Keeping peppered loaches in their tank

[Sixwing]

Hello, LOL!
I have a question for you all. I've lurked around the site for a while, learned some great stuff, and finally resolved to get some companions for my lonely golden dojo loach. He (?) came to me in a fishtank that a coworker no longer wanted, and the only critters in with him are 1 apple snail (will be moving shortly) and two cory cats of uncertain species.
The LFS agreed to order in a couple of wild-type dojos, but couldn't get them. What they got instead is a "peppered loach" - after some research, it looks like Lepidocephalichthys guntea. Lovely little creatures that they were, I couldn't pass them up - brought home three and put them in QT.
My QT is only 5.5 gallons; this is very likely too small and I know it. I thought for the two weeks of quarantine, it would be OK. It's filtered with an AquaClear 20. Ammonia has been 0 for more than two weeks (tank set up a few days before, had expected initial ammonia spike, cloned filter from display tank); a small colony of ghost shrimp keeps the filter ticking over. Nitrite and nitrate read 0 and ~5 the day before the new fish went in.
Having read that serpentine loaches are escape artists, I purchased and installed a glass top. This left a small gap by the filter. I acclimated the loaches in a bucket, put them in QT, and went to bed; when I left, they were doing the very same up-and-down dance that the dojo does in his big corner tank home.
This morning, I found two of the peppered loaches on the floor, dried out, bloodied around the mouth and gills, unquestionably dead. I put them in a couple inches of water in a bucket just to make sure. Nobody revived.

I am questioning my ability to keep these loaches happily in the water.
The LFS does have more; I can pick them up tomorrow. What I want to know is this:

I can replace the HOB filter and heater with submersible equipment (move filter media to a big ugly Tetra submersible, use a different heater) and just run the cords under the glass top. Can L. guntea escape through that tiny of a gap? I didn't think they'd make it out the previous one, but was obviously wrong.

These will eventually be living in a corner tank around 35 gallons. It's open-top, with water at least one inch and usually two down from the top of the trim. The dojo has never tried to escape, and seems happy; eats, plays, hides in the driftwood and ugly fake plants. I think it's unlikely they would try to bail from the larger tank - but how do I keep them from outsmarting themselves and escaping?

Thanks!

[soul-hugger]

Hello, and Welcome!

I'm very sorry to hear about your loaches.
Many Loaches and some other Fish are great escape artists. I have three dojo Loaches and seven kuhlies, and though mine have never tried to escape, many people have had this experience. I did, however, have this happen with a golden barb. Unfortunately, it was too late to save her, as well.

There are many things you can do to make your tank safer. Any type of top can be used, including a screen top used for reptiles. I have also read in the book Loaches, (written by many of the wonderful people on this site) that some keepers have even used plastic wrap around the open spots to keep their loaches from escaping. It is certainly much harder to get a top that fits the contours of your equipment exactly. If you don't want to use plastic wrap, perhaps you can buy a bit of screen and fasten it to the glass cover, or the sides of the tank.

On another note, getting friends for your dojo is the right thing to do, because they like to be in groups. A peppered loach is similar enough to a dojo that they should do great together. I love dojo loaches; they are wonderful, gentle fish. They are also very intelligent and otherwise curious, which can have consequences, both good and bad.

bye for now,
soul-hugger

[Batch]

I have a group of 5 pepper loaches. Great fish to watch, but they and all loaches (and Garras) might go exploring where they shouldn't. To prevent this, I take sharp sissors and cut the plastic back strip so it fits exactly (less then a cm gap) around the filter, and make a small gap for any power cords (heater, powerheads, etc.). I then put saran wrap (held on with tape) over any remaining gaps. Before I started doing this, I lost a couple of fish, but so far none since!

Batch

[Sixwing]

Thanks soul-hugger and Batch!

Sounds like I need to tighten up my cover. In the long run, a screen top might be just perfect; I bet I can even rig one for the big tank, and it shouldn't block the light either, so the plants will be fine with it.

I did plastic-wrap the corner this morning. It seems more like a polite suggestion than an actual deterrent - "hey loach, please stay in the water-" but hopefully it'll work. If not, I will know tonight.

