Aggressive yoyo loaches?

[Martin Thoene]

Yes...good point. We have here an assemblage of many years of experience, but in the whole big picture of Loach-keeping we can't possibly account for all the variables of another persons setup or circumstances.

"Your mileage may vary" is the car manufacturer's cop-out for that very reason. We can't control what happens in another person's aquarium when it comes to fish behaviour. Just as the car manufacturer can't stop lead-foot driving.

There's possible ways of modifying certain behavioural traits, but if the particular fish doesn't want to cooperate what are you going to do?

Fish are like people.....there's gooduns and baduns. It's the rich tapestry of life......but it can be a PITA in a confined aquarium space and obviously a cause for concern if you're the owner of the nuisance fish.

Martin.

[Graeme Robson]

Guess which one is the 'culprit' of unsettling a loach when sleeping!

[TammyLiz]

I've been reading this with interest because I have 5 yoyos all around the same size. I have never had any problems with them. They seem to just play. I would say it is hard to believe they'd be aggressive--I would be extremely surprised if I found evidence of them doing anything to harm any of their tankmates. However, they are smaller than or equal size with everything else in the tank. (barbs gouramis, rubbernose pleco--I know you've all heard that a thousand times) I can't help but wonder if the lack of aggression in my tank is because of the personality of the particular yoyos I have, or if its just because they're not being housed with tetras and the like. The yoyos will eventually outgrow everything else so it makes me worry a little bit. Especially for the pleco because he's not exactly quick or aggressive and they're always trying to swipe his algae wafer. He has actually been standing up for himself very well lately, and I've been dropping a second one sometimes to help him out. Its a pretty funny scene. He clears the immediate area with quick movements in all directions then has to take a second to get his bearings on exactly where he left the wafer. He roots around until he finds it, sometimes throwing substrate up on his back, and sucks on it until the numbers around him start to make him uncomfortable again. For the first couple of months he would just let the other fish have it so this is a big change. I can understand why the gouramis are so determined to get some of the wafter but I'm not sure why the loaches do.

Tammy

[Martin Thoene]

Tammy, I've always found Rubbernose to be extremely protective of food. I had one who would attempt to push a Royal Panaque who was about 6 times as big off of an algae wafer.....No Fear!

Martin.

[TammyLiz]

Sorry Martin I edited my post and saw your comment after I submitted it. I had taken that part out for fear of hijacking the thread but now I've added it back in. I think it might be a little different now. Maybe I'll post pictures of it at some point, but only a video would serve it justice.

I never knew they would get like that. He can't really pack much of a bite, especially compared to the yoyos, so I don't know what gives him the gall to be like that.