Loaches Online Forum

the new tank is getting there but im not sure how many fish i can fit in.

its a 400l tank, and will have eheim externals, and sand on the bottom

i know i need at least 5 of each of b. striata and yoyos (and the birdii) and i will probably stick with rasboras as the dither


id quite like to go for plenty of striatas, but i am wondering whether it would be better to go for a higher number of yoyos to reduce agression among them? i hope they get on ok, but if the yoyos procve too much for the striata, then i have a spare tank, so i can separate them if it doesnt work out. how many do you think would be best of each?

i have several good size bits of bogwood with good caves in, and plants for on top of them, and the plastic caves that they currently have. i had thought about trying some plastic flexible piping, like washing machine piping, to make tunnels for them. has anyone tried this?


Emma if that fish you have for me is a birdii, not some strange colour morph, then do they ever catch any more of them? it would interesting to have a group of them.

thanks!

helen nightingale wrote:Emma if that fish you have for me is a birdii, not some strange colour morph, then do they ever catch any more of them? it would interesting to have a group of them.

thanks!

That loach is a special fish. Never seen any others like it in years of working in aquatics. I got a new shipment of Yo-Yo loaches in about 3 weeks ago, but alas, no 'birdii' lookalikes in there. (admittedly I used a different supplier to normal though). I will always be keeping an eye out for these now, so if we get another, he/she's yours, Hels.

Emma

Hey, thanks Emma

he certainly is special, and i had expected it would be virtually impossible to find another one. very occasionaly i get burst of optimism, and you just encountered one i will still peer very closely into your yoyo and striata tanks though. this cheeky one "escaped" your lovely display tank:



i havent had much time to practise, but at least i sort of captured the interesting parts

would you mind giving me your thoughts on this fish too? i bought it as a yoyo, but the other one i bought at the same time now has the normal adult markings, and this one just doesnt look like a yoyo to me. he is the underling.



sorry for the bad picture - its the best one i've got so far.....

thanks

Hi Helen,

I'd guess at that second fish pic being a B. rostrata. Looks like the sort of 'in between' stage when the ladder/twin bar patterning changes into a more reticulated pattern (visible on the head area of this fish). See what everyone else thinks, as it's possible that it could be a juvenile B. kubotai too....

Emma

thanks Emma. i had wondered about rostrata, but i hadnt thought about kubotai. i must work on improving my picture quality! its come out more fuzzy on LOL than when i looked at it on my picture programme

more dilemmas about stocking then should i give up hope of getting a hillstream tank, and have 2 botia species tanks intead? or do i realistically have room for groups of 3 species in my tank? i think its the 5x2' footprint tank, rather than a very tall one. it still doesnt look that big for 15 loaches

I think you'd be fine with at least 10 B. striata and 8 or 9 Yo-yo's, plus the 'birdi'. That would still leave you room for a large amount of dither fish, easily 40 x 1" long fish, for example.

I think your other mystery Botia (in the photo) will be fine in the mix of striata/yo-yos until it gets to a point where it is clear what it is. Then you can always add a few of it's own kind, as there would be room. If that's the case, you could lower the numbers of striata/yo-yo's that you are planning on getting to 7 or 8 each, and then purchase a few of whatever this one turns out to be.

Emma

thats much more fish than i thought i dont want to turn into a monsterfish troll, but that has cheered me up. i had thought i wouldnt get to keep rostrata or kubotai due to no spare space. you have rostrata, dont you?

i am now trying to imagine that many rasbora dorciocellata with the colorful eyes. that would look very nice

thanks for making me happy, Em

No problemo! And, yes, we have B. rostrata......


Emma

Emma Turner wrote:No problemo! And, yes, we have B. rostrata......


Emma

The quality you guys keep those fish at in that shop is mind blowing...

Thank you.

from just looking at some of your pictures, people wouldnt realise some were taken in a stock tank