Loaches Online Forum

Let me give you a little bit of foreground here:

I recently got a 15 gallon tank for my son. It was my first attempt at tropical fish. Well it has got me hooked! Now I have a 40 gal (long) tank just sitting empty in my Living Room! I am trying to do as much research as I can before getting it going! (something I wish I would have done for my sons tank)

Well I am wanting to get some Electric Yellow Lab Cichlids, but also I have 2 Zebra Loaches (such neat fish) in my sons tank and I would like to put them in with the Yellow Labs if they will co-habitate. After doing alot of research I realize that these poor loaches should be in a bigger tank and with more loaches. I wish I would have known this before hand, I would have never put them in there. This is when I realized my LFS didn't really care as long as they were selling fish! They even recommended I get a Clown Loach or 2 in there, I am soooo glad I didn't do that! BUT my hope is to get a 100 gal + tank in the next year just for some!!!!

Anyways to make a long story short..... can I put Zebra Loaches in with Electric Yellow Labs? Thanks sorry for this long drawn out message!

Hi New2Cichlids, welcome to Loaches.

No, Labs are rift lake fish, and thrive in liquid rock.
GH and KH over 10 degrees, pH hovering around 8.

Most Loaches are from soft acidic or neutral water. You can check each species here at Loaches, but most will fall into the conditions of GH and KH around 5 degrees (lower is usually OK) and pH mostly between 6-7.5.

I would move the Zebra Loaches into the 40, and add some more, then look into other fish that thrive in the same water conditions. If you are looking for Cichlids for soft, acidic water look into Rams, Apistos, Kribs and similar fish.
A pair of Bolivian Rams might work. They handle a wide range of conditions, and are more tolerant than some other Cichlids of assorted tank mates.
For upper level fish look into the various Barbs, Tetras, Rasboras and Danios. I would skip Tiger Barbs, but Pentazonas, Rubys and Cherries are good community tank fish. There are a lot of Tetras and close relatives such as X-Rays, and Pencils that will do well with Loaches. The Harlequin Rasbora is a good one, or if you want a slightly bigger fish the Scissors Tail Rasbora is another nice one. Look into some of the 'other' Danios, not just Zebras. A 40 is big enough for some of the 'Giant' Danios- several species that reach about 3" or so.
Another odd one to look into for this tank would be the Glass Catfish. Their bodies are mostly clear!
Zebra Loaches would eat the babies, but Guppies or Endlers are OK, or Platies. Do not get the super fancy Guppies; they are too delicate and require harder water. The average sort of Guppy is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, and would work well in the 15 gallon or the 40.