Are there loaches suitable for a 20gallon?

jenratico

jenratico

Jen
Apr 8, 2008
176
0
0
Denver, CO
It looks like I am going to be able to pick up a 20 gallon full set-up with live plants for $50 off Craigslist. So I was wondering if there are some sort of readily available loaches that I could school in there. Maybe Yoyos? I've seen them at the LFS, but I need to know if this would be enough space to have at least 3. If I do a school of loaches, can you recommend a compatible species for the upper region of the tank?

Another option, I could move the 5 panda cories and the 6 black neons from the 55g planted to the 20g, and do loaches in the 55. The 55's residents are: 5 panda cories, 5 otos, 2 young dojo loaches (3.5"), 6 black neons, 9 rosy barbs.

I wouldn't solicit opinions if I didn't want them, so let's hear them!
 
Khulis or dwarf chain loaches are two options. The sids (chain loaches) tend to be pricey though if you can find them, $8-12 apiece.
 
sploke- $8-12?? I wish! Around here they're as much as $20 each.

However, dawrf loaches are the smallest ones you'll find. Maybe worth your time if you REALLY want loaches in the 20.

I would move the cories and tetras, and find an acceptable loach for the 55.

By dojo loach do you mean misgurnus anguillicaudatus? They get too big for your 55 (10inches), plus that school is a bit small AND they prefer very different conditions from the rest of your fish (cooler water and more flow). I would rehome them, and get botia striata, or the dwarf loaches, or something of similar size.
 
You could put sewellia lineolata loaches in your 20. They stay small. I have 7 in my 46. They're pretty cool. Usually run about $10 each. Good luck !
 
Dojos should do fine in a 55 gallon tank according to the folks over at Loachesonline.com...you could move everything but the dojos and the rosy barbs (who like cooler water so are perfect with dojos) to the smaller tank, add a 3rd dojo, and maybe a pair of paradise fish and have a nice cooler water tank.

Eric
 
sploke said:
Khulis or dwarf chain loaches are two options. The sids (chain loaches) tend to be pricey though if you can find them, $8-12 apiece.
Click to expand...


:iagree:

I'd stick to one of those types for a 20.
 
Everytime I list out my stock the conversation always seems to turn to my dojos (Joe Snake-eye and Bo Duck), so let me just add a little info on my long term plans. The dojos are less than 3" long currently. It seems unlikely that they will reach 10" anytime real soon. We plan to build out a wall of our basement with cabinetry that will be able to handle a large tank. So my hope is that by the time the dojo's are really too big for the 55, there will be a new location for them in my home. I keep the tank in the low 70's and the barbs and black neons, pandas and oto's are happy, healthy and frisky. Everyone shows themselves regularly. I don't mind moving the pandas and neons out to the other tank, but I'm not entertaining getting rid of any of my fish right now. Maybe when I'm ready to do another overhaul I'll build the river manifold thing that Lupin linked in another thread and get a nice fast current going and start keeping the hillstream loaches......I find them very intriguing.
 
I've just done some reading on dwarf chain loaches
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-sidthimunki

They look absolutely enchanting. I will talk to my LFS and see if they know of any around.

So if I am able to do dwarf chain loaches in the 20gallon, how many should I put in? If sounds like they are best in groups of 5+, but I wasn't sure how many a 20 could handle. I think they would look nice with a dark substrate and live plants with sume bogwood and rocks - and something bright in the upper regions - maybe ember tetras. Any compatibility issues I should know about? Should I use a HOB or a powerhead for mechanical filtration for the best amount of flow for these?
 
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