Loaches Online Forum

I have had a 3 gallon tank for several month now. It contains: 1 pencil fish, 2 cory catfish, and 1 yoyo loach. In addition I have two small live plants, and a few places for the fish to hide. In the past couple of weeks my yoyo loach continues to chase after and nip the catfish and I am not sure why? If anyone has any suggestions on how to prevent the agresive loach behavior, please let me know.
Thanks,
Tim

Hi. Um....was that a typo and you meant 30 gallons? Because 3 gallons is far too small for pretty much any fish on the planet. Yoyo's are quite boisterous fish and they really need to be in groups of 5+ ideally, with a LOT more space. Get as big a tank as you can afford and get the loach more friends. You'll start to see a lot of different and very entertaining behaviour!

Thanks for the response, but not a typo, really three gallons. I do not have room for anything bigger.....

If 3 gallons (even Imperial gallons) is all you have room for, then look into fish that do not grow bigger than about 1" long.
I have a pair of shell dwelling Cichlids in a 3 gallon tank, Ember Tetras in a similar tank, and Galaxy Rasboras in another. These are only quarantine tanks for the schooling fish, they will go into larger tanks (10 gallons) soon.
I certainly understand why any Loach would get aggressive in such a situation: There is not enough room in such a tank for any Loach.

the aggression may be simply due to lack of space. No room for a 'territory', so the whole tank is 'his' and thus the problem.
Yoyos really do need a larger tank. Could you re-home him with a friend who has a larger tank perhaps?

Thanks for your help. That is what I thought....this three gallon home is a bit too small for the loach. Most likely I will give it to a friend with a much bigger tank or give it back to the local pet store.

My catfish will be thankful! and the loach too!
Tim

tberard wrote:I have had a 3 gallon tank for several month now. It contains: 1 pencil fish, 2 cory catfish, and 1 yoyo loach. In addition I have two small live plants, and a few places for the fish to hide. In the past couple of weeks my yoyo loach continues to chase after and nip the catfish and I am not sure why? If anyone has any suggestions on how to prevent the agresive loach behavior, please let me know.
Thanks,
Tim

What kind of Corydoras do you have?

if you give the yoyo to your friend, then make sure he/she knows that the loach will need company of its own kind. yoyo loaches on their own will still pick on other fish if they feel like it, even with plenty of space, as being on their own is unnatural for them.