mixed loaches?

[dethjam316]

i'm curious about experiences keeping a variety of loach species in one large tank. i think i remember reading somewhere before that loaches (at least similar looking loaches) will often shoal together in mixed species environments, eg 3 clowns, 3 yoyos, 3 zebra loaches...

can anyone vouch for this and perhaps offer experiences and list what they keep? i've only ever kept clown loaches, and they loved to play among each other in a nice-sized group.

 

[0scar]

I have never owned a loach, but I've heard about that too. In fact I heard about Loaches schooling with non-loaches, even non-botias... I would assume they'd clique up with anything that either has same body shape or colour design... but I wouldn't know from experience... but that's what great about experiments... you'll never know 'til you try it out. Besides, fish all have different personalities... Some people told me a Clown Knifefish and a Tinfoil Bard would go great with my 3 Oscars... they were ripped to shreds within the day. They said my three Oscars would live in harmony, one was eaten to death. They said a Pl*co would be picked on too much, he's the bully of the tank. They said no bottom feeders would ever live in my tank... I just bought a Feathfin Squeaker, and he's taking over the tank as we speak... He's not agressive, and doesn't swim much, but they all avoid him... I heard stories of Loaches beating up Oscars... =T you'll never know 'til you try it out. I have an experiment I'm gonna work on in a while, when I get a new LARGE tank... 1 or 2 Siamese Tigers (baby), with a school of Tiger Barbs, and about 5 baby Clown Loaches. This way they'll all grow together. I just can't wait to see what happens...

 

[Slappy*McFish]

All of my different species of loach hang out together.

 

[beviking]

Mine too. Though it's a loose band at best, not tight schooling. My zebra and yo yo like to play tag with each other.

 

[superstein61]

I have had Clowns and Yo-Yo's school together

 

[kuhli]

re loaches

Right now I have about 35 assorted loaches.
When my clowns were small they scholled with platies.. They also hung out alot wiht my botia histrionica's. My yoyo's play tag wwith my botia striatas but they don't school together. My botia angelicus hang out alot with my yoyo's. All in all they get along but each types still prefers to school with their own type. Some loaches like modestas and tigers only seem to like each other...
Loach Crazy Kuhli)))
These are trhe loaches I have right now.

Clowns 2 Botia Macracanthus
Yoyos 7 Botia Almorhae
Striatas 3 Botia striata
Histrionicas 4 Botia Histrionica
Botia a Myanmar 3 Botia Angelicus


Red Tail Botia 3 Schistura mahnerti
Peppered Loach 2 Lepidocephalichthys guntea
Checkerboard Sand Loach 1 Nemacheilus masyae

Chinese Hillstream Loach 5 Pseudogastromyzon cheni
Beaufortia SP Hillstream 1 Beaufortia sp.

Chinese Weatherfish 1 Misgurnus mizolepis
Weather loach 1 Misgurnus anguillicaudatus / fossilis

Myers Kuhli Loach 1 Acanthophthalmus Myersi

 

[OrionGirl]

My striped kuhli and my weather loach are pretty cozy, but the black kuhlis and the striped kuhli don't hang out at all.

 

[punch]

My 3 clown loaches tend to stay together but my 3 yoyo's
Seem to swim apart. They same with my kuli's.
I have lots of hiding spaces in my tank, so I don't think they feel the need to group together for protection.