setting up a new tank

[joeybab3]

i am just now setting it up and can do anything i want with it. its 45g and i was wondering what you think the best things i should do for my loaches is. i have 4 dojos and 3 zebra loaches. in addition to a pipe sculpture that will be hidden under the sand for the zebras what else should/can i put in there?

[Diana]

Dojos are cool water fish. Many Barbs like cooler water, too. Rosy Barbs are good. A school of about half a dozen is fine. If you want slightly smaller fish the Odessa Barb is really nicely colored, and you might be able to handle about 10 or so.

Zebras are OK in not quite that cool water, but if one tank is all you have, then set the temperature in the overlapping range.

A 45 gallon, with several Dojos is already getting a bit full as far as bioload goes.
I would add more Zebras so there is at least 5 of them, they are much more playful in larger groups.
Then a school of Rosy or Odessa Barbs.
A Bristlenose Pleco if the tank has algae.

Fishless cycle the new tank. By starting with some of the cycled media from your existing tank the fishless cycle goes pretty fast.

Remember to quarantine the new fish!