If a <1 cm gap is OK, I think I will go with the submersible filter and heater. I could even trim just a corner of the backstrip to get the cords through.

Not giving up I really like my dojo, and hope the peppered loaches will be as much fun in the long run!

[Sixwing]

Woo hoo!
The peppered loach was still in the tank this morning. Is very shy and frightened of me (burrows on sight) but ... in the water, looking live and presumably healthy.
The ones at the LFS have been quarantined for sick tankmates.
Le sigh.
Thanks!

[soul-hugger]

I'm glad to hear your loach was stil in his tank this morning. That must have been a relief!!

Even though it must be a little disappointing not to be able to get more peppered loaches right away, I'm glad to hear your LFS has quarantined them. This is a sign that your store is willing to do what it takes to keep their fish healthy. This is wonderful to hear, because all too often many stores are too eager to make a sale to really do what's right for the fish. Obviously, your store is an exception. This means you can rest at ease that they will treat any fish that become ill. But that still doesn't mean you shouldn't quarantine! A 5.5 Gallon QT is preferrable to not quarantining at all, but I would recommend a month just to be on the safe side. This way you can be much more certain they are not suffering from any ailments that take a long time to appear. I know what you mean about being anxious to get them into the larger tank, but this is better. A 5.5 Gallon is not so small. I use a 10 Gallon QT, and right now there are only two new loaches in it.

Loaches have fascinating behaviour, and you will see it even more once you have a group. Two of my three dojos will eat out of my hand, but they are still sometime startled when I approach the tank. Your little guy has been through a lot, and is probably a little stressed, but given time, he'll come around. Do you have a place for your loaches to hide? Strangely, the more places they have to hide, the more you'll see them.

Best of Luck to You
soul-hugger

[Sixwing]

Thanks!
As antsy as I am (ha! bouncing off walls) I am also glad they treat the fish well. They sell healthy fish - and they don't sell sick fish. *s* Makes my life that much easier. After reading many LFS horror stories, I'm quite thankful.

I'm glad to hear that even a small QT is better than none. Was seriously considering cutting New Loach's QT period short, but will stick with it. He was doing the up-and-down dance this morning, too. Encouraging and cute - I wonder if he can see the dojo doing his breakfast dance across the room?

There aren't a lot of hiding places. Right now there are a handful of live plant cuttings in there, growing out. It was fine when I had oto cats for my work tank in QT - they'd just stick to the plants - but New Loach probably wants more. I'll get some caves in there.

[starsplitter7]

I am sorry to hear about your Pepper Loach losses. I love my Peppers. I also have a bunch of Dojos. I don't notice that they hang out together. My Peppers are much shyer than the Dojos. They have their own personalities, but there's certainly no problem with mixing them. I keep them together in two tanks, and they will certainly lounge together, but I would certainly get some Dojos for your Dojo. The pink/gold and the brown ones mix well.

[Sixwing]

Hi starsplitter!
Thanks for the input!
I am hoping to put in this tank:
3 peppered loaches
2 dojos
and 6+ white cloud mountain minnows.
There are two existing Cories who are so darned cute I don't want to get rid of them, though I don't want to focus on them either.
It's a corner tank, 24" on each long side, 6" short sides, 26" front face. It'll eventually have Eco-Complete substrate (moving and redoing the tank in a month, currently has ugly gravel) for the benefit of plants and digging fish, be moderately planted with well-rooted plants, and probalby have extra filtration added at a later date. I'm working on plans for a series of terraced caves for more "bottom" territories. They'll get driftwood and plants immediately.
If this turns out to be too much, I may end up with a second tank. *s*

[Sixwing]

Well, the new loaches came out of QT at the LFS yesterday, so of course I brought two home to replace the two I lost. *s* And discovered... they have Y. sidthimunki in stock. Aggggh. Breathe with me.. not buying more loaches, not buying more loaches...

This morning, the peppers are still in the tank. Woo hoo!
They wigged out when I turned the light on - what a jump those little guys have! The biggest one tried to bail out, hit the plastic wrap, and fell back in. Whatever doubts I had about the effectiveness of plastic wrap have been laid to rest. (The packing tape holding the plastic wrap down may have something to do with it, too.)
Thanks for all your help!