Crimson loach biotope

[EK]

Hi Folks-New here

Does anyone know about the biotope for Schistura sp. 'crimson' ? I will be getting some in the next few weeks along with some Chela dadiburjori. I would like to set up a fairly realistic biotope and from what I can tell the Chela and Schistura both occur near Kerala, India. I am however not sure if they occur in the same type of habitat.

Do any of you know what other species might work well for a biotope? I am also interested to know what size/type of stream these crimson loaches come from or how much flow they like.

Sorry for all the questions. I have always loved stream fish, but I am finally taking the plunge.

Thanks,

Erik

[mickthefish]

Erik, on another site, petfrd a guy called Beta has put some pics up of a loach very similar or the same as the crimsons.
these fish live in shallow fast flowing streams no vegetation just smooth rocks and a sand/pebble base.
i have crimsons living happily in a river tank it's great to see them in midwater taking food out of the current.

good luck with yours when you get them.

mick

[EK]

Thanks Mick. I'll try to figure out how to post pics when I get them settled in. Seems like Garra sp. might do well with them also.

[Mark in Vancouver]

All Schistura species enjoy areas of sand on the bottom, with a pile of large pebbles to dart around in. Plus maximum water flow, of course. We tried to stick some habitat shots in the species index for various Schistura species.

All the photos I've seen of loach habitats around Kerala show quite wide stream beds. As for this specific loach, I'm not sure.

[Emma Turner]

Hi EK, sorry I missed this thread earlier. I was reliably informed by one of my suppliers that small numbers of Punitus denisonii are found alongside the Crimson Loaches in some areas. The water is subtropical, fairly fast flowing and highly oxygenated. Obviously if you go for the P. denisonii, they are going to need quite a large tank.

Hope this is of interest,

Emma

[daspricey]

The water is subtropical

I've read conflicting evidence to what the optimum temperature is for these guys. Obviously the LOL site recommends 23-26*C but i always thought sub-tropical was 20-23*C????

David

[Emma Turner]

This is a relatively new species though, so we are still learning new information about them. I am in contact with someone who is going to measure the hardness and pH of the water these loaches live in, and will report back when I get this info. He said the water in this area is quite cool, particularly at the moment, but it can change on a seasonal basis.

Emma

[EK]

Thank you everyone! This is exactly the type of information I was looking for. I really like dennisoni so that might work out well in a large tank. I have a cool room where I keep my salamanders and newts so I may keep them in that room.


Erik

[crazy loaches]

Yeah I really like the dennisoni... and hope they do well at tropical temps as I have included them in my 240g project. There seems to be many who have done this (tropical temps I mean) so I really hope they will bo ok. They are just so darned expensive around here... one place is charging over $50 per fish. Yet I hear many folks on the forums saying they got em under $20 each. I originally had 9 but 3 didnt make it through quarantine. So 6 will be going in the 240 soon I hope, and if I can get some more for a more reasonable price I will add to that. They do seem to school nicely so far.

[piggy4]

Hi Ek, funny you should mention Garra's , i just picked up one Garra out of a shipment of Crimsons ! assumedly a wild neighbour of the Crimson loach , this fish is only small ,and if i'm honest i have'nt got a clue which Garra it is ? its quite a nice looking fish ! colour wise i would say it was a rusty orange colour with an uneven dark line running along the lateral line , so yeah Garra's would appear to live in the same enviroment as our Crimson friends ! as with most loaches i would suspect a good flow and a steady neutral PH will surfice , good luck .

[EK]

crazy loaches- try franksaquarium.com and anubiasdesign.com for a much better price on crimson loaches. I think both have them in stock right now.

piggy4- very cool about the Garra! At some point I'll add them in with the crimsons in a large biotope tank.

[crazy loaches]

Thanks for the suggestion EK, but I was referring to the Punitus denisonii . I might have to check em out though, never purchased any live fish online before till recently (but that was from another forum member). Maybe they will have some of the rarer fish I never get to see at the lfs, like the crimsons for one thing.