won't drop down on one. I bet a few more blackworms will flush them out of hiding.

I keep all my loaches in multiples but it's only really the botiids that are super social. I like the idea they just might breed & the interactions are fun to watch if they don't hurt each other. You may find the fish know who's who & may not like "intruders" in their territories, even if any new ones would be the exact same species.

[cheeseb0y]

Both Loaches are accounted for now. I really hope I can get a few more.