Schistura Corica & Schistura Vinciguerrae

[The-Lion]

Hi all I’m new to this forum i have several different loaches already (bit of a loach fan you see) i've seen these at my lfs & after some info on the following fishes Schistura Corica & Schistura Vinciguerrae adult size, behaviour any info would be great, as there doesn’t seem to be much about on the net. Also fish being sold as Golden Khullies are they just a colour variation or another loach altogether.

[Emma Turner]

Hi The-Lion, and welcome to Loaches Online.

Many species of Schistura can be quite fiesty and territorial, so you'd really need to describe your set-up for us so that we can comment if we think they'd be suitable additions. They tend to prefer fast flowing waters (note the torpedo type body-shape) and some prefer slightly cooler than average temperatures. I have experience with Schistura corica, and although they are quite a small species (5-6cm is usual), they are definitely one of the more 'nippy' members of the Schistura family, and would not recommend them for smaller tanks or with small shy fish.

With regards to the golden kuhli loaches, I would hazard a guess at either Pangio anguillaris or Pangio doriae, but without photographs it is difficult to say for sure.

Emma

[The-Lion]

Hi Emma I have five tanks set up ranging from 50 litres to 680 litres all with pretty standard freshwater parameters ph about 7.2.
I intend to house the golden Khullies (as named in the lfs) in Juwel Rio 180 (extra filtration & current provided by an aquaball 2212), which already has five normal Khullies, four Blackline Loaches, three Vaillantella maassi, six Harlequin Rasbora, three female Endlers, six Amano Shrimp & Malaysian Trumpet Snails.
I have a Juwel Rio 120 again it has the Juwel filter backed up by a Eheim Aquaball 2212, it currently has two spotted hillstream loaches, six male Endlers, three rice fish six Corydoras Pygmaeus & Habrosus. This could be a home possibly for the Schistura Corica (cory’s can be moved), you mention they are nippy is that with others of their own kind as well? What do you recommend as to group size, is there a preference? The lfs has them for sale in groups of three.

Cheers

Paul

[Emma Turner]

Hi Paul,

Yes, though very attractive, the S. coricas are very nippy and aggressive with their own kind. Even in tanks with a high population density of them, which you would think would help to spread any aggression, they are more than capable of killing each other. Graeme who writes on here (who keeps many species of loaches) recently acquired some, and I believe has had to separate them into 2 or 3 tanks already. I'm sure he'll chip in with further comments when he reads your post. I definitely would not house them with Corydoras though, particularly the dwarf species.

Good luck with your Golden kuhli loaches. I got some kuhli loaches in at the shop where I work a few weeks back with the same common name. These turned out to be Pangio doriae, so the ones you've seen may be the same. Make sure that the shop has rested them for a couple of weeks after import and observed them before putting them on sale. Many come in with problems and you wouldn't want to introduce anything to your current selection.

Emma