How many loaches in a 55?

Cichlidgirl91

Cichlidgirl91

AC Members
Feb 8, 2008
288
0
16
Tobaccoville, NC
Hey everybody!
I was wondering how many types/schools of loaches could I have in a 55 gallon planted tank? I love loaches and have been the proud owner of yo-yo, weather, and khuli loaches. I think it would be fun to have different types of loaches in one tank.:grinyes:
Any suggestions?
 
I know...
I am trying to see if I can keep groups of different types loaches together, since I'm only allowed to keep 2 aquariums at any given point. (for right now at least...)

Oh, and BTW my loaches were all in different tanks. That's why I'm wondering if would be okay to put differing kinds together.
 
I love loaches too! I have y. sidthimunki (dwarf chain) & juvenile b. striata (zebra) loaches together in a 75g. They get along well, the younger sids & smallest striatas live in 1 cave, the others in another. When they come out to "dance" they pretty much stay with their own species. Kubotai are another possibility but I haven't kept them (yet).

The important thing is to have 5 or 6 of the same kind (or more if there's room) so you'd only be able to mix 2 of the smaller species. I agree that a larger group of 1 species is desirable but we make compromises. Yoyos get a bit too large, up to 6 inches, crowded to have 5-6 at most as the only loach in a 55, a bigger tank would be much better. They can also be quite "bossy" from what I hear.

It's tempting to get smaller numbers of more kinds but you won't get the true "loachy experience" & interactions. Kuhlis like less water movement & are more shy than the botia types so not the best mix. Check out the species at loaches.com, there are a lot but some are too aggressive or unavailable to most of us. Franksaquarium.com sells some different loaches but do lots of research.

Lots of caves will help & you can have anubias, java fern & mosses tied on the wood & rocks. I had problems with chain swords & other small plants being uprooted by the loaches' digging. It may help to establish your plants first.

You could also try a river tank with some hillstream loaches. None of them get very big so you could get a few kinds. It would need to be a little different than the traditional planted tank. I'm going to try it some day, sewellia lineolata (sp) are very cool.
 
I think I'll probably go with khuli loaches, even though they hide all the time:wall:
It's really strange. My LFS carry black khuli loaches but not the regular kind...hmm...
If I can find them, I'd really like to try mixing regular and black khuli loaches in a tank.
 
Cichlidgirl91 said:
I think I'll probably go with khuli loaches, even though they hide all the time:wall:
It's really strange. My LFS carry black khuli loaches but not the regular kind...hmm...
If I can find them, I'd really like to try mixing regular and black khuli loaches in a tank.
Click to expand...
I think you might have seen the Pangio oblonga. Most "regulars" are Pangio kuhlii and Pangio semicincta.
 
I have 7 angelicus botia a/k/a Burmese border loaches. They are hearty, very entertaining and get along perfectly with all their tankmates in a 65g. They can be a bit pricey. Cheapest I've seen is around $10 apiece.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom