Compatibility and lonliness

[Kat]

Hi,
I have 1 clown loach, 1 yo yo loach, 2 zebra loaches.
Are they lonely? the clown and the yo yo seem to hang out together, and the zebras hang out seperately together. They are very active, confident, seem happy and are always clicking and foraging about. They have many places to hide, and often reside together. I have heard they ought to be kept with their own species, but have not been able to find them friends of their own kind. Am I being cruel? I sometimes wonder if the clown loach particularly is ok - as he likes to go up and down the glass in the corner where the current is strong, but the yo yo is less keen on doing this. When the clown does he often does it with the corydorus catfish I have...
Kathryn

[Gary Herring]

Hi Kat,

Im not an expert on clowns, but i do know that yes, they should be kept in groups. They are schooling fish and pine for others if kept on their own. They also grow fairly quickly and need quite alot of room.
Hopefully someone else will come along soon who can help you a bit more than i can.