Loaches Online Forum

Hi this is my first post here, although I've been skulking around for a couple of months now. I found the site via Graeme Robson, Martin Thoene, Emma Turner and others' posts over at Petfrd and think it's really excellent, both in philosophy and the wealth of information to be found here.

Anyway by way of a quick introduction I live in Newcastle Upon Tyne and have been into most aspects of the natural world for as long as I can remember, and a total fish geek since the age of 11. I followed the passion onto university where I studied Environmental Biology (specialising in freshwater ecosystems in my final year) and currently have 30 or so tanks filled with a fairly eclectic mix of species from mudskippers to dwarf Channa.

Here are some pictures of my single loach tank. It's set up to resemble a flowing stream. Turnover is around 15 times an hour. I wish I'd found this site earlier as I would definitely have built one of those ingenious manifold devices. As it stands the flow is mainly down the back of the tank, but the fish seem pretty chuffed with it! Any advice or comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading this far folks

Matt

Tank:




Residents:

Garra flavatra


Schistura sp. cf balteata. Have 6 of these boys. Some of them have very intense pink and yellow colouration while others are more indistinct, like this one.



Sewellia sp.? As you can see, this and the Garra have a kind of "mutual disgust" thing going on.



Inlecypris auropurpurea. 6 of these gorgeous little cyprinids.

Matt- Excellent setup, excellent pictures, and beautiful healthy looking fish!

Hi Matt! Welcome to Loaches Online, good to see you here mate!

Superb pictures! I see you got that Sewellia sp "spotted" from Tom's place. I was eyeing that chap up the other day. I likes your tank arrangement with the rocks/pebbles.

Hi Matt, good to see you here! Very nice tank, ideal for current loving fish. I bet the Schistura cf. balteata love all the nooks and crannies that the cobbles provide

Emma

(P.S. If you ever want any friends for your Sewellia sp. 'spotted', come and visit! )

Welcome to Loaches Online!!
Nice tank!

Thanks all for the very kind welcome and comments.

Graeme guilty as charged What did you make of that species in the tank next to the Mesonemacheilus? I noticed there were a few less this week and thought of you actually

Emma they sure do! They've dug a network of tunnels and each has it's own pebble to sit under. I've had them for a few months and aggression seems to be minimal at the moment so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'd love to visit your shop one day, it looks excellent.

No doubt it's the vast network of hiding places that keeps them from harming each other, as so many people have experienced with these chaps.

Matt, you should come down with Graeme and Mark (Mad Duff) next time they are visiting. I bet Graeme would pay you to drive so that he could have a beer or two at the pub, heheh!!!

Emma

P.S. How come all the Brits are up so late tonight? I thought it was just me who couldn't sleep!

Matt wrote:Graeme guilty as charged What did you make of that species in the tank next to the Mesonemacheilus? I noticed there were a few less this week and thought of you actually

Ahhh the tank with the Schistura mahnerti/Schistura vinciguerrae mixture? I might of purchased 3 or so. There was a few nice juvenile Schistura mahnerti that should colour up well once settled. I've already asked Matt, Emma. This time Mark (MD) is driving back up here. He doesn't know this yet!

Super tank, Matt. This is the perfect set up for brook loaches.

Yep I'd love to come down all being well

Graeme are the S. mahnerti the species with the red markings on the caudal fin? I was watching them for quite a while this weekend and they're lovely. I assume they're as quarrelsome as other Schistura?

Welcome Matt, nice looking tank matey

Welcome to Loaches Online Matt

Your tank and fish look great

Matt wrote:Yep I'd love to come down all being well

Graeme are the S. mahnerti the species with the red markings on the caudal fin? I was watching them for quite a while this weekend and they're lovely. I assume they're as quarrelsome as other Schistura?

Hi Matt. Yeah. They are the ones. They tend to carry a dark Rosy colour with black spots on the Dorsal and caudal fin's. I've captured a couple of pictures so you can see which ones to look out for. First picture is a new addition with the second picture showing one of my long time residents that has coloured up well and settled. Yes! These chaps are quarrelsome.