Loaches Online Forum

I have a lone skunk loach living in a community tank here at home. He is very much a loaner - with one exception - he and my red tailed shark are best of friends. Whenever they see each other, they can't stay away from one another, and play with suprising frequency!

Also - he likes to hide under a rock in a cave that I built into the tank - but doesn't mind in the least that my pleco is less than a centimeter from him - but any other fish (except the shark and the pleco) - he doesn't want anywhere near him!

Anyone else see this type of behaviour out of a skunk loach? I thought they didn't want much to do with other fish!

The Yasuhikotakia morleti is a known aggressive loach, however they are indeed social loaches that Need the company of there own kind. Your lone Skunk loach has found a temporary friend with the shark. I would suggest you keep the Yasuhikotakia morleti in groups of 5, to see the full potential.

Temporary? I lost 4 other skunk loaches about 6 months ago due to ick, but even before that this one was friendly with the red tailed shark.... Unusual I would think...

HOWEVER,

I just got off the phone with my girlfriend, who has been lured into loach-love by seeing my tanks, and she has four Botia modesta in her tank - and the red tailed shark there has taken a lot of interest in them. Maybe it was the shark that initiated the contact?

Her botia modestas don't play with the shark as mine does, but they do not seem to mind him wanting to stay near at all times!

your dude needs buddies....like it has been written.
get new skunks in a Qtank and this time ick will not be a problem.
do not get other types of loaches.
it is well known that loaches and a RTS get along well.
just don't get a rts and a sae in a small tank. Kinda like a histronica and Modesta.