Loaches with Cichlids?

[Inglorious]

I have a moderately stocked 110 tall 48"x18"x30" full of mbuna with a couple of pleco's and other random fish in there. Because of how my rock work is stacked the cichlids occupy mostly the top 2/3rds of the tank while the pleco's roam, leaving the bottom relatively empty. I was thinking about adding a group of either zebra or yoyo loaches(I don't like clowns all that much). I know that with any loach they will have to be watched for aggression, but if that's not an issue than what species would be a better match with my setup. The yoyo's would get a little bigger so would that make them more likely to thrive with the other inhabitants? Also how many of each number would work with my footprint?

 

[blue2fyre]

I think mbuna would be WAY too much for any loach. I don't think they would deal well with the aggression or enjoy the different water parameters. If you want a schooling bottom feeder I would go with one of the syno cats from Tanganyika. They prefer the same water and can put up with the aggression mbuna have. I have a group of syno petricola in my 80 gallon mbuna tank and they do great.

 

[Pittbull]

I have Skunk Loaches in with my CA cichlids but i used to keep them with my Tangs but i never had them with Mbuna loaches can usually handle a lot of aggression because they can dish it back out plus they have a spine just below there eye that can inflict a nasty wound for defense if you do decide to keep them do about 5 of them and have plenty of hiding places..

 

[toddnbecka]

Cichlids generally don't bother loaches IME, same with most catfish, or most other non-cichlids for that matter. The red-tail botias are even better suited than zebra or yoyo loaches, they're generally nasty buggers to begin with. They're all social species, so a group of 5 would be a good number to work with.

 

[spirofucci]

Although the "pros" will tell you not to keep loaches with africans, many folks do just fine with them. Personally, I love loaches and have kept them with my africans for years with no problems.

 

[myswtsins]

I have skunk loaches in with my mbunas and they are fat, happy and don't take no crap from anyone. Not that anyone ever bothers them, only time I see interaction between them and the mbunas is when they both want the same piece of food. They also makes cool clicking noises! Take your time acclimating them though. They are also excellent fry control, something to consider. I no longer keep BNs with my mbunas because I saw one inquisitively check out one of their eyes and mbunas have been known to take out BN eyes. Not my pleco you don't!

 

[blue2fyre]

I had forgotten about the meaner loaches out there lol. I kept imagining khuli loaches being eaten like spaghetti lol. Zebra or yoyo loaches most likely would not do well but getting a more aggressive type increases your chances of success.