Loaches Online Forum

O.K.
I had 2 dwarf loaches. thought one was "with eggs" because it got so fat. Found this web site, learned I needed more loaches because they are shoaling fish. Also, learned on my own that the dwarfs were gorging themselves to the point of looking pregnant. Thought that was unhealthy behavior. Went to the fish store and bought his last 3 dwarfs, now I have 5 with 2 kuhli's, 1 female betta and 5 cherry barbs, and one flying fox. Guess what.
The dwarfs usually hang out in pairs with one hanging with the fox. Sometimes they will shoal in a group of 4 with one being the fox.
Now all 5 eat like pigs but don't necessarily chum around. Everyone seems happy and healthy. Tank chem is good. No one picking on someone else. The Kuhlis "hang out" literally (on the thermometer etc.) during the day. It's like I have one big hippie commune tank. There appears to be brotherly love and everyone likes everyone else! What's up with that?

I have a group of small Sids and same sized flying foxes that show similar behavior. They often swim together as a group as they explore the tank.

lol, i notice a bit of a difference in behavior when there are bigger numbers of loaches. maybe they are comfortable with the settings and they are being lazy lol...

I find mine like to hide behind the heater and the powerhead. they use it as a play tool.

when i feed mine and they get big bellys they generally just kinda hang out. but don't move much until they digest a bit or bloodworms hit the water!

they are a community type fish correct? so that may explain the hippie commune thing. I would only get worried if you hear jam band music coming from your tank and the fish made the music. remind me of a funny story.

i took a trip to asheville, nc my godfather lives up there. well there are many hippie communes up there. but these guys were a bit scary. almost cult like. they kept pressing me to buy their necklaces and stickers. THEY WOULD NOT BACK DOWN. they had their own music, made their own food, had stickers, shirts, necklaces of their commune name.

not only that the guy would not leave me alone and kept asking me for my credit card. one minute i saw 10 of these guys trying to sell merchandise then about two minutes later all of them vanished. it was a rather strange experience. sorry for the off topic babble but the hippie comment just gave me a flashback.

LoachOrgy wrote:lol, i notice a bit of a difference in behavior when there are bigger numbers of loaches. maybe they are comfortable with the settings and they are being lazy lol...

I find mine like to hide behind the heater and the powerhead. they use it as a play tool..

I started out with 12 sids and often most or all would be hiding.After adding another 12 sids and 6 flying foxes they all seem to out most of the time.

If I hear jam band music or they form a hippie drum circle, I'm calling Cartman!

I went to the fish store today. Big mistake as usual (unless I actually need something). Anyway, they had the coolest golden dojo's!! I have never seen these before. If they wern't already half the size of my tank, god only knows how many would have come home with me to live in brotherly love.
Bad thing-- I'm already trying to figure out finances for another tank -- a bigger one!

I love my golden dojos. Sounds like they wouldn't go well in your tank though even if they were small. they need a colder temp than the tropical that your kuhli and betta are at.


If you ever get a bigger tank you definitely wouldn't be disappointed witht he gold dojo loaches. They entertain my kids all the time with their antics.