Loaches Online Forum

One of my favorite shops has 4 of these in stock and I have them on hold. Are they strictly Hillies or will they be ok in my big mixed loach tank? I have had a lone Zipper Loach in there for several years (out lived all his Zipper buddies) and he seems perfectly happy. So what about Sumos?

If you've got suitable water-movement and filtration for the current( ) inhabitants which knowing you, you have, I'm sure they will be ok. They'll probably be first to the food once they work out you are the provider of all things edible.

What news on the Moosies? Or is that the same source?

Martin.

The Sumos are at my favorite shop up in CT. I usually go there for coarals and saltwater fish, but they sometimes have cool loaches. That's where I got my Sids too. With the big Clowns in my tank I have 3 power heads, 2 canister filters and a power filter running. So, it's not exactly a river, but the Zebra Plecos aren't complaining.

Frank is nursing the Moosies back to health and we're keeping our fingers crossed!

That degree of filtration should do you. I kept S. vinciguerrae in a non-hillstream tank and they were fine. They preferred the extra current once they were set up in a proper hill tank, but as long as the water is moving, you should be good.

I currently keep 6 S.Poculi's in a "loach tank" (with less filtration and current than yours) and 3 in a proper "hillstream tank". Both groups are doing fine, the 6 were with me since Aug. 2005, no losses or disease signs ever observed.

The only difference is that the fish in the hillstream tank is somewhat more relaxed, but this is likely due to the absence of larger loaches around.

If I may ask: what was the lifespan observed on your Zippers?

(One reason for asking: I'm keeping mine in a loach tank too, and while they seem to be doing fine, I don't know for sure if this is appropriate long-term.).

The one Zipper I have left has been with me about 4 years. He's lived in a communal loach tank his whole life. He was originally one of 3. One died during a move about 2.5 years ago and the other died about 6 months later with no external signs of illness. Just woke up one moring to find the corpse drifting around the tank. My lone Zipper likes to hang with my 6 Cory cats and my Chocolate Kuhli. They comprise his adopted shoal.

Thanks, Cybermeez,

This does not seem to be an indication against a community tank.

Mine, incidentally, behave like a single shoal with yoyo's, but pay no attention to kuhlis. In the q-tank, they were socializing with Sewellias (?!).
And, in case you did not notice, Frank just got a new shipment of them, so you can get yours a proper playmate or two (I got 8 from his previous shipment, all seem to be fine.)

Guess I'll be buying more than a few loaches from Frank now